How L’Oréal Paris, CeraVe, and Rhode Dominated Social Media in Q2

Blockbuster moments abounded across culture during the second quarter, and the savviest brands in the beaut industry took advantage.

There was Coachella, coined this year as “Bieberchella” given how the couple dominated the weekend—Justin on stage, and Hailey everywhere else via Rhode World. Then came the Met Gala, where influencer marketing platform Traackr reports Kendall Jenner drove L’Oréal Paris’ single highest-performing post by Brand Vitality Score (VIT) during the period. Finally, the Cannes Film Festival, a key entertainment marketing event, helped fuel L’Oréal Paris’ continued rank as the number-one beauty brand in the U.S. by VIT. This social dominance aligns with the conglomerate's broader financial success, as L’Oréal sales climb on haircare demand and resilient global consumer spending.

Rhode ranked as the number-three brand, moving up a spot from the prior quarter, while CeraVe—one of four L’Oréal-owned brands to make the top 10—took the number-two spot. Rhode's organic success mirrors a broader shift in market trends where indie beauty brands surpass $500 million on TikTok Shop and other social platforms by prioritizing community over traditional advertising.

Different strategies fueled the top three brands, according to Traackr cofounder and CEO Pierre-Loïc Assayag. For Rhode, more than 98 percent of its VIT came from organic content—a category that includes unpaid posts and gifted products. In contrast, 51 percent of L’Oréal Paris’ VIT was organic, with the remainder driven by paid partnerships. CeraVe saw the biggest boost from paid content, which made up 80 percent of its VIT during the period. This is partly because CeraVe frequently "boosts" organic content, partnering with creators who post about the brand organically to amplify their reach to a wider audience.

CeraVe also saw success with its “Coach Melo” campaign featuring former NBA player Carmelo Anthony, which launched in May.

“L’Oréal Paris maintained leadership through scale and consistency; Rhode continued to grow by cultivating an exceptionally loyal creator community, and CeraVe demonstrated how a concentrated investment behind the right campaign can quickly change a brand’s trajectory,” said Assayag.