40 Million Views Later…

How Peter Thomas Roth Went From A Family Business To Viral Content Factory 

What’s in a name?

For Ralph Lauren, it’s preppy royalty.

For Jordan, it’s basketball greatness.

And for Peter Thomas Roth, it’s beauty for ALL ages.

For over 30 years, PTR has ruled beauty aisles (with a wrinkleless fist).

Not by chance but through CONSTANT reinvention.

Back in 2021, a single TikTok sent 6 months’ worth of their product flying off shelves. It may have looked like a lucky break, but it wasn’t a fluke.

It was just another chapter in a decades-long masterclass in brand longevity.

This is… the story of Peter Thomas Roth.

In 1993, Peter Thomas Roth (THE MAN) was facing some serious skin issues.

These weren’t new problems as he’d been battling acne for years. (Been there, done that, doing everything in my power to never do it again.)

Normally, Peter would escape to his family’s spa in Hungary for relief but after moving to New York and selling off the business, Peter was left up the river without a paddle.

He hit up dermatologists, raided the beauty aisles, and searched like a madman for a solution.

But, nothing ever measured up to those Hungarian mud masks.

Skincare at that time was very fly-by-night, hand-wavy, snake-oily, and full of B.S.

No one really talked about ingredients. They just made empty promises.

In other words, it was all filler and no (acne) killer. Peter wasn’t having any of that.

He wanted products with natural, real ingredients that he could trust to put on his face, just like he and his family did back in Hungary. 

That’s when the lightbulb went off: Why not bottle the spa experience?

Peter, with a relentless drive to solve his own skin issues, set out to create a solution for acne, aging, and sun damage.

By day, he worked at his family’s jewelry business (because why stop at 1 family venture?), but by night, he focused on skincare, pouring his energy into developing a product that would deliver REAL results without the need for a daily trek to the spa.

In 1993, Peter Thomas Roth (THE BRAND) launched their first 10 products, and they were off to the races. 

But, as any Marketer knows, it’s not just about the products, it’s about getting them into the hands of the people.

While Peter Thomas Roth (THE MAN AND THE BRAND), went all the usual avenues, there was one Marketing channel that stayed in the back of his mind. 

Enter QVC.

Now if you haven’t read our send on QVC (YOU SHOULD!!!), let me sum it up for you: It’s like WhatNot for your grandma.

Anchors come on, pitch products, talk to customers on air, and SELL, SELL, SELL.

It’s fast-paced, direct, and effective. Perfect for getting the word out when you need to make a splash quickly.

And let me tell you, PTR (you can guess which 1 it is at this point, I’m tired of annotating) made a splash.

With his energy, passion, and genuine belief in his own products, Peter was able to connect with the audience in a way that felt personal and authentic.

It wasn’t just about selling. It was about convincing people that this was the real deal.

And they were THOROUGHLY convinced.

The anti-aging angle was a huge hit with the older crowd, so much so that PTR sold out of 2,000 units of his anti-wrinkle cream in just 6 MINUTES.

Peter Thomas Roth had found a channel that worked, and they were ready to double down.

At one point, Peter even brought his mother on to help sell (remember her, she’ll come up later).

In no time, PTR became a household name and struck deals with retailers like Sephora and Ulta.

They had officially arrived.

Now let’s fast-forward to the present.

PTR is the largest privately owned skincare company in the United States and the TOP DOG in keeping your skin silky smooth.

While QVC is still a massive channel for the business, they’ve found greener pastures elsewhere.

TikTok. 

It all started back in 2021 with an unpaid promotional video by @Trinidad1967 doing a product demo of PTR’s wrinkle cream in real-time.

This video BLEW UP. As it stands now, it sits at a little over 40M views.

But, it wasn’t just the views that mattered.

Every retailer that carried the eye cream was sold out in hours. 

It wasn’t just viral; it was a FULL BLOWN SALES FRENZY.

PTR now had a new channel on their hands, and they were going to capitalize, led by Ryan Roth (Peter’s son who I interviewed for the podcast!)

They seeded their products with influencers across multiple platforms, from beauty gurus to skincare enthusiasts, making sure the products got into the hands of people who would share their genuine experiences.

There best influencer is the grandmother, the same one that would go on QVC (AND WHO IS THIS DIVA!)

This wasn’t just about flashy endorsements.

PTR focused on authenticity and real testimonials. As the products gained more traction, influencers weren’t just pushing products, they were creating a movement around quality skincare that actually worked.

That movement has taken them to the top in a new era.Today, PTR products are some of the best selling skincare products on TikTok Shop. 

With a loyal community of customers and a growing influencer network, PTR isn’t just selling skincare products. 

They are now building a movement. 

A movement that proved that when you focus on quality, transparency, and real results, success follows.

PUT IT IN PRACTICE Seed, baby, seed.  Seeding is slept on. Most brands overcomplicate it when all it takes is the right product in the right hands. Here’s your homework: 1️⃣ Find three influencers who already align with your brand. Look for people who talk about similar products, not just the biggest names. 2️⃣ Send them your product with a thoughtful, no-strings-attached message. Make it feel like a gift, not a pitch. 3️⃣ Watch what happens. Track engagement, feedback, and organic content. Then… Let me know what worked and what you’d tweak next time.

MARKETING CHEAT SHEET (WHAT TO LEARN FROM THIS GUIDE):

1️⃣. Legacy Brands Must Reinvent or Get Left Behind
Peter Thomas Roth didn’t just coast on decades of success. He constantly evolved. From QVC domination to TikTok virality, PTR stayed ahead by meeting customers where they were at that moment. The takeaway? If you’re not willing to adapt to new platforms and trends, you’re setting yourself up for irrelevance.

2️⃣. Virality Isn’t Luck. It’s a System.
That 2021 viral TikTok wasn’t a fluke. It was the result of decades of brand-building, trust, and a killer product that delivered instant results. But PTR didn’t just sit back and enjoy the moment. They capitalized, doubling down on influencer seeding and UGC. Marketers, take note: going viral isn’t about crossing your fingers, it’s about building a foundation that makes virality work for you.

3️⃣. Your Best Influencers Might Not Be Who You Expect
Most brands chase Gen Z influencers, but PTR’s secret weapon? Grandmothers. They embraced the same demographic that made them QVC superstars and turned them into TikTok queens. The real lesson? Don’t chase hype. Find your actual power users and turn them into your loudest advocates.

MEME OF THE WEEK

(Yes, this is me and Ari)