This episode explores the journey of building a successful men's skincare brand, Tiege Hanley, on Amazon and beyond. Kelly Thornton, the founder, recounts his initial failed attempt at curating other brands' products before pivoting to a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model with a focus on uncomplicated skincare for men. More significantly, the success of Tiege Hanley is attributed to a content-led approach, primarily leveraging YouTube to educate and engage their target audience. For instance, Thornton highlights the importance of creating relevant content that addresses men's skincare concerns and establishes the brand as an authority in the field. As the discussion pivoted to the challenges of scaling a brand across multiple marketplaces like Amazon, Thornton emphasizes the increasing complexity of managing international operations, including compliance, trademark protection, and VAT regulations. Despite facing challenges like delisting issues on Amazon, Tiege Hanley's success is rooted in its strong brand identity and content strategy, allowing it to withstand the pressures of aggregators and maintain a diversified approach across DTC, Amazon, and wholesale channels. This illustrates the importance of building a brand beyond a single platform and the power of content marketing in establishing a loyal customer base.
