Hero Highlight: Girlfriend Collective

Companies and Leaders, Doing Right By Their Customers and Employees

Girlfriend Collective built their brand by word of mouth. They made a bold decision in the beginning and gave away free leggings just by sharing their brand on social media during their initial launch. They are an eco-friendly activewear company on a mission to be as transparent with their customers as possible. 

Companies are having to pivot, innovate, and get creative. Some are leading by example. Each week at reachXOD, we highlight companies who are going above and beyond to connect to their employees and customers during a time of uncertainty. Girlfriend Collective is not only an innovator in their industry but they are also a company that stands for something beyond just selling goods.

Back in 2016, Girlfriend Collective’s founder Ellie Dinh was having trouble finding ethically-made leggings. Ellie and her husband, Quang Dinh, saw an opportunity. They launched Girlfriend Collective-- a direct-to-consumer brand with an environmentally-friendly twist. In no time, they found a factory in Taiwan that re-purposed post-consumer plastic drinking bottles into fabrics, and a SA8000-certified fair trade garment factory in Hanoi, Vietnam. They really meant it when they said their products were going to be eco-friendly. Six months after their launch they had already recycled more than 1.5M water bottles!

One of the most fascinating parts of Girlfriend Collective’s business story is their initial launch strategy. They decided to direct their ENTIRE marketing budget for the launch into giving away their leggings for free. All customers had to do was to share on Facebook or through email, and pay for the shipping costs (which came to about $20), and Girlfriend would ship out their leggings (which retailed from $68-78). Creative, right? Well, it worked because they received 10,000 orders on their first day, and not to mention, they had so many visitors that their site crashed. It goes to show that strong word of mouth, a compelling story, and inclusive branding can earn you tons of buzz and customers for life. 

At reachXOD, we admire Girlfriend Collective’s bold action when they saw a gap in the market. Take initiative. Be proactive and transparent. Be human. Look for the heroes. Learn from their journeys. Get advice for your own business at reachXOD. Need someone to walk you through next steps for Building a Brand? We got you covered. Want an introductory discovery call before you get started? We can do that too.

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