The strategic playbook for transforming a European tanning brand into a North American market leader.
When Carroten, Greece's #1 tanning product, partnered with SAYN to enter the competitive US market, few predicted the explosive growth that would follow. In their first four months of 2025, the brand achieved a staggering 377% year-over-year revenue increase and sold 221,800 units.
But behind these impressive numbers lies a sophisticated multi-marketplace strategy that fundamentally changed how beauty brands should think about platform synergy.
The Challenge: Breaking Into a Saturated Market
The US tanning market is dominated by established players like Hawaiian Tropic, Australian Gold, and Maui Babe. For a Greek brand with premium pricing ($29.99 vs. competitors at $7-15), the challenge was immense.
"When we first looked at Carroten's positioning, we knew we couldn't compete on price alone," explains Shmuly Ainsworth, SAYN's CEO. "We needed to create a completely new category narrative around tanning gels versus traditional oils and lotions."
The initial obstacles were significant:
- Premium pricing 2-3x higher than established competitors
- Minimal brand recognition in the US market
- Walmart disrupting brand control with counterfeit listings
- Seasonal product requiring rapid market penetration
The Breakthrough: TikTok Shop as Growth Catalyst
While most brands consider TikTok Shop a secondary channel, SAYN's team identified it as the primary growth engine for Carroten's success.
"TikTok Shop wasn't just another sales channel for us—it became our brand storytelling platform," notes Ainsworth. "We knew that if we could crack the code on TikTok, it would drive sales across every platform."
The 30-day results speak for themselves:
- +614% month-over-month increase on TikTok Shop
- 1,916 total creators generating authentic content
- 12.5M views across 454 affiliate videos
- 170.3K likes driving social proof
But the real genius was in how TikTok Shop success translated to Amazon dominance.
The Multi-Marketplace Amplification Effect
The strategy centered on what SAYN calls "cross-platform momentum"—using viral TikTok content to drive Amazon search volume and conversions.
Phase 1: Category Disruption Through Education
Instead of competing directly with established tanning oils, Carroten positioned itself as the superior gel alternative. Through compelling infographics and creator education, they achieved:
- 74% increase in click-through rates for "tanning lotion" searches converting to gel purchases
- 50% week-over-week sales increase through category repositioning
- 10X increase in "tan accelerator" search volume
Phase 2: Conversion Engineering
SAYN's team implemented real-time optimization based on customer inquiries:
- Enhanced Product Titles: Adding "Browning Lotion" increased impressions by 31%
- Texture Swatches: Visual product differentiation reduced return rates
- FAQ Integration: Proactive customer education improved conversion rates
- Greece Heritage Positioning: "#1 Tanning Product in Greece" built credibility
The result: 4X increase in product sales.
Phase 3: Competitive Share Capture
Perhaps most impressively, SAYN's PPC strategy turned competitor interest into Carroten’s Amazon sales:
- 1,807 total unit sales from competitor keyword targeting
- 23% conversion rate on Shine Brown competitor campaigns
- 16% conversion rate on Bailhua competitor terms
- 15% conversion rate on Maui Babe keyword campaigns
"We realized that people searching for competitors were already in-market for tanning products," explains Cody Christopherson, Marketplace Director. "By positioning Carroten as the premium alternative with superior ingredients and texture, we could capture that intent."
Amazon Domination Through TikTok Momentum
The TikTok success created a flywheel effect on Amazon:
- $1M+ in Amazon sales during the review period
- 122% YoY increase for Carroten's total Amazon portfolio
- 113% year-over-year growth on Amazon
- 89% brand share for "Carroten tanning gel" searches
"The TikTok virality created a massive search volume on Amazon," notes Christopherson. "Suddenly, thousands of people were searching specifically for Carroten products, which dramatically improved our organic rankings and reduced our advertising costs."
Target Retail: The Omnichannel Validation
The digital success translated immediately to retail performance:
- $1.3M in Target sales during April alone
- 93% in-store vs. 7% online sales split showing strong brick-and-mortar demand
- Florida, California, Texas leading state-wise performance
- Summer Sun Destination beacon placement from May-August
"When Target saw our digital momentum, they immediately increased our shelf space and gave us premium beacon placement," shares Brittany Ainslie, SAYN's Chief Merchandising Officer. "Digital success became our credibility for retail expansion."
The Counterfeit Challenge: Protecting Brand Equity
Success brought unexpected challenges. Walmart's unauthorized third-party sellers began offering counterfeit products at slashed prices, threatening brand integrity.
SAYN's response was swift and comprehensive:
- Onboarded a legal contractor for counterfeit removal
- Removed 7 unauthorized listings within 30 days
- Estimated $1M in protected revenue from rogue sellers
- Implemented brand registry across platforms
"Brand protection isn't just about legal action—it's about maintaining the premium positioning that drives our pricing power," explains Ainslie.
The Numbers That Matter
By the end of April, Carroten's transformation was complete:
Overall Performance:
- 377% YoY total revenue increase
- 307% YoY total unit increase
- 221,800 units sold YTD
Lessons for Beauty Brands
Carroten's success offers actionable insights for beauty brands looking to scale:
1. Platform Synergy Over Channel Silos
Don't treat marketplaces as independent channels. Create content strategies that amplify across platforms.
2. Category Creation Over Direct Competition
Instead of competing in saturated categories, create new subcategories where you can dominate.
3. Creator Education Drives Conversion
Arm creators with educational content about product benefits, not just promotional messaging.
4. Competitor Intent Capture
Target competitor keywords with superior value propositions rather than just brand defense.
5. Digital Success Unlocks Retail Opportunities
Strong online performance becomes credibility for retail partnerships and premium placements.
"This is just the beginning," concludes Ainsworth. "We've proven that with the right strategy, even premium European brands can not just compete but dominate in the US market. The key is understanding that the modern consumer discovers on social, researches on marketplaces, and buys everywhere."
The Bottom Line
Carroten's 377% growth wasn't luck—it was the result of strategic platform orchestration, category repositioning, and relentless optimization. For beauty brands struggling to break through in competitive markets, the playbook is clear: leverage social platforms to drive marketplace success, and use that momentum to unlock retail opportunities.
The future belongs to brands that can seamlessly integrate across the entire customer journey, from discovery to replenishment. Carroten didn't just grow—they showed an entire industry how to win in the omnichannel era.
