How We Achieved 478% ROAS for a K-Beauty Brand in the US

Entering the US market is notoriously difficult for international brands, especially in the saturated cosmetics industry. However, by combining hyper-localized product messaging with a targeted creator marketing network, we helped a premium K-Beauty brand achieve a 478% Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) in just 90 days.

The Challenge

The brand had an exceptional product line—award-winning serums and moisturizers—but their initial foray into the US market fell flat. Why?

• Direct translations of their Korean marketing copy felt unnatural to US consumers.
• Their aesthetic was perfectly tuned for Seoul, but didn't align with the trending visuals on US TikTok.
• High customer acquisition costs (CAC) were draining their marketing budget.

Our Strategic Approach

1. Cultural Localization Beyond Translation

We didn't just translate their packaging; we transcreated their entire brand narrative.

// Example: Optimizing a Shopify product title for SEO
const oldTitle = "Moisture Bomb Hydration Face Cream 50ml";
const localizedTitle = "Glass Skin Hydrating Ceramide Cream | 50ml Barrier Repair";

We shifted the messaging away from generic "moisture" claims and aligned it with the "Glass Skin" trend the brand's target demographic was actively searching for.

2. The Creator Flywheel

Instead of pouring money into expensive Meta Top-of-Funnel (ToF) campaigns, we seeded the product to 50 micro-influencers in the skincare niche. We focused on authentic, "Get Ready With Me" (GRWM) style content rather than polished studio ads.

The Results of the Campaign:

• Over 2.5 million organic impressions.
• 12,000+ net new engaged Instagram followers.
• A library of user-generated content (UGC) that we repurposed into highly effective middle-of-funnel retargeting ads.

Infrastructure Optimization

Marketing is only half the battle. If your digital infrastructure isn't ready for global traffic, you're pouring water into a leaky bucket.

We migrated the brand to a headless Shopify architecture and implemented a multi-currency setup. Furthermore, we integrated our proprietary logistics routing to ensure US customers received local shipping rates, drastically reducing cart abandonment.

"Klaps didn't just run ads for us; they rebuilt our US foundation. The ROAS is incredible, but the operational maturity they brought is what will allow us to scale." — CEO, Premium K-Beauty Brand

Conclusion

Success in cross-border e-commerce requires a holistic approach. It's the synthesis of robust digital infrastructure, culturally resonant creative, and data-driven performance marketing.

Ready to scale your brand globally? Download our 2026 Global E-Commerce Playbook below, or book a strategy session with our team.