Alicia Yoon founded Peach & Lily in 2012 to introduce Korean skincare to U.S. consumers before the trend gained mainstream popularity. Starting as an e-commerce platform for Korean beauty brands, the company evolved into its own skincare line emphasizing potent yet gentle products.
Education has been central to Peach & Lily’s marketing, with extensive website content designed to inform consumers about K-beauty. Yoon described the site as resembling a media outlet due to the depth of educational material.
As founder, Yoon became the brand’s public face, appearing on QVC, Sephora’s website, and Target photography to establish credibility. Unlike today’s social media-driven founder brands, her early efforts focused on strategic appearances and building influencer partnerships to reach broader audiences.
The brand’s influencer strategy prioritizes education over virality. Peach & Lily selects influencers who genuinely use and appreciate its products and who are interested in sharing skincare science with their audiences. Influencers are encouraged to integrate the brand authentically over multiple interactions rather than one-off mentions.
Influencer events reflect this educational focus. Instead of traditional brand trips, Peach & Lily hosts master classes where influencers learn about product science firsthand and leave equipped to educate their followers. Events like a June 2024 influencer lunch celebrated the brand’s Ulta Skincare Brand of the Year award, with attendees frequently posting about the products.
Major product launches incorporate educational activations. For example, the TikTok-viral Glass Skin Ginseng Collagen Mask launch featured an office pop-up styled as a “glass bodega” for immersive learning and shopping experiences. Influencers also participated in themed activities, such as a planned (but weather-canceled) hot air balloon ride in Santa Rosa, California.
Peach & Lily employs a data-driven marketing approach. Outdoor campaigns, like New York Subway ads, are structured to correlate awareness efforts with sales conversions. The brand’s early Glass Skin Refining Serum helped pioneer the now-widespread glass skin trend, which Yoon has further explained through an ebook.
The brand also maintains direct consumer engagement, offering a dedicated email where licensed aestheticians answer skincare questions. Yoon notes that information now spreads faster than ever, helping educate new skincare audiences more efficiently.