Prime Day 2024: 649% ad spend surge & TikTok’s impact on Amazon beauty trends

The 2024 Prime Day event underscored the rising influence and competitiveness within the Beauty category on Amazon. According to Dave Karlsven, SVP of Client Marketing & Data Science of Market Defense, premium beauty brands are intensifying their Amazon advertising efforts, driving up competition and costs.

As detailed in a recently published trend report from Market Defense, during Prime Day, Beauty & Personal Care saw a 649% increase in ad spend, an 83% rise in cost-per-click (CPC), and a 519% boost in sales revenue over the previous 30 days. This surge reflects the increasing importance of strategic advertising in capturing consumer attention during high-traffic events.

TikTok trends shaping beauty purchases

TikTok's impact on consumer behavior was evident during this year’s Prime Day event, with sunscreen emerging as the fastest-growing trend across the platform's beauty categories “with 5.4B views, up 99.8% month over month (MoM),” according to the report. This trend translated into Amazon, where sunscreen became the most searched term in the Skin Care category, the report confirmed.

The viral appeal of products like Tirtir’s cushion foundation propelled it to the #4 spot on Amazon's Beauty & Personal Care list, highlighting the power of branded searches and influencer endorsements.

The "Clean Girl" aesthetic, marked by sleek, slicked-back ponytails, continued to drive sales in the hair care category, with the Samnyte Hair Wax Stick remaining a top product on Amazon. Summer 2024's "Brat" trend has further boosted interest in the slicked-back ponytail, leading to a 29% year-over-year increase in searches for "Hair Wax Stick" and rising sales of hair ties and clips.

Additionally, the trend has prompted brands to innovate with new hair styling products and techniques that cater to the growing demand for polished, easy-to-achieve looks.

Emerging beauty trends

Hair growth remains a hot topic, with over 1.3 million monthly searches fueling Amazon sales for brands like Mielle Organics and Nutrafol. Additionally, the report confirmed that Batana Oil saw a 400% month-over-month surge in Amazon searches driven by viral buzz and endorsements from beauty influencers. This spike illustrates the significant influence of social media and word-of-mouth on consumer interest in niche beauty ingredients.

The rise in popularity of double cleansing is reflected in a 60.1% increase in searches, with cleansing oils gaining traction as effective makeup removers. This trend highlights a growing consumer preference for comprehensive skin care routines that address cleansing and hydration needs.

Another emerging trend is the rise of "Lash Clusters," which have seen a 39% year-over-year increase in internet searches and a staggering 249% boost in Amazon search volume. Brands that can capitalize on this trend stand to gain significant market share by offering innovative lash products that cater to the demand for fuller, more dramatic lashes.

The surge in popularity also reflects a broader consumer shift towards DIY beauty solutions and personalized beauty experiences.

Perfume's massive surge

According to the report, perfume is experiencing a remarkable surge in popularity, with a staggering 386.7 million average weekly views on social media platforms and 100 million searches on Google. This trend presents a substantial opportunity for brands to capitalize on the growing interest in fragrances.

Notably, 50% of Prime Day’s top-selling fragrances were from prestige brands directly engaging Amazon consumers, highlighting a strategic shift by high-end brands into e-commerce.

Among the fragrance trends, Jean Paul Gaultier is making a significant comeback. With an average of 56.5K monthly searches and a 149.6% growth compared to last year, Gaultier's resurgence underscores a renewed consumer interest in classic and iconic scents.

Price trends & strategic insights

“The average beauty price on Prime Day dropped YoY as more brands joined in to boost their sales; those red badges signal major deals, and even luxury brands are getting in on the action,” shared Vanessa Kuykendall, Chief Engagement Officer and Co-Founder of Market Defense. For example, average Beauty & Personal Care prices fell to $27.78 during the Prime Big Deal Days (Oct 10-11, 2023) and further decreased to $27.01 on Cyber Monday 2023, down from $32.00 in 2022, she illustrated.

This shift reflects a broader trend towards more aggressive pricing strategies to attract consumers.

“For most prestige beauty brands,” she continued, “the goal of Prime Day is not only top line sales but customer acquisition: new customers who turn into repeat purchasers long after the tentpole event.” For example, she explained in the report, “brands who are very aggressive can drive 7-13x average daily sales during the event with significant new customer acquisition that turns into raving fans for years to come.”

She further advised that “for a prestige beauty brand that wants to avoid constant discounting but still reel in new customers, consider this strategy: keep price promotions exclusive to Prime Day and a few key holidays, with minimal discounts elsewhere.” In conjunction with “moderate ad spend,” she concluded, “during Prime Day, you can expect sales to surge 3-5x above the daily average, giving you a big win without cheapening your brand.”

Advertising insights

Karlsven also noted in the report that advertising on Amazon is becoming increasingly competitive and expensive, as evidenced by the significant increases in Cost Per Click (CPC) for Sponsored Product Ad campaigns targeting top-searched keywords on Prime Day.
“However, there's still a valuable opportunity in utilizing Sponsored Brand Video ads,” he explained, as many brands in the beauty space “haven't fully tapped into the potential of video ads, making them a more cost-effective way for our clients to target high-performing keywords without having to bid against as many competitors for impression share.”

This approach allowed clients to dynamically stand out and engage customers while managing advertising costs during events like Amazon Prime Day.

Amazon's Beauty and Personal Care category continues to evolve rapidly, with TikTok trends, emerging beauty trends, and the booming fragrance market playing pivotal roles in driving sales. Brands that stay ahead of these trends and effectively engage consumers across platforms are well-positioned for continued success.

As the industry adapts to shifting consumer preferences and technological advancements, staying informed and agile will be key to maintaining a competitive edge in the dynamic beauty market.