In case you missed it, we recently spoke with the founder of Fluff, Erika Geraerts about building a conscious brand, her day-to-day hustle and future plans for Fluff. You can read the full conversation here.
Fluff has built more than a loyal following since its inception in 2018, creating and sharing conversations with its audience through its magazine and online issues platform. Behind the scenes, it’s a combination of head, heart and wallet that has seen Fluff stay afloat in the sea of beauty competitors. We dove into marketing and Erika’s tips for building a brand in 2022.
“Having an opportunity to create an impact outside of our own personal financial position is incredibly rewarding. Creating a brand people remember is a beautiful legacy.”
SQ: What comes to mind when you think of a successful “brand”?
E: Two things:
- Financially successful
- Personally successful
Everyone’s definition of success will be different. For us, it’s a combination of head, heart, wallet, and soul being in alignment. That might sound corny, but having come from a previous brand that was all head and wallet, we have realised there’s more to business than product and sales. Having an opportunity to create an impact outside of our own personal financial position is incredibly rewarding. Creating a brand people remember is a beautiful legacy.
SQ: How important is brand identity, trust and awareness for Fluff?
E: Our brand really is everything, it’s what sets us apart from the sea of beauty businesses that are popping up every day. And while our refillable products and formulas stand on their own, we know that soon the industry will catch up – so our connection to customers and ongoing conversations need to be prioritised over everything else.
SQ: What is your favourite part of Fluff’s brand identity?
E: It’s pretty special to think that 5 years ago people didn’t know what a Fluff cloud was, but now it’s instantly recognisable and a talking point for people when they’re out. Wearing Fluff, or carrying our refillable Lip Oil compacts around truly says something about what you care about.
SQ: Describe the Fluff community in three words?
E: Vulnerable, Reckless, Beautiful.
SQ: Can you share your top 5 tips on how to create a brand identity and market your brand?
- Understand your customer inside out. How do they think, talk, act? How will you respond to them?
- Create a brand aesthetic that feels like you, not someone else.
- Create content that you’re proud of, not ashamed of.
- Be willing to have a dialogue with your audience, and learn and grow with them.
- Start with your first 100 fans. Build your community from there, and never stop.
