Haus Labs: Behind the Marketing Strategy of Lady Gaga’s Clean Beauty Brand

Haus Labs by Lady Gaga, founded by the iconic pop sensation, has made waves with its approach to “clean beauty” and skin health. The brand is the one of the most successful celebrity cosmetics brands (after Fenty Beauty and Kylie Cometics) and has managed to stand out with viral TikTok videos and ingredients that are genuinely good for your skin.

In this article, we will explore the history of the brand, unravel their social media presence, and take a deep dive into their influencer marketing strategies. Along the way, we’ll discover what sets Haus Labs apart and the invaluable lessons it offers to other brands striving for success in the beauty world.

Haus Labs: History of the (re)brand

Lady Gaga, or “LG” as she prefers, is renowned for pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation. Haus Labs initially launched in 2019, aiming to redefine beauty by encouraging self-expression and individuality through makeup. However, after a few months, it seemed to fade into the background. Despite the star power of Lady Gaga, the products failed to truly take off.

Then, in 2022, Haus Labs  pulled off an impressive transformation. The brand changed its name from Haus Laboratories to Haus Labs by Lady Gaga. They partnered with Sephora, rather than Amazon. And most importantly, they shifted their focus towards ingredient-conscious cosmetics, eliminating 2,600 harmful ingredients from their product line.

“A lot of makeup is made with really dirty ingredients. It’s not good for your skin and it’s not good for the planet,” Lady Gaga explained in an interview with Fashion Magazine. “We like to say at our company that we’re the future of clean makeup.”

The rebrand was met with enthusiasm, with Elle Magazine calling it “one of the best things that could have happened to the company.” And the brand’s Instagram announcement of the rebrand, describing themselves as “supercharged clean artistry makeup driven by innovation” generated 99,000 likes:

The rebrand saw the launch of key new products like the Triclone Skin Tech Foundation, available in 51 shades.  The foundation blew up TikTok, with nearly 10 billion views on the hashtag #hauslabsfoundation. So, what’s so special about it?

The foundation is formulated with Fermented Arnica, inspired by Lady Gaga’s own health issues. Her decade-long battle with fibromyalgia and chronic pain led her to the herb known for reducing inflammation and redness, which she insisted on incorporating into the Haus Labs  foundation—despite skeptics.

Today, Haus Labs’ commitment to ingredients that truly benefit the skin is a hallmark of the brand.

Influencer marketing at Haus Labs: Collaborations and influencer strategy deep-dive

In the last 12 months, 1.7k creators talked about Haus Labs in 6.4k Instagram posts. The engagement rate for creators’ posts on Instagram is 3.1% (significantly higher than the brand’s own 0.5% engagement rate), and the potential audience size is 615M.

Who does Haus Labs work with on Instagram?

It goes without saying that Lady Gaga is the main face of the brand. She regularly posts about Haus Labs with her 56.2M followers.

We took a look at the Kolsquare platform to suss out who else the brand works with. Haus Labs  works with many creators on a regular basis, including celebrity makeup artists like Veronica Kole (36k followers) and Sarah Tanno (322k followers).

The brand has an in-house “education trainer” who regularly posts about the brand. Haus Labs  regularly features her in their own channels, using her posts and stories as IGC (influencer generated content).

Haus Labs is also regularly promoted by normal, everyday makeup enthusiasts. For example, here Monica Ravichandran recommends Haus Labs products and shares some tutorials on how to use them:

Lady Gaga is obviously a superstar, and the brand is heavily endorsed by celebrity makeup artists. Nonetheless, micro influencers with 10k-100k followers make up 50% of the brand’s collaborations, followed by macro influencers (100k-1M) at 38%. Only 6% of influencers promoting Haus Labs fall into the mega category (like Lady Gaga herself):

Haus Labs mainly works with creators in the U.S, which makes sense since Lady Gaga lives in L.A. The brand launched in the U.K last year, and Haus Labs is already working with 100 creators from the U.K:

The brand works with many influencers on a one-time basis. 52% of all of Lady Gaga’s collabs are one-time collabs, 31% are short term (up to 6 months) and only 17% are long term:

How Haus Labs Uses Influencers on TikTok

294 creators mentioned Haus Labs in 646 TikToks in the last 12 months. Lady Gaga herself and other TikTok influencers regularly post about Haus Labs and their products:

It’s worth noting that influencer content gets significantly more engagement than the brand’s own stuff. The average engagement rate is 2.4%, and an influencer video gets 22k likes on average.

Let’s dive into the specific influencer strategies Haus Labs is using to generate buzz on TikTok.

Haus Labs influencer seeding & gifting strategy

Not every influencer collab has to be a million dollar deal with superstar influencers. An effective strategy is influencer seeding, where brands give influencers free products, often in return for a review.

In this TikTok video, user idk.meghan was thrilled that Haus Labs had gifted her the foundation and shared how much she loved the product. This is an example of how influencer seeding can be win-win – the brand gets free exposure, and the user is happy to get something for free.

Haus Labs Influencer Generated Content

Haus Labs does a great job of using influencer content for their own channels.

For example, in this viral TikTok video that amassed 1.2M views, star influencer Nikkie de Jager (19M followers on Insta, and 8M followers on TikTok) did a review of the Haus Labs foundation. “Is this the foundation of the year?” she asked, and proceeded to list all the things she loved about the foundation.

Haus Labs posted the video of Nikkie on their own brand channel. Because a user review is always going to be more authentic than you talking about how great your own stuff is. And in this case, the brand profits from the fact that Nikkie is one of the most popular and well-known faces in the cosmetics industry.

What is Haus Labs social media strategy?

Now you have more insight into Haus Labs’ influencer strategy, let’s move on to their owned channels.

Beyond skin-friendly ingredients, a key factor in Haus Labs’ success in their savvy social media strategy. They are active on multiple social media platforms, especially Instagram (1.1 million followers and TikTok (483k followers).

Let’s explore in further detail how the brand approaches Instagram and TikTok.

Haus Labs Instagram strategy

The brand posts a mixture of posts, stories and reels. Kolsquare data shows that stories make up approx 62% of the brand’s Instagram content, followed by reels (27%) and posts (11%). The reels component is higher than many other brands, reflecting Haus Labs ’ video-first approach to content.

The brand’s Instagram content is centered heavily around Lady Gaga and the products themselves:

Instagram stories are a little more fun, with the brand incorporating challenges and give-aways:

The brand makes extensive use of reels, using Instagram’s video format to share tutorials and behind the scenes glimpses of Lady Gaga using the products:

The brand’s engagement could be higher at 0.5%, according to Kolsquare data. The brand Instagram has seen steady growth, rising from 1 million to 1.2 million followers over the past 6 months:

On average, an Instagram post from Haus Labs drives 17k likes, 214 comments, and €2.8k media value.

Haus Labs TikTok strategy

TikTok is a key reason why the brand is so successful. But it wasn’t always that way.

The viral video, where Lady Gaga encouraged fans to  share videos of themselves wearing the foundation to a funny soundtrack, drove 9.7M views.

Overall, the brand’s TikTok strategy is a mix of influencer-generated content, challenges, humorous content, and of course Lady Gaga herself. As a result, Haus Labs has seen modest growth over the past 6 months, rising to 483k followers.

The average reach for a TikTok video is 33k, and the estimated media value is €826.

The engagement rate is 0.2%, and a TikTok video from Haus Labs  gets 845 likes and 23 comments on average. This is lower than other celebrity cosmetics brands. Fenty Beauty, Rihanna’s cosmetics line, has a TikTok engagement rate of 0.9%, with videos getting on 38k likes and 246 comments.

What can your brand learn from Haus Labs?

Haus Labs has become a compelling case study in the beauty industry, offering valuable lessons for other brands:

• Authenticity is key

Haus Labs’ success is rooted in the authenticity of its founder, Lady Gaga. She was determined from the beginning that Haus Labs makeup should empower people to express themselves, not merely copy her. Brands should aim to create a genuine connection with their audience by staying true to their core values and mission.

• Ingredient-conscious products

The shift towards clean cosmetics is a trend that’s gaining momentum. Brands should consider the benefits of cleaner formulations and ingredients that enhance skin health.

• Influencer Generated Content

Haus Labs’ influencer-first approach does a great job of engaging its audience and showcasing the products. By leveraging the credibility of influencers, the brand is able to showcase its products in a whole new light.

• Collaborations with Key Opinion Leaders

What could Haus Labs do better?

• Diversification of product range

Haus Labs offers products for almost every category of cosmetics: complexion, lip, cheek, and eyes. However, within those categories, the types of items are limited compared to competitors. Adding a mascara, highlighter and loose powder could help the brand keep up with beauty trends and customer demands.

• More engagement

The brand rarely engages with its community or replies to comments. Being more active and fostering a greater sense of community could help improve the brand’s engagement rate.

• Go global

The products are available worldwide via hauslabs.com, but they are mostly promoted by U.S. and U.K based influencers. Expanding influencer collaborations into local markets could help Haus Labs tap into a broader global audience.

Want to check out the influencer marketing strategies of more top brands?

Check out our blog post on Charlotte Tilbury where we demystify who the brand works with and how they approach influencer marketing.

About Kolsquare – the brand behind the insights

Kolsquare is the AI-powered Influencer Marketing Platform that helps your team drive sales and brand awareness. Discover authentic creators, measure the impact of your campaigns and manage all your data in one place. Fast-growing DTCs like  Bears With Benefits, Junglück or Kapten & Son, as well as large, established companies like Vodafone, Lululemon or Kaufland use Kolsquare to get more out of their influencer marketing.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Haus Labs originally launched?

Haus Labs was originally launched in 2019.

What significant changes occurred in Haus Labs in 2022?

In 2022, Haus Labs rebranded from Haus Laboratories to Haus Labs by Lady Gaga, partnered with Sephora, and focused on ingredient-conscious cosmetics by eliminating 2,600 harmful ingredients.

What is the main focus of Haus Labs' product line?

The main focus of Haus Labs' product line is on ingredient-conscious cosmetics that promote skin health.

How did Haus Labs gain traction on social media?

Haus Labs gained traction on social media through viral TikTok videos and collaborations with influencers, resulting in significant engagement rates.

What is a notable product launched by Haus Labs?

A notable product launched by Haus Labs is the Triclone Skin Tech Foundation, which is available in 51 shades and has gained immense popularity on TikTok.