In the fast-evolving landscape of beauty marketing, influencer collaborations have become pivotal for brand success—especially in Southeast Asia, where digital engagement drives purchasing decisions. The makeup brand we collaborated with, a global cosmetics powerhouse, recognised this trend and sought to deepen its connection with young consumers in Singapore and Malaysia through the Fit Me product line. To bring this vision to life, they partnered with SushiVid, a leading influencer marketing platform in Southeast Asia, renowned for its strategic matchmaking between brands and Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs).
This case study explores how SushiVid successfully curated and managed a diverse roster of beauty and lifestyle KOLs to amplify the makeup brand’s makeup regime campaign. By leveraging local content creators who resonated with Gen Z and millennial audiences, the campaign not only expanded brand awareness but also translated digital influence into tangible product engagement. From influencer selection to content execution and campaign performance, this case study provides a detailed look into the mechanics and outcomes of a well-orchestrated KOL strategy in Southeast Asia’s beauty market.
SushiVid’s strategic influencer selection and campaign management led to high engagement and brand resonance.
Provide tangible metrics and qualitative insights (e.g., engagement rates, reach, audience feedback) to justify influencer marketing investments.
SushiVid’s strength in managing cross-border campaigns in Southeast Asia, especially between Singapore and Malaysia.
SushiVid showcased regional influence and market reach. By leveraging trusted local voices in both markets, we execute cohesive, multi-market strategies that resonate with diverse audiences.
For this campaign, each Key Opinion Leader (KOL) created a short-form video (TikTok Video or IG Reel) showcasing the makeup brands 4-step regime in a tutorial-style format. The direction emphasised authenticity and relatability, with a strong focus on talking directly to the camera or voiceover—keeping the content informative yet personal. Either no background music or the campaign theme song was used, allowing the product’s benefits and creator’s voice to remain the focal point.
PRIME
Matte + Poreless Primer
APPLY BASE
Matte + Poreless Foundation
LOCK FOUNDATION
Matte + Poreless Powder Foundation
SET MAKEUP
Matte + Poreless Setting Spray
The KOL’s content is a vlog style TikTok video with a voice over, featuring the step by step make up routine in the car on the way to an event that lasts hours that lets the makeup ‘marinate’ – easily showing its use and effectiveness.
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Maybelline has done it again, my go to makeup products in one video.
In 2024, let’s marinate our makeup ladies.
#MaybellineMalaysia #Makeup #Makeuptutorial #FitMe #foundation
The content is a TikTok video of a makeup tutorial where the KOL speaks to the audience beginning with a comment on how HD the video quality is and she walks us through the video from seeing all her blemishes to seeing her ‘poreless and flawless’ effect she achieves using the products.
980368717511Thank you @Maybelline New York for saving my tears and giving me a flawless, poreless base with the products from the Fit Me range 😘 #MaybellineMalaysia #Makeup #Makeuptutorial #FitMe #Foundation #sgbeauty
The KOL is a talkative opinionated sort of personality so the content direction is more focused on giving advice to audience which is the product is suitable for people with similar troubles with KOL which is oily skin separates foundation. He shares this through a TikTok Video
11,252699612919If your make up seperates because of your oily skin, i hope you can try this and it will help you out i tried it and i honestly LOVED it. Maybe i can do a full face of Maybelline fit me wear test? let me know. 😮💨 #MaybellineNewYork #MaybellineMalaysia #Makeup #Makeuptutorial #FitMe #Foundation
The video is a Get Ready With Me video where the KOL does a ‘natural matte regime’ using the products with texts explaining the steps and calm music in the background for the relaxing vibe on TikTok.
60,1628625151584121a recipe for a flawlessly polished look 🤪 #MaybellineMalaysia #Makeup #Makeuptutorial #FitMe #Foundation
The KOL does an energetic and fun sit down tutorial while sharing the makeup brand’s product in her mother tongue language to stay authentic to her loyal viewers on Instagram Reel.
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全新系列来啦😝［一個品牌一個妝］
今天就有 Maybelline Fit Me系列來給大家看看 什麼叫自帶磨皮感的底妝
The content is a TikTok video of a makeup tutorial where the KOL does an Instagram Reel doing a trendy makeup look in high-quality resolution with an empty, non-distracting background to keep focus on the product and the long-lasting makeup effect.
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Here are 4 simple steps using @maybelline fit me range to make your makeup last
longer 🫶🏻
#MaybellineMalaysia #Makeup #Makeuptutorial #FitMe #foundation
The KOL shares the steps and products to get the perfect makeup base with caption to urge audience to quickly grab the products on her TikTok.
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Here’s my 4 steps to create perfect makeup base that can last whole day! Grab your Maybelline Fit Me range now!
#MaybellineMalaysia #Makeup #Makeuptutorial #FitMe ...
The KOL shares how to get the perfect makeup base with detailed steps and product description on Instagram Reel.
13,519716938632The key to a good makeup look is starting off with a flawless base ✨ I'm using just 4 products from @maybelline Fit Me to achieve this matte and full coverage skin 🫶🏻
The KOL shares on Instagram Reel how she does her flawless base makeup while having fun playing around with the products.
25,38453632716My favourite way to get that full coverage 💯 💯 💯 using @maybelline Fit Me range
Speaking directly to the audience for the interactive feel, the KOL teaches how to glow up using the makeup brand’s products and transforms from a real human blemished start to a stunning glam finished look on TikTok.
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Glow up with @Maybelline Malaysia ❤️🔥
#maybellinemalaysia #makeup #beauty
A ‘Get Ready With Me’ Instagram Reel where the KOL lets us in on how she does her makeup routine using the brand's products.
42,31675813128All good makeup looks start with a good base. @maybelline has everything I need to achieve a solid face base that gives me perfect coverage without feeling too heavy...
Starting off strong with a transition of her before and after the makeup routine, the KOL shows step by step how she went from the before and after using the makeup brand’s products on Instagram Reel.
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没有丑女人只有懒女人🤷🏻♀️
Maybelline Fit Me 系列可以让你在最短的时间变美 最重要的是控油能力超强 根本不怕脱妆 可以让你美美一整天！
The KOL does a ‘Get Ready With Me’ TikTok video showcasing product, steps, and long-lasting effect the product line achieves.
2,38377352Unveiling simplicity with a touch of sweetness in my easy makeup tutorial! With Maybelline 💄 ✨ #MaybellineMalaysia #Makeup #Makeuptutorial #FitMe #foundation #fyp
Starting off strong with a transition of her before and after the makeup routine, the KOL shows step by step how she went from the before and after using the makeup brand’s products on TikTok.
697105121没有丑女人只有懒女人🤷🏻♀️ Maybelline Fit Me 系列可以让你在最短的时间变美 最重要的是控油能力超强 根本不怕脱妆 可以让你美美一整天！ @Maybelline New York #maybellinemalaysia #makeup
Demographics: Malay and Singaporean KOLs may have strong followings among the intended consumer base for the makeup brand which are young women aged 18–35. Cultural Relevance: In Malaysia and Singapore, ethnic Malay influencers resonate well with Malay-speaking or Muslim audiences who might be looking for halal-certified or modest beauty products.
SushiVid uses data analytics to select KOLs with high engagement rates (likes, comments, shares) and strong conversion track records for beauty products while not forgetting, smaller KOLs with a loyal, niche audience might outperform a larger but less engaged influencer.
These KOLs likely already create content around beauty tutorials, skincare routines, and product reviews. Their existing content style fits seamlessly with makeup branding because they already use similar brands or have expertise in makeup artistry.
Influencers with a track record of authentic, non-scripted reviews are highly trusted. Malay and Singaporean KOLs with personal stories, hijabi beauty tips, or skincare challenges bring relatable narratives that convert better for beauty campaigns.
Singaporean KOLs: Appeal to a multilingual, urban market with high purchasing power. Malay KOLs: Connect deeply with local Malaysian communities, including those in suburban or semi-urban areas, offering authentic and relatable reviews.
SushiVid has a database of KOLs with proven performance in previous beauty campaigns. These influencers have mostly worked with complementary brands, ensuring there's no conflict of interest and brand alignment.
Views exceed the reach, indicating that many users watched the content more than once. This implies the content was engaging and rewatchable. Viewers were interested in the routine and possibly considering the product. Strong video hooks and pacing likely contributed to high replay value.
Comments are on the lower side, making up less than 1% of total engagements. While not uncommon for beauty tutorials (especially when not prompting discussion), it may suggest room to: Encourage more interaction through question such as “share your experience”, feature relatable narratives or skin concerns to spark dialogue.
Likes made up approximately 90% of total engagements, indicating viewers found the content visually appealing or informative enough to react positively.
This indicates that nearly a quarter of a million users were exposed to the campaign content. For a regional influencer activation focused on Singapore and Malaysia, this is a strong reach, suggesting the KOLs chosen had genuine visibility within the right audience segments.
This includes likes, comments, shares, and saves. Comparing engagements to total reach: Engagement Rate = (20,286 / 248,477) × 100 ≈ 8.16% An engagement rate above 5% is generally considered high for beauty and lifestyle content, especially in short-form video formats. This suggests that the content resonated well with the target audience.
The makeup brand campaign in Singapore and Malaysia achieved strong visibility and high engagement, validating the effectiveness of SushiVid’s KOL selection and execution strategy. The video content structure which was focused on utility, clear product benefits, and natural presentation, helped create a trustworthy, relatable beauty message tailored for the Gen Z and millennial demographic.
The exceptionally high video view count, solid engagement rate, and sustained reach reflect a campaign that not only captured attention but also delivered brand value and product education effectively. The content’s replay value and positive sentiment contributed to its overall success, making it a benchmark for future campaigns.
SushiVid’s strategic approach in managing Southeast Asian KOLs delivered impactful results for the makeup brand, demonstrating that with the right influencers, clear content flow, and platform specific execution, regional campaigns can achieve brand affinity and drive product interest at scale.
We hope you found this case study useful!
Overall, the campaign was a true eye-opener for us, and we believe this will shape how we create content for our brands in the future. If you have any questions for us, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].