SonderCo

Today Ad Age spotlighted the launch of SonderCo & our vision to innovate the way brands partner with talent, other brands and IP to create long-term value for everyone involved. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gjxFjDAt

Chief Business Officer Jessie Mash will be serving as a judge for this year's Shorty Awards which highlight the best brand, agency, non-profit & individual work in digital & social marketing. Watch this space for more about Jessie Mash’s favorite campaigns.

Choosing a business name is not just a formality; it's a declaration of identity. So why "SonderCo"? The idea of "sonder" is the realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as our own. It's a beautiful acknowledgment that everyone we encounter is living a story we know nothing about – full of joys, struggles, and unique experiences. Celebrities & brands are no different. Everyone has a story. And the strongest partnerships start with just that.

Ahead of 2024, we rolled it back to the 80s. Happy holidays from the upside down on behalf of Team SonderCo.

Last week, former Editor-in-Chief of InStyle Laura Brown & Actress Lake Bell hosted a genius "Auction of Nothing" fundraiser for (RED). Our CEO Sean Akaks was in attendance to donate a "warm embrace" for a good cause.

Last night, I got the chance to see our new SonderCo client at an event hosted by Favorite Daughter: Liz Whitman, Founder & CEO of Exponent Beauty. With a titan of the beauty industry like Liz at the helm, it’s unsurprising that Exponent is changing the game in the category. They discovered that some of the active ingredients in clean beauty products degrade by the day and have created a first-of-its kind, clinically-proven system to prevent this. Pumped to partner with them!

Growing pains? I love them. As a start-up founder, they’re a sign that you’ve moved on from the existential “Will we make it?” & towards stability & scalability questions: - Who are the right types of people for us to hire? - What do we want our culture to be? - Should we expand our offering in any way? - Do we have the right processes in place? One year ago, we didn’t have a team. And now it’s these conversations with that team at SonderCo that fuel me. Because growing pains signal growth.

What influences you? It’s a question I asked myself when I came across the new BMW Group campaign. BMW used Lil Miquela, a computer-generated influencer with millions of followers, as talent for their new ads. Though Lil Miquela is not “real” in the traditional sense, my emotional connection to her was. That surprised me. It shouldn’t have. Early in my career one of the most notable influencers I worked with was a brand mascot. StarKist Co.'s Charlie the Tuna (and many icons like him) had an emotional hold on customers who were nostalgic for the commercials of their childhood. It harkens back to the earliest days of advertising. Many of the most influential figures building & maintain audiences in Media & Entertainment are fictional characters brought to life by game developers, animators, television producers & so on. Lil Miquela, Charlie the Tuna & characters in television, movies & gaming all have one thing in common: They are not “real”. But to be effective, do they have to be?

Last month, Modern Retail predicted that celebrity-backed brands will be some of the biggest DTC success stories of the next decade. We're watching it play out with brands like Casamigos Tequila, SKIMS & more. With an endless amount of these launching in recent years, after speaking to executives at companies like GOODLES, BÉIS and Centr, Modern Retail found that those with staying power all have one thing in common: meaningful involvement from the celebrity beyond simply posting on social media, which often starts from a genuine interest in the category. And a thoughtful approach to helping build a brand that can live beyond the individual. Articles like this reaffirm our mission at SonderCo to help emerging brands intelligently harness the power of celebrity.

Managing Partner Jessie Mash recently shared her journey from Oprah to SonderCo at her alma mater, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Interested in learning more about brand and talent partnerships? Grab time to connect with Jessie: https://lnkd.in/eiuSchX6