How REFY built a PR-able brand overnight
The four secrets behind the brand’s success, that have nothing to do with PR.
REFY is a beauty brand that went viral, sold out of its first product, and secured global press overnight. If you don’t know, REFY is the beauty brand on everyone’s Instagram feed and in just about every fashion and beauty publication out there.
Founded by influencer and model, Jess Hunt, and Jenna Meek (Hello, Gypsy Shrine!) in November 2020. Since then, they have launched and sold out over and over again, and have been featured by beauty editors across the country and the globe. So, how did they create a PR-able brand overnight?
They had a product that was in demand before it was even on the market. Co-founder Jess was always being asked about her brow routine, so this product was the solution to the question on her followers’ lips.
They did one thing and one thing well
One product, one message. The brow sculpt was the hero product and the only product in the lineup - it had an instant cult following and there was no mixed messaging.
Detail oriented experience
From the packaging to the user experience, REFY knows details very, very well. The press love a well-presented product, and appreciate the smaller details.
Supply in demand
The first run of Brow Sculpt was ‘limited’, meaning it sold out in a shot. Beauty editors then wanted to feature this ‘sold out’ product that REFY couldn’t make enough of.
A trend led product
Bushy brows and lamination were just peaking when the brow sculpt came out, and Jess’ brows were the perfect poster-girl for the look that the product can recreate. They didn’t reinvent the wheel here, soap brows existed long before Instagram, but they tapped into a trend that was on the up - and is still rising.
None of this had anything to do with PR, but it was the perfect storm to land them in all of the top titles, and to be a hit with the beauty editors across the globe. These things combined made sure they went from 0-100 overnight, landing coverage, kudos, and, of course, sales.
PR isn’t a solo activity. It needs to be integrated into a brand’s overall sales and marketing strategy to see results that will soar. If PR is on your radar but you need support to make it happen, we power you or your team to become the PR experts. Watch the demo of our Core PR Membership platform, and we’ll show you how.