5 Lessons To Build Community And Sell Out Collections

Lesson 1: To Go Big, You Have To Start Small

I recently sat down with Drew Nilon, CEO & Co-Founder of Electric Family, the original Electronic Music lifestyle brand, to pick his brain and unlock secrets that have helped his brand build community and sell out entire collections in minutes.

What initially struck me about Electric Family, is how targeted and true the brand is to the Electronic Music lifestyle. There is no doubt in my mind that a singular focus, on fusing streetwear and electronic music culture, is a key ingredient to his success. The entire brand is built on a commitment to celebrate electronic music culture and it shows in everything the brand does.

Lesson 2: Know The [SINGLE] Activity That Unifies Your Customers

Ethan: How do you define your audience?

Drew: Our customers are primarily in the 15-28 age range, listen to dance music (EDM), and are generally very open minded people. We always knew who our customer was because we mingled in the same circles so it was easy for us to define. They are skaters, jocks, goths, and really everything in between.

Ethan: It’s so simple and powerful. Your community is people that love and appreciate EDM and your understanding of this group of people is innate, because you love EDM too. You built a brand around your lifestyle and something you love. It always surprises me when people start a brand without knowing exactly who their customers are. When I started Apliiq, I was only creating clothing that I wanted to wear.

Given you know who your customers are, how do you get to know more about them?

Drew: We have been able to define our audience through asking them who they are. A bit boring and straightforward but it’s essential to ask.

However, we were really able to understand and define our customer through surveys. Monthly or Quarterly surveys are absolutely essential for any business. We are always a bit surprised to see the overwhelming support and willingness to participate in our surveys. They are cheap and invaluable.

Lesson 3: Go To Where Your Customers Are And Connect With Them

Ethan: Where do you go to reach your audience?

Drew: We utilize a wide variety of avenues to speak with our fans. Social media is obviously very important for us. We have around 100k people that follow us on our various channels. We are fortunate enough to have amazing editorial partners that support us in our efforts. Combined, they have millions of followers and readers on socials and on their websites. We also do some guerilla marketing at festivals, which is a sacred place for our fans.

Ethan: What an amazing day of “work.” Guerilla marketing at festivals! Doing something you absolutely love and growing your brand. To me that is really the essence and drive behind starting your own brand. Starting a clothing line gives you a platform to do something you love and connect with people that share your interests and passions.

Speaking about sharing something you love, tell us a bit about your Loyalty Collection & how it sells out within hours of launch?

Lesson 4: Limited Edition Collections That Connect To The Cause

Drew: The loyalty collection is a special project we started back in December of 2014. Once a month we offer a limited piece of apparel that features some sort of cut n sew feature from our friends over at Apliiq.