Why Altadena Girls went viral
A simple masterclass in brand marketing
Props to anyone in LA who has managed to get anything work-related done since last week. If you’re able to and haven’t yet, please donate to a family from this list of underfunded GoFundMe pages. I’ve met several families over the last several days who don’t currently see a path to getting back on their feet. Every dollar counts.
Talking about brand marketing feels silly at a time like this — but then again, brand marketing is the reason why the grassroots initiative Altadena Girls managed to go from nonexistent to viral in less than a week, helping restore normalcy for thousands of teen girls impacted by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires ❤️
There’s a recipe behind their literal overnight success — the tens of thousands of followers, amplification and donations from Paris Hilton, Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, and Sofia Coppola, just to name a few. Their main concern right now is fielding the viral donation and volunteer demand.
Niche target market
While most organizations and initiatives are focused on everyone impacted by the fires, Altadena Girls cuts through the noise by focusing on teen girls, a group that’s not only niche and emotionally powerful, but also lends well to virality. Both teen girls and women make up the most influential social media users. Supporters Paris Hilton, Ariana Granda, Sofia Coppola, Selena Gomez, Charli XCX etc. resonate deeply with the cause — they know what it’s like to be a teen girl (so confusing sometimes), and their success has largely hinged on them.
Niche initiatives are the ones I’ve been seeing circulated the most on social media, like the list of underfunded GoFundMe pages and the Pasadena Humane Society’s emergency response. That said, there are so many incredible people and organizations doing amazing work — here’s a running list of volunteer opportunities if you’re in LA.
Authenticity
The best way to know your customer is to be your customer. Like Emily Weiss with Glossier, Avery knows exactly what this group wants and needs because she is them (while Avery’s family’s home wasn’t impacted, her school and many of her friend’s homes were). The idea was born out of a group chat with her friends (consumer research), and the account is run almost like TikTok — creator-led (Avery), lofi, trending sounds, is always on. Each post garners thousands of likes, which perpetuates their spot in the algorithm, driving more reach and support. One of my favorite things about the account is that the word “below” is spelled wrong in the bio.
Influencer support
The second best thing you can do for your brand is invest in influencer marketing. The best thing you can do for your brand is deliver something that resonates with influencers organically.
An old boss of mine who founded Harmless Harvest told me that when the brand launched, they didn’t do any gifting or paid partnerships — influencers like the Kardashians bought and promoted it on their own. That’s exactly what’s happening with Altadena Girls — they built an excellent initiative, and the influencers came. They’re getting multimillion-dollar influencer marketing for free. That’s not the full story — Avery’s dad reached out to a Hollywood-connected friend to help them get it off the ground — but anyone can find a connection. It’s what you do with that connection that matters.
Exceptional product
Product and customer experience is the foundation of any success story. And because Avery knows her audience and really cares, she delivers excellence: a curation of quality items customers actually want and need, cool stylists to help them shop and feel good, and thoughtful touches like the mirror that says “that looks really good on you,” reminiscent of the iconic Glossier “you look good” mirrors.
I ❤️ Altadena Girls and I ❤️ LA.
Yes TikTok is banned but it’s not actually going away Sunday. Biden doesn’t plan to enforce the law ahead of Trump’s inauguration. There’s hope yet (though I hate to admit I’d be relieved to have one less platform to focus on for a sec).
Glossy published a member-exclusive research roundup of the top marketing strategies in 2024. TLDR Marketers favor Instagram for influencing purchase behavior while their use of TikTok is down (makes sense, the algorithm doesn’t want us there and it’s about to get banned), still images and carousels get more engagement than Reels (I’ve been saying this!), and Walmart is catching up to Amazon in retail media spend.
831Stories is trying to be the A24 of romantic fiction. All of the books share the same branding (not sure how I feel about that) and they just launched a membership program (smart). My friend just told me last night that she’s going to RomantasyBookCon — 831 has an opportunity to yassify this or start their own.
Influencers are suing Capital One for stealing their affiliate dollars. Can we please cancel coupon + discount affiliate marketing? It doesn’t work, the attribution makes no sense, it’s lame and boring and I’m done with it.
Apparently limiting your IG Story to just one frame can triple engagement. Rachel Karten tried it and it worked for her. Creative tastemaker
(hi Ali ❤️) added that she experiences the same thing, and it’s been a game changer.No one wakes up wondering what your brand will post today: From a Q+A with McDonald’s Senior Marketing Director: “Usually we try to post 3 times a week max. The magic is more in the community management, and the question is always: do we have something to say or do we have to say something. If it's the latter, stay quiet - no one wakes wondering what will McDonald's post today.”
This Substack series is Into the Gloss for food. Writer
of Plant Based started a series called Into the Fridge, where she dives into the fridges and diets of tastemakers, influencers, founders and wellness girlies. It’s brilliant. Food, bev, wellness, beauty brands that are founder-forward should totally sponsor.Is AI the next Meta for DTC brands? Sustainable cashmere brand NAADAM’s founder thinks so. That said, he acknowledged that the fundamentals of brand-building will never change: “At its core, a great brand will always rely on two things: an exceptional product and authentic storytelling.”
Sending love to everyone in LA and everywhere 🫂
Loved this!!
Hi Jess! ❤️