Latest / Building Brands with Fexingo: Identity, Reputation, and Long-Term Business Equity / How Glossier Built a Brand on Community Co-Creation
Transcript
- Lucas: You ever think about how a brand can make you feel like you're part of the design team, not just a buyer? Luna: I think about that all the time, actually. Especially with beauty brands. There's this one that did it better than almost anyone. Lucas: Glossier. And I want to be precise here — this isn't another 'brands should engage with customers on social media' episode. Glossier built its entire product line on customer co-creation, starting from a blog. Luna: Right. Emily Weiss started Into The Gloss in 2010. It was a beauty blog that felt like talking to a friend who actually knows skincare. She built a massive audience just by interviewing people about their routines. Lucas: Exactly. And that audience became the focus group. Before Glossier even had a single product, Weiss had a direct line to thousands of beauty-obsessed readers. She knew what they wanted because they told her, in comments and emails. Luna: So the first product, the Milky Jelly Cleanser — that came directly from reader feedback. People kept saying they wanted a gentle cleanser that didn't strip their skin. Glossier launched it in 2014. Lucas: And they didn't just launch it. They launched it with a narrative: 'We heard you.' The product page featured real customer quotes. The packaging was pink and minimalist, designed to be Instagrammable. Every element said 'this was made for you.' Luna: That's the key, I think. It's not just about asking for feedback. It's about closing the loop. Showing customers that their voice mattered. Glossier made customers feel like insiders. Lucas: And they did something else clever. They hired from the community. The early Glossier team included people who were already Into The Gloss readers. They understood the brand's ethos because they lived it. Luna: That's risky though, right? Hiring superfans. They might not have traditional experience. Lucas: It's a trade-off. But for a brand built on authenticity, having people who genuinely believed in the mission mattered more than a resume. And it paid off. Glossier's first-year revenue was reported at around $100 million by 2016. Luna: Wow. And they didn't do traditional advertising. No TV spots, no print ads. It was all organic, through social media and word of mouth. Lucas: Right. They used Instagram and their blog as the primary marketing channels. User-generated content was huge. Customers would post their 'Glossier pink pouch' unboxings, and Glossier would repost them. It created a feedback loop of validation. Luna: It's almost like the customer became the marketer. They were so invested in the brand's success because they felt ownership. Lucas: That's the co-creation model at its best. But it's not easy to scale. As Glossier grew, maintaining that intimate community became harder. They had to open up to a broader audience, and some early fans felt left behind. Luna: Yeah, there was tension. The brand that started as a niche insider thing suddenly had to serve millions. The 'cool girl' aesthetic started feeling a bit manufactured. Lucas: And that's the challenge for any brand that starts with community co-creation. How do you keep the magic when you're no longer a startup? Glossier had to evolve. They launched retail stores, expanded into new categories like makeup and fragrance. Luna: But the core principle — listening to customers — that stayed. Even when they launched new products, they'd do soft launches with their most engaged customers first. Lucas: There's a lesson there for any business, not just beauty. If you can find a way to involve your customers in the creation process, even in a small way, you build deeper loyalty. It's not just about selling a product; it's about inviting people into your story. Luna: And speaking of stories, we have one of our own to share. Lucas, you know how much I love that this show is ad-free and listener-supported. Lucas: Me too. And it's because of people like our listeners that we can keep having these conversations without any sponsor interference. If these episodes have helped you think differently about brand building, maybe consider supporting us. Luna: Yeah, it takes a village. You can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, just a way to keep the content coming. Lucas: Exactly. Now, back to Glossier. So as they scaled, they had to make some tough calls. One was around their retail strategy. They opened pop-up shops first, testing the waters before committing to permanent stores. Luna: Pop-ups feel very on-brand. They're temporary, exclusive, create FOMO. And they let Glossier gather data on what customers actually did in a physical space. Lucas: That data informed everything from store layout to product placement. They found that customers loved testing the cloud paint blush, so they made it more accessible. Little tweaks based on real behavior. Luna: And then they opened permanent stores in New York, LA, London. Each one designed to feel like a physical manifestation of the brand: pink, Instagram-worthy, with sinks to wash your hands and try products. Luna: It's interesting that they didn't just replicate the online experience. They created something new, but still rooted in that same co-creation ethos. Lucas: Right. Because the store wasn't just a place to buy stuff. It was a place to belong. Employees were called 'editors,' not sales associates. They were trained to have conversations, not push products. Luna: That's smart. It reinforces the brand's identity at every touchpoint. But let's talk about a misstep. Glossier had a few product launches that flopped, like the Play line of makeup in 2019. Lucas: Play was supposed to be a separate sub-brand focused on bold color. But customers didn't get it. It felt disconnected from the 'skin first' narrative. Glossier eventually folded it back into the main line. Luna: Even a brand that's great at listening can get it wrong. The lesson there is that co-creation works best when it's aligned with a consistent brand story. If you stray too far, customers notice. Lucas: Absolutely. Consistency matters. Glossier's core products — the Milky Jelly, the Balm Dotcom, the Boy Brow — those are still top sellers because they were born from genuine customer needs. The Play line felt like a top-down decision. Luna: So what's the takeaway for someone building a brand today? If you don't have a blog with thousands of loyal readers, can you still do co-creation? Lucas: You can. Start small. Use a survey, a social media poll, or even a focus group with your most engaged customers. The key is to actually act on the feedback and then show them you did. Luna: And don't try to co-create everything. Pick a product or a feature where customer input can really make a difference. It's about quality, not quantity. Lucas: Exactly. Glossier didn't ask customers to design the whole brand. They asked specific questions: 'What cleanser do you wish existed?' That focus made the feedback actionable. Luna: And then they built a narrative around that feedback. The story of the product became 'you asked, we listened.' That's powerful. Lucas: It is. And it's why Glossier, despite some bumps, remains a case study in community-driven brand building. They proved that when customers feel heard, they become your best marketers. Luna: I think about that every time I see a friend's Glossier order. It's not just a purchase; it's a statement of belonging. Lucas: And that's the ultimate goal of any brand. To create a sense of belonging. Glossier did it by putting the community at the center. It's a blueprint worth studying. Luna: Absolutely. Next time we'll look at another brand that redefined its relationship with customers. Until then, keep building. Lucas: See you next time.