The two things that made Rothy's "chic"

Plus HBD to me and some thoughts on athlete beauty brands.

Aug 22, 2024

I turn 31 today! I was going to put off finishing this letter as a gift to myself, but then I realized that finishing it would be the gift. I guess that’s growing up.

Five year-old me would be shocked that 31 year-old me is not a “famous singer” with a famous husband, two kids and giant house with a giant pool. I am however a brand consultant with a cute boyfriend, dog and one-bedroom apartment with ample closet space.

Everyone said 30 would be a weird year and they were right — or maybe it’s just that the world is burning, the LA delirium has finally set in and I don’t have a 9-5 job for the first time in eight years. Go figure!

The two things that made Rothy’s “chic”

Last weekend (at Suá over a couple of matcha cream sodas — sorry and you’re welcome), my friend says, “I think I’m going to pop in to Rothy’s after this…I need more chic comfortable shoes.”

Three years ago I wouldn’t even accept free Rothy’s from my cousin who worked there and insisted at least five times. Now my friends are calling them chic…what changed?

Rothy’s shoes have always been comfortable and sustainable. Rothy’s shoes were not “chic” until they launched a classic-enough Mary Jane that it-girls could believably wear (2021), received a $200M investment (2021) and spent some of that sizable check to expand their market to my echo chamber through smart influencer marketing.

Most DTC brands prioritize direct-response influencer marketing — affiliate, whitelisted paid social ads — for short-term measurability and ROI. But while DR drives demand, it doesn’t drive desire and desire is key in fashion.

Rothy’s’ influencer partnerships are both long-term and organic enough to convince this new cohort (fashion-forward urban women in their 20s-30s) that the it-girls they follow actually wear Rothy’s Mary Janes. Partnerships span months and include posting on social (more than once), hosting and attending brand events (more social promotion). I’ve yet to see a DR ad featuring one of these tastemaker-influencers (though the brand also invests in influencer DR with more traditional types). After a couple of years of consistently investing time, money and strategy into this program, my friends are now actively desiring Rothy’s because they’re “chic” and comfortable.

That’s not to say every fashion brand needs to invest in influencer at this level — but if you’re expanding your consumer-base to a cohort that wouldn’t normally gravitate towards your brand, it’s going to require a concerted effort.

Thoughts on the athlete beauty brand boom

First there was OffCourt. Now there’s celebrity athlete brands Wyn, Freaks of Nature, Doc & Glo…

There’s clearly white space but it’s a tough one to fill. I’ve learned first hand how challenging it can be to sell premium beauty to a target market (in this case athletes and also men) that doesn’t care as much as the core beauty consumer.

That said, real product innovation that solves real problems for active lifestyles is intriguing. Kelly Slater’s Freaks of Nature delivers reef-safe SPF that’s actually water resistent, among other trademarked raw materials with clinical results to back them up. I’d encourage the brand to prioritize more product-centric marketing over lifestyle content that looks like an apparel/gear brand and treats the product as an afterthought. This is a great piece of content because it effectively markets the product differentiation in the context of lifestyle as added value. I also don’t think these brands should ignore beauty and skincare influencers in their strategy — they know how to sell the product innovation and have real influence over the most enthusiastic consumer.

Relatedly, I do think it was a smart move for non-athlete beauty brands to participate in the Olympics. While not their core strategy, finding creative ways to be a part of such a wide-reaching cultural moment can only benefit any brand.

Quick hits

David, “a nutrition brand that designs tools to increase muscle and decrease fat” (starting with a protein bar), just raised a $10M seed round led by the founder himself (who previously founded RXBAR). Oh how the diet culture pendulum has swung right back. The packaging is Trojan-esque in the best way and the calorie-to-protein ratio is definitely innovative — will be truly impressed if it tastes good. Just signed up for launch updates, let’s see how they GTM.
This reel for Alex Mill’s denim launch is a rare case of “BTS” team content that actually markets the product effectively. And the Mickey Drexler ft is iconic.
This from
Embedded Brand Strategy
: “Brand-building is not just executing ‘brand’ channels well…Investing in quality products is one way to show brand. So is how you price. Where (or how) you distribute. Your tone of voice. How much you pay your employees. Who you hire. How you train. Trader Joe’s has built brand via its hiring and training of employees, who are known to be friendly, chatty, and generally delightful to interact with at the register.”
De La Calle is one of several f&b brands I’ve seen update their messaging to be clearer for the US consumer. Most of their TAM doesn’t know what Tepache is, but “Modern Mexican Soda” suggests an exciting new version of a category they already know and love.
Guess it’s time to put the fun in funerals
Guess Brat summer really is over

Stay-tuned in the coming weeks for guest features and new columns — excited to evolve this thing and please let me know what you’d like to see more/less of!

Now off to celebrate this weird life with food, art, more food and The Marias at Hollywood Forever 🤘🎈

— Jess