Tung Nguyen, Rosental: How a Beauty Brand Became a Household Name

About this episode

Four years ago, Tung Nguyen and Alexander Pelz launched their direct-to-consumer company Rosental in the beauty space. Today, the brand is firmly established and has become a true household name. In this conversation, Tung explains how a combination of trendsetting, strategic influencer marketing, and products that their target audience genuinely loves led to success.

From Spotted to Beauty: The Pivot Moment

After his previous project Spotted, Tung deliberately chose the D2C beauty sector. The reason: the opportunity to build direct contact with the target audience while benefiting from experiences in tech product development. "What can a D2C startup learn from tech product development?" – this question was central to the team's approach.

Product Development: From the Right Product to the Right Positioning

A key learning at Rosental: sometimes you have the right product but the wrong positioning. The team therefore uses loyal customers as a vehicle for product testing and consciously activates its fan community for feedback and further development.

As a D2C startup, you need to find product-market fit anew for every product – a challenge that Rosental masters through close customer relationships and continuous testing.

Turning Customers into Fans: Rosental's Customer Journey

Particularly interesting is Rosental's approach to turning customers into genuine fans. The company relies on a well-thought-out after-sales strategy and continuously optimizes the customer journey. The retail sector also plays an important role as a complement to the online business.

Building Trust: Influencer Marketing as Key Strategy

One of the most important questions for any D2C brand: How do you build trust? Rosental relies heavily on influencer marketing, but with moderation and purpose. "Can a brand do too much influencer marketing?" – a legitimate question that Tung answers in detail.

Successful influencer collaboration requires more than just reach. Authenticity and the right target audience approach are paramount. Trust can be built through influencers, but only when the cooperation is credible.

E-Commerce Optimization: Design vs. Conversion

With their own e-commerce shop, the question arises: How much should be design and how much should be optimized for conversion? Rosental has found a balanced approach where conversion rate functions as a real value driver for the entire company.

The Learnings for Other D2C Founders

Rosental's success story shows: D2C business in the beauty sector works when you pull the right levers. The interplay of product development, community building, strategic marketing, and optimized customer experience makes the difference.

The key takeaways:

• –Use loyal customers as product testing partners
• –Validate market fit anew for each product
• –Build trust through authentic influencer marketing
• –Understand conversion rate as a central KPI
• –Consider after-sales as part of the customer journey

Anyone looking to build a D2C brand can learn a lot from Rosental's approach – particularly the systematic approach to brand development and the direct focus on the target audience make the difference between just another online shop and a true household name.