EP 331: Positioning Your Brand and Sweat Proof Jewelry with OXB
If you want to create The Desired Brand Effect in your business and have people coming back, you need clarity about your target market.
Many first time designers and makers would usually obsess about their product and the pieces that they’re making, first. But seldom do you find creators obsessing about how to serve their target market first, and the product, second.
But for Maggie Kyle and Laura Treganowan of Our Exercise Brand or OXB, they didn’t start their jewelry company wondering who their customer was.
From the onset, it was clear to them that they want to serve the fitness community they are part of.
OXB is a line of Laura and Maggie’s favorite jewelry styles. It’s made safe to sweat in.
Their jewelry is handmade in Denver, Colorado by a team of women who care equally about design, sustainability, and the fitness community.
They advertise, OXB sources high quality hypoallergenic metals (gold filled not gold plated!) that won’t rub off, irritate your skin, and end up in the landfill after a few wears.
No more taking off your favorite accessories for a run or for your weekly hot yoga class!
Their goal is for their pieces to become everyday staples that can last the duration of time.
Finding the Unique Brand Angle
“We didn’t start a jewelry company wondering who our customer was. We knew who our customer was, and we worked from that.”
Maggie K.
Maggie grew up making jewelry with her mom and is the creative and product genius metalsmith. She is an avid yoga practitioner and took up yoga teacher training.
After getting into an injury, she had to take spin classes, and that’s when she met the spinning instructor – Laura, who is also tech and marketing savvy.
When both ladies met, they were so immersed in the fitness industry. Their circle of friends were also fitness enthusiasts, like studio owners, trainers and athletes in Denver.
Maggie loved creating and designing, but hated selling. After getting to know Laura, she finally found the business partner she was looking for.
Their partnership clicked as each of them had their own skill set, which does not interfere in their business process.
Appeal to Everyone and You’ll Appeal to No One
“Stay in your lane… You don’t have to appeal to everybody.”
Maggie K.
OXB started with the fitness community in mind.
Maggie is a huge fan of solid gold jewelry, and she and Laura agreed their products should be specifically useful and beneficial to their community.
They should love to wear it and reflect the sentimental value that would resonate with fitness enthusiasts.
Maggie and Laura fully embraced the fitness world, so they sold their products in fitness studios and the community they were part of.
Increasing Brand Following and a Strong Community
“…people like tracking journeys.”
Maggie K.
During the pandemic, fitness studios had to shut down so OXB started ecommerce.
Maggie and Laura also collaborated with their circle of friends, who were fitness and wellness professionals and studio owners, to help each other out.
They offered gift card to their customers who bought a drop into a studio. And also offered gift cards to support trainers who started their own platforms.
Incidentally, they started their ambassador team through collaborations with friends, trainers, studio owners and the people in their community.
These friends were also genuinely excited and involved in their business growth. Eventually, they extended their reach through word of mouth, DMs and organic following.
Their community embraced them back and their ambassador team boosted their following with them paying for advertising.
Building a Loyal Team
“…the fitness community picked us up.”
Maggie K.
As Maggie puts it, OXB’s ambassador team was a bunch of really sweaty people whom they put their jewelry on.
A year later, the team is stronger and are raving fans. And even after they took down the application from the website, people were still pouring in.
Despite the influx of willing ambassadors, Maggie and Laura opted to choose quality over quantity and stayed true to their core.
OXB was about serving the fitness community, and they wanted a strong connection to the brand, so they remained careful in choosing their ambassadors.
Effective Digital Strategy
“Email list, I think, is the most effective digital strategy always in forever.”
Maggie K.
Maggie and Laura employed automatic flows like post purchase and abandon cart, as well as 3 to 4 email campaigns to engage with their customers.
They believe that having a database of willing customers who want your products is one of the most valuable tool any business can have.
Listen to the full episode above for more tips on how to make the most out of live events for your jewelry brand.
xo, Tracy
Links:
Follow Our Exercise Brand on Instagram!
Follow Our Exercise Store on Instagram!
More Resources for Jewelry Designers
