the texturemedia story: how a passionate community drives social engagement

The TextureMedia story: How a Passionate Community Drives

Social Engagement

TextureMedia, Inc. Feb 2012

Curls, kinks & waves •  Social media company focused on a verJcal

•  60% global texture •  1.5 million monthly consumers & stylists

•  200+ adverJsing brands •  $1/2 billion in annual consumer spending


It’s a real market – in $, tears & smiles Our community: •  80% admit to being

challenged by their hair at one point in life

•  Say they embrace their true texture more TODAY because there are more products for their hair types and more stylists who understand their hair


The tears & smiles part…


The Power of Passion

“The two most important things about people on a revoluJonary team are their ability and passion. Their educaJonal level or work experience is meaningless.”

-‐-‐ Guy Kawasaki

“If you can indulge in your passion, life will be far more interesJng than if you're just working. You'll work harder at it, and you'll know more about it. But first you must go out and educate yourself on whatever it is that you've decided to do -‐ know more about kite-‐surfing than anyone else.”

-‐-‐ Richard Branson


How It Happened in 1998

•  2 curly journalists •  MulJple mimosas •  One 12-‐year-‐old web designer •  $300 investment

•  1 big idea •  Passion


People showed up


What co-‐founders did right from day 1

•  Spoke in the language of the community – Talked in terms of hair type

– Did not talk geo, demo or ethnicity (biz appropriate)

•  Today – what language does your customer speak?


Our language


“Every organiza-on willing to radically reconceive itself for the Web should look at NaturallyCurly.com” -‐-‐April 2010 NY Times Sunday Magazine

I get it!

I don’t get it?


“Girls with curls” are product junkies seeking informaJon and confidence

among community •  Seeking Jps, tricks, soluJons, holy grail products

•  Want self-‐esteem, not just hair product

Source: 1st Wave TextureTrends Consumer Insights 3,800+ respondents September 2011


“Glad us curly girls have got a place to call home”

“I love the naturallycurly.com site. It makes me accept my curls and feel special”

“It changed the way I look at my hair” “I had a young woman come up to me and compliment me on my hair. It was my absolute pleasure to tell her about naturallycurly.com. I love helping out a fellow curly.”

“I am thankful for this site and others that celebrate curls…natural curls…it has been a year long journey for me, and it will conNnue… natural, healthy, happy”


Community is highly engaged


40 salons within 25 mile radius of Hollywood, FLA


Twijer


Facebook

Using social media combined with email to push community to a site program/contest


Brands engage TextureMedia to connect with our community

TextureMedia offers – AdverJsing –  Email sponsorship –  Customized programs –  Social media; blog & vlog presence

–  Sampling – Market intelligence –  Events –  Commerce distribuJon

TextureMedia, Inc. Feb 2012 Source: 1st Wave TextureTrends Consumer Insights 3,800+ respondents September 2011

Brand Case Study: AG Hair CosmeJcs Canada’s largest Hair Care Brand

2003-‐2004 NaturallyCurly audience surveyed re: ideal styling product for type 3/curly hair. Re:coil CurlAcJvator launched. No. 1 AG brand since. (AG has 47 SKUs). 2008 AG partners with NaturallyCurly to create a Re:coil line extension 6,000+ community members, reached through email & boards 2010 AG launches CURL CollecJon on NaturallyCurly and CurlStylist – a line that includes 8 products anchored by Re:Coil 2011-‐2012 AG conducts white label tesJng of new products + ongoing campaigns on NaturallyCurly and CurlStylist, including customized lead-‐gen programs, sampling and dedicated emails.

“By listening to what consumers wanted and developing a product specifically designed for their needs, we created a winner.” – Graham Fraser, vice president of sales & business development for AG


Email & TextureMedia

Email pushes people to –  Site content –  Partner contests & products –  Ecommerce bouJque – Market intelligence surveys – Other sites within our network

EducaJonal content vs. “sale” = higher open rate –  Speak their language…

Fun Facts #3 traffic driver 2-‐2.5 million monthly emails <1% unsubscribe


NaturallyCurly Email SegmentaJon Increase visits AND engagement

Wavy Hair Open Rate = 10.75% Click to Visit = 5.04%

Curly Hair Open Rate = 17.13% Clicks to Visit =7.86%

Kinky Hair Open Rate = 25.97% Clicks to Visit = 18.51%

Before SegmenJng Open Rate = 9.94% Click to Visit = 4.49%


Email targeJng hair type

and previous buyers of specific brand


Contest/Program Email =

Mix content and product for hair type & daily offerings


InformaJon & call to acJon

Email to vast audience of brands,

consumers and media



TextureontheRunway.com -‐-‐ Giving everyone a real-‐Nme voice -‐-‐ Mobile Web -‐-‐ Social CuraNon beta

Lex side is content curated by experts.

Right side is curated by -‐brand -‐community members -‐influencers (bloggers & vloggers)

Passionate community also = indigesJon of ideas

Stay focused on key value-‐builders:

•  Community growth rate

•  Community engagement

•  Revenue streams

•  AdverJser retenJon & cache


Passion & interests & people connect


Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir “Lux Aurumque”


A Passionate Community Drives Social Engagement

“Through a medium that didn't exist a century ago, people from different cultures, different backgrounds, different religions, and even speak<ing> different languages, can come together in a sense of community that would be otherwise impossible….That complete strangers can come together and be a part of something bigger than themselves is simply amazing to me”


SPEAK THE LANGUAGE

–  It may not be the usual “business” language

– Let your customers create the language for you – Segment & innovate relaJve to your audience – Therein lies the passion


the texturemedia story: how a passionate community drives social engagement

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