Wine cooler sales up by 1700% in one day!
How this lockdown e-commerce brand built in public to win its first 10,000 customers.
Hey,
If you’re in the UK right now, you’ll know a drink in the park (whilst getting a little too much sun) is now an important part of everyday life.
But there’s a BIG problem with drinks in the sun (apart from the sunburn)…
Keeping your drinks cold.
First-world problem, I know, but a problem nonetheless.
So this week, we’re diving into the growth of a brand that’s on a mission to keep wine as cool as can be.
Here’s what to expect today:
📰 Story: How Partner in Wine got its first 10,000 orders
🧠 Insight: Build in public
💪🏼 DIY: How to document your journey
🔗 Good links: Jackets for good, an interesting article and a useful book!
📰 Story: How Partner in Wine got its first 10,000 orders
If you know Parter in Wine you’ll know its founder, Lucy Hitchcock.
Since starting the brand during lockdown in 2020, Lucy has seen fantastic growth.
And in May this year, she surpassed 10,000 orders.
But there was one pivotal moment in Lucy’s journey that sparked significant growth for Partner in Wine…
The idea for a bottle that keeps your wine cool came from a personal problem of Lucy’s, so she took the opportunity to build the brand in a very transparent and personal style.
She has documented her journey on social media, building a personal connection with her audience through behind-the-scenes videos and sharing advice on great, affordable wine.
In March 2021, Lucy posted her story so far on Tiktok and it went viral.
Sales increased by 1700% in a single day!
But whilst that may sound like an anomaly (hard to replicate) it was actually achieved through some clever planning and a well-executed build-up.
TikTok has become a gold mine for audiences looking to shop small and business owners reaching new audiences. And Lucy noticed that short videos titled "What I do in a day: Small Business Edition" or "I started my business during the pandemic" had become incredibly popular.
So she researched and deconstructed videos from others that had performed well, then made her own 53-second TikTok that went viral overnight.
It brought in nearly £30,000 worth of sales in the three days after it was posted.
A brilliant product partnered with a personal story is obviously a winning combination!
🧠 Insight: People buy from people.
If you’re building a brand around a lifestyle that you’re very much a part of, being the face of it and letting people into the day-to-day can be a great way to grow. It’s also a fast way to build trust as people feel there’s a real human behind the brand, not a slick corporate company.
Other brands that have grown by building in public…
💪🏼 DIY: How to build a brand in public
Anyone can build a brand in public. So don’t let the thought of having to film yourself every day put you off, it’s not the only way…
Building in public is about building personal connections with people, earning their trust and adding value to their experience with your brand, and there are plenty of ways to do that…
Start a newsletter from you as a founder that you know will resonate with your audience. For example, Paynter emails their customers documenting the journey of the jacket they’ve ordered. They also share more general emails with their community which include interesting links to things of interest they know we’ll enjoy.
Showcase your expertise. If you are someone who’s comfortable in front of the camera, you could do this through short video clips like Lucy does. Another option is posting on social media using graphics or short video clips with text over the top.
Remember: you don’t have to showcase absolutely EVERYTHING you do each day, building in public is about finding a way to connect with your audience so it’s easier to gauge what they need next.
🔗 Good Links
🔗 Jackets for mental health (built in public): https://www.favoursthebrave.com/article/frahm-jacket-interview
🔗 How to build in public as a founder: https://www.failory.com/blog/building-in-public
🔗 Founder Brand: https://www.amazon.com/Founder-Brand-Story-Competitive-Advantage/dp/1544523408
and of course, grab yourself a Partner in Wine bottle.
💌 Tell us what you need
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Thanks for reading.
Keep being an Outlier,
J + K
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