Unpacking the savvy marketing behind 'Wildflower Cases'
+whether or not YouTube subscriber numbers still matter and the emergence of content creation classes in colleges
quick summary ⚡️
Tactics you can learn from one of GenZ’s most beloved brands, Wildflower Cases
Do YouTube subscriber numbers still matter? How Shorts has changed the landscape and has creators like Colin and Samir asking the question
How MrBeast gamed the YouTube algorithm, TikTok’s confusing new ‘Beige Flag’ trend and more in the cultural moments and news that caught our attention this week
A look at how content creation is entering the classroom
Wildflower Cases: the small business that’s made a big impact
Curated by Megan Collins, Cultural Anthropologist, Generational Expert and contributor to the MTD blog.
As hardcore consumers and full-time creators of social-first content, it takes a lot to impress us. But the family & women-owned business, Wildflower Cases has us taking notes.
Get to know Wildflower Cases
Founded by sisters Devon & Sydney and their mom Michelle, the two youngest Carlsons are the faces of the brand that sells cell phone cases and tech accessories. Not only are they models and influencers, but they’re also well-known cool girls on the LA scene hanging with the likes of Bella Hadid and Kylie Jenner’s bestie Stassie among others.
In all honesty, the cases themselves aren’t groundbreaking, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t special. Wildflower Cases feature a signature black bumbler and a graphic on the back with a subtle “wf” branding in the lower right-hand corner. Designed to be hyper-on-trend and eye-catching the cases are practically begging to be featured in your next mirror selfie.
Wildflower Cases has established itself as one of the most trend-forward and accessible brands in the phone case/tech accessory market that’s projected to grow to 13.33 Billion by 2027. In fact, this year our trend forecaster has flagged that tech accessories with “flair” are a growing trend/market.
Wildflower’s savvy marketing unpacked:
We wanted to look at a few key things this brand is doing that we think have uniquely positioned them to be as beloved as they are:
It’s an Authentic Lifestyle Brand
You will never see Sydney & Devon without a Wildflower phone case. With a combined following of over 2.5 million on Instagram, their content serves as authentic, engaging, consistent lifestyle content for the brand.
It’s Trend-forward at a relatively accessible price
But Devon isn’t just a fashion girlie, she’s the fashion girlie. While she’s rocking designer brands and styling Bella Hadid, Wildflower Cases are also on trend to meet the current moment, at a more affordable price.
It’s rolled out like Fashion
Wildflower has adopted a “Drop” model & “Limited edition” framing. They trained their customers to purchase early, showcasing a drop a few days before it’s available to purchase, and before everyone else.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Collabs
One of their most effective methods of marketing is to partner with influential internet celebs on collab cases. Not only is being asked to collab with Wildflower seen as validating for creators, but it also helps the brand consistently reach new audiences.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Customer experience:
To actual customers, Wildflower feels like a family business that treats them like VIP customers. These extra touches are also strategic calls to action that encourage the customer to match the seeming excitement of the founders by posting their case to social media.
for more analysis from Megan, head to the MTD blog
do YouTube subscriber numbers still matter?
Growing your subscriber count has historically been one of, if not the biggest, metrics for YouTube creators. But with Shorts changing the landscape, YouTube creators Colin and Samir are asking this question on their Creator Support podcast.
head here for more on the importance of followers across each platform
💎cultural gems💎
The cultural moments and news that caught our attention this week:
How MrBeast became the Willy Wonka of YouTube. Whether you’re a fan of him or not, there’s no denying that Jimmy Donaldson, a.k.a. MrBeast, is dominating YouTube.
So what’s your ‘Beige Flag’? Confused by TikTok’s ‘beige flag’ trend? You’re not alone. Luckily, The Cut is breaking it down.
News junkies turn to TikTok to chart new paths in media. “What unites these news creators is a desire to talk about their world in an authentic way. That has resonated with millions of young followers, the elusive but highly sought-after next generation of media consumers who are unlikely to watch cable news or read a newspaper.”
Why do women have more sleep issues than men? “According to a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation, women were significantly more likely than men to report challenges falling and staying asleep.”
is content creation a worthy college major?
This fall, Stephens College will be offering a 4-year undergraduate program in content creation. The program targets anyone not only looking to create and publish their own work, but also learning how to manage advertisement and social media under any business.
Scott Taylor, Program Chair of Business at Stephens College, said that the program was made because of a demand from real employers.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
more here