Frankel Moves From Fan to Operator-Investor
Bethenny Frankel has taken an ownership stake in dpHUE and joined the company as Chief Brand Officer, according to dpHUE’s June 29 announcement and reporting from Global Cosmetic Industry.
dpHUE, founded by Donna Pohlad, focuses on salon-quality hair color maintenance products designed for use between salon visits. The brand’s lineup includes glosses, root touch-up products, color-preserving treatments, and at-home hair color care.
This is not being positioned as a traditional celebrity endorsement. Frankel is joining as an investor, strategic partner, and executive voice inside the business. In the newly created role, she is expected to help guide innovation, consumer education, brand marketing, and category growth.
BeautyMatter reported that dpHUE sells through dpHUE.com, Ulta Beauty, Amazon, TikTok Shop, Revolve, Macy’s, and Dermstore, and that its Ulta Beauty and Amazon business has more than doubled over the past three years.
What Beauty Brands Should Watch
The dpHUE news is useful for Amazon sellers and ecommerce beauty brands because it reflects where premium beauty growth is moving.
Shoppers are discovering products across TikTok, Amazon, specialty retail, creator content, and brand-owned websites. That makes brand trust harder to build and easier to lose. For categories like hair color maintenance, where shoppers need education before buying, a recognizable operator-investor can help turn awareness into clearer product understanding.
The bigger takeaway is not that every brand needs a celebrity investor. It is that brands need stronger consumer trust, sharper education, and a channel strategy that works across Amazon, retail, social commerce, and DTC.
For beauty brands selling on marketplaces, that means product pages, visuals, search content, creator messaging, and ads all need to support the same story. beBOLD Digital has covered this more deeply in its guides to Amazon SEO strategy for beauty brands and Amazon Ads vs Meta Ads for beauty brands.
beBOLD Digital’s take
dpHUE’s move is a reminder that beauty growth is becoming more operator-led and channel-led.
The strongest brands are not just chasing attention. They are using trusted voices, better education, and stronger marketplace execution to help shoppers understand why a product deserves to win.
For established beauty and personal-care brands, the question is simple: does your marketplace presence match the strength of your brand story? If not, Amazon, TikTok Shop, and retail media can quickly expose the gap.
beBOLD Digital helps beauty brands strengthen marketplace strategy across Amazon, Walmart, TikTok Shop, SEO, PPC, and retail media. Contact beBOLD Digital for a consultation to improve how your brand shows up where shoppers are ready to buy.
Sources
Global Cosmetic Industry, “Bethenny Frankel Takes Ownership Stake, Joins dpHUE as Chief Brand Officer”:
https://www.gcimagazine.com/brands-products/hair-care/news/22969727/bethenny-frankel-takes-ownership-stake-joins-dphue-as-chief-brand-officer
PR Newswire, “Bethenny Frankel Joins dpHUE as Chief Brand Officer, Investor and Strategic Partner”:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bethenny-frankel-joins-dphue-as-chief-brand-officer-investor-and-strategic-partner-302812683.html
BeautyMatter, “Bethenny Frankel Makes Investment in DpHue”:
https://beautymatter.com/articles/bethenny-frankel-makes-investment-in-dphue
Comments