When you live and breathe marketing like we do, you look at social brands differently than the normal consumer. As we scroll through our feeds, we are not only enjoying the content, but our brains are often buzzing about marketing strategies (this happens even when we’re not working). Sometimes we even note things that spark our creative juices for a future idea. Many brands have caught our team’s eye, and it’s not always the big ones you’d expect!
We asked the Meld team to share some of the companies they think deserve marketing kudos—whether they have an awesome social strategy, a powerful brand story they’ve been telling well, or even an ad strategy that checks all the right boxes.
Below we share the note-worthy accounts and approaches each team member has had a ‘marketing crush’ on this month.
Sam Barbato, Content Specialist
Q: What brand or social account have you admired lately?
One of my favorite brands in general is KITH. Everything they do is spot on—their collaborations, social media, website, branding, and seamless ties to their community.
Q.What does their brand/service/product do?
It’s a retail brand that, according to its website, operates on two planes—being a multifunctional lifestyle brand for men, women, and kids, as well as a progressive retail establishment. They’re a marketplace that curates fashion from brands that have “stood the test of time” and a retail brand themself, with their own in-house label, collections of brand collaboration apparel and footwear; they have a cereal bar called KITH Treats with locations across the US as well as in Toronto, Paris, and Tokyo; and they’ve even started a foundation called Kinnect, rooted in the desire to affect social change and devoted to creating positive impact through education, community, and social impact.
Q: What is the account/brand doing well?
They are truly one of the most authentic brands out there. The retail part of the brand operates under the founder Ronnie Fieg’s personal philosophy: giving the consumer more than what they pay for. They’ve collaborated with celebrities, sports teams, brands like BMW, Nike, New Balance, Wilson, and more, and nearly all of their collaborations also have a community-based charity component.
For example, together with Wilson (and the NY Parks Department), they were able to restore a court at a local park in NY with sustainable resurfacing technologies. Everything they do is tied together to produce a beautifully packaged product!
Q: Why do you think what they are doing is working?
People are able to connect to KITH. You can tell how much thought is behind every product they release or project they complete. While their market is definitely targeting people willing to pay for a more premium product, they also make the work they do accessible.
Q: What do you think Meld should consider applying to their work in the future?
I think Meld already applies many of the same principles to our work. It’s the way each campaign is holistic. It’s not just “How do we market x or sell x,” it’s also, “How can we get people excited about this,” and “How can we use this opportunity to convey our values?”
Along with the product or service, Meld and KITH both think extensively about how the digital campaigns and their full-brand coordination (especially with collaborations!), as well as the tie-in to the community, whether it’s highlighting people in the community or doing something in person to get people excited about it.
Jami DeVries, Content Specialist
Q: What brand or social account have you admired lately?
@piperandscoot on instagram
Q.What does their brand/service/product do?
It’s a women’s boutique clothing store in Utah with an online shop.
Q: What is the account/brand doing well?
They have really mastered their stories. Every Tuesday and Friday, they drop new arrivals and flood their stories featuring each new piece—and they have real people try them on. They also add notes on the fit (like “I’m wearing this size, I usually wear this size,” etc.) to help customers feel confident in their purchasing decisions.
Q: Why do you think what they are doing is working?
When they do these story roundups, each story has 20-30 ‘slides’ included. This keeps customers engaged, and honestly, it’s hard to not pay attention because you have to click through so many slides to get to the next account’s story.
The way they are shooting these stories makes the customers feel a personal connection to them and the store—it’s almost like you are there in person trying these pieces on with a friend. By establishing an active social presence, they have expanded their audience reach, and their pieces tend to sell out online at record rates.
Q: What inspiration are you keeping in your back pocket for clients?
I’m noodling ways clients can really look at their audience and deliver the helpful and personal content they’re looking for to really develop a relationship with them. Also, I’m thinking of smart and useful ways to utilize stories that will result in revolutionary metrics for brands and products.
Michelle ‘CV’ Johnson, VP for Client Relations
Q: What brand or social account have you admired lately?
@theoakvessel and website
Q.What does their brand/service/product do?
Their product helps make the world more beautiful by giving back to the earth. They focus on all the benefits trees provide and are providing a beautiful (and easy) way for all of us to make a difference by using The Oak Vessel.
Bonus: Their packaging is part of the Eco-Packaging Alliance, meaning it’s made of recycled materials, uses water-based inks, and is compostable.
Q: What is the account/brand doing well?
The account and the website is really uplifting. The images are beautiful and the quotes and content are inspiring.
“The Oak Vessel gives you the opportunity to grow a mighty oak tree from an acorn, and to plant a tree for a greener tomorrow, benefiting life on this earth, and providing shade for future generations.”
Q: Why do you think what they are doing is working?
It’s a positive experience to follow such an uplifting account, and the founder’s passion is contagious.
Nate Collins, Senior Graphic Designer
Q: What brand or social account have you admired lately?
ASRV, also known as Aesthetic Revolution, is a brand I’ve been following since they offered only a handful of athletic tank tops. They are now a premium athletic lifestyle brand that uses only the best fabrics. Having worn their apparel, I can speak to the quality and the fit. You can tell they study durability and they believe form and function are one. Their social media presence, videos, and overall brand tone and messaging are captivating.
Q.What does their brand/service/product do?
They offer activewear lifestyle apparel for athletes, runners, and high-performing individuals who are motivated to achieve whatever challenge is set before them while wearing apparel designed that allows them to do that.
Q: What is the account/brand doing well?
They have regular spring, summer, and fall collections with campaigns explaining the release goals and nuances. These collections are backed by compelling and inspiring cinematography-like visuals that inspire you to be your best self in whatever challenge you seek in your journey.
The company is exceptionally detail-oriented, so not an inch of the fabric is left without thought. The colorways set them apart from other competitors in the space, so they’ve created a unique looking brand aesthetic.
Q: Why do you think what they are doing is working?
Athletic apparel is a billion-dollar industry. While the price point is on the premium side, they also don’t fall into the fast-fashion industry, where the clothes are more likely to end up as waste.
Q: If applicable, what inspiration are you keeping in your back pocket for clients?
This isn’t related to the ASRV example, but to something else I’ve been keeping a close eye on: AI. AI is undoubtedly a main topic point on multiple fronts. From a design perspective, there are wow moments in what AI can generate and confusing moments in how random it can be. While these images are getting super realistic, AI, in many ways, is falling into the category of stock images depending on the use. I believe people innately desire to know something is real. A place they can step into and touch and feel with their senses.
We can use AI to show a glimpse of something that could become reality. But when it comes to places or things that could be real, this is where I, as a designer, take great pride in sharing the story and the journey of how I came to the conclusion and solution rather than asking a machine to spit something out. Who and what owns the rights from what AI generates, and did it use someone else’s work?
I love Sean Adams’s quote, “The proliferation of templating systems and artificial intelligence are two threats we face as designers. At some point, nice and expected design will be accessible to everyone. But the ace in our pocket is the ability to create ideas and execute them with unexpected solutions.”
Amanda Tower, Director of Content
Q: What brand or social account have you admired lately?
SuperX (@superheroes)—I’m a big 90s pop culture nerd. SuperX has really grabbed my attention lately with their limited-edition tracksuit collaboration with Hasbro and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. All I can say is “Shut up and take my money!”
Q.What does their brand/service/product do?
SuperX is a training apparel brand created to help customers become extraordinary. Their focus is creating better, bolder, and one-of-a-kind products unlike others on the market.
Q: What is the account/brand doing well?
Besides targeting me with ads on Facebook and Instagram (LOL), SuperX does an amazing job with their #TrainSuper campaign. They’ve truly made fitness an identity while also harnessing the fandom surrounding the superhero universe.
Q: Why do you think this is a genius move?
For the Power Rangers drop, SuperX is really bringing their A-game. In my opinion, there are three components of their recent product promotions that work incredibly well.
First, tapping fitness influencers to promote the Power Rangers drop and even the OG Power Rangers. Since the launch is officially licensed by Hasbro, they’ve been able to really lean into this.
The limited-edition presale also creates a sense of urgency and excitement. I know this tactic worked on me in particular. As a consumer, the last thing I want to do is wait around only to find out products are sold out and won’t be back in stock.
Finally, arguably the most successful tactic SuperX is leveraging is nostalgia marketing, which involves tapping into positive feelings or associations from past decades. As I mentioned, I’m a 90s cartoon fiend. This new gear takes me back to Saturday mornings and waking up early to eat cereal and watch Power Rangers.
Q: What inspiration are you keeping in your back pocket for clients?
When it makes sense, I think nostalgia marketing works well and is worth the experimentation. The psychology of it is fascinating—how can we make consumers recall a positive experience and encapsulate the feelings associated with it to influence their buying experience?
Melinda Pradarelli, Founder and CEO
Q: What brand or social account have you admired lately?
Iowa Farm Sanctuary. I love everything about them. I love their tagline “Compassion lives here.” They don’t have a sophisticated brand identity, but what they lack in that area they make up for in heart.
Q.What does their brand/service/product do?
Iowa Farm Sanctuary is a non-profit located in Oxford, Iowa, less than 30 minutes from Iowa City, that provides a safe haven to rescued farm animals in need of love and compassion. Each farm animal living at Iowa Farm Sanctuary has been rescued. By coming to live at Iowa Farm Sanctuary, they are assured a lifetime of happiness and safety in their forever home.
Q: What is the account/brand doing well?
They know how to tell stories and connect people with both emotion and facts. They ask provoking questions, provide educational facts about animals and food, and are genuine in the way they express what they do and the impact they have. They excel at creating a community and creating conversations on their platforms.
Q: Why do you think what they are doing is working?
The excellence is in the simplicity and authenticity. They don’t try to sell someone on understanding their mission or pulling on heartstrings. They present the information and let people connect in a natural way. They balance who they are with the impact they have and the need for people to donate to the organization or to sponsor an animal.
Q: If applicable, what inspiration are you keeping in your back pocket for clients?
Iowa Farm Sanctuary is a great example of a brand that leads with its heroes—its people and its animals. It also understands that more people will engage with a brand and marketing that is genuine and authentic. And what anyone can take from this brand is that no matter what you are doing, if you can have a purpose and a cause as some part of what you do, then you have something very special that your audience will want to be part of.
Ellen Hallin, CFO
Q: What brand or social account have you admired lately?
Q.What does their brand/service/product do?
It’s an American computer and consumer electronics company, famous for creating the iPhone, iPad and Macintosh computers.
Q: What is the account/brand doing well?
They create great products and they’re beautiful (form and function)!
Q: What do you think they are doing that is working?
I really love this clever video and the way they communicate who they are in a fun and eye catching way.
At Meld, we look to brands both big and small for inspiration. We work hard to bring innovative social and marketing strategies to our clients to help them reach their core audiences. If you’re interested in working with an agency committed to evolving and always on the look-out for the next idea, we’d love to chat!
