winnie
@winnie
today, the winning formula for building a category-defining consumer brand is to have one or more of the following: 1) ridiculous ad spend, 2) a creator/celebrity distribution, or 3) a cult-like community. in lieu of spending millions of dollars on facebook/google advertising, or unless you're a creator with a casual 10m+ followers, you need to cultivate your own community that becomes your marketing engine and distribution channel. and that's why we're co-leading @tyhunnny and a team that has firsthand experience in building a community-led brand from the ground up and is now productizing those components on crypto rails. https://fortune.com/2025/06/11/ty-haney-tyb-try-your-best-series-a-loyalty-consumer/
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winnie
@winnie
commerce in the 2010s was marked by the growth of the DTC darlings such as Allbirds, Warby Parker, Casper, and more. what we learned from that era was the brands that prevailed were those with hyper-strong, almost fanatical, communities that helped supercharge the brand’s growth. think Glossier and Barry's - brands that sell more than products. they build movements by leveraging the power of their community. at @strobefund, we believe community-owned and co-created brands are the future. gen z and gen alpha consumers don’t just want to buy products. they want to belong, advocate, and actively shape the brands they love.
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winnie
@winnie
commerce is now changing. 1. traditional loyalty programs are fundamentally broken. they're one-way, static, single-player games where points expire, rewards feel generic, and engagement flatlines. 2. meanwhile, brands are spending 30-50% of their total raised capital on paid media. 3. at the same time, younger generations prioritize authenticity over aesthetics. 4. this is driving a new type of "direct-to-consumer," where brands directly engage with their community and most loyal fans. 5. lastly, @strobefund believes commerce is becoming inherently social.
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