A viral video is every marketer’s dream, but it can be a hit or miss. The psychological response (how the material makes you feel) and social motivation (why you want to share it) are the two most potent causes of viral success, according to a study analysis of almost 430 billion video views and 100,000 consumer data points. People are more inclined to share anything online that makes them feel strongly, making word-of-mouth marketing the most powerful type of promotion on the web.
Remi Bader accidentally went viral, and it changed the plus size fashion industry and her life.
Content creator Remi went viral on TikTok for posting videos giving realistic brutally honest clothing hauls. Her success was a complete surprise and was never the goal. She was just making funny videos for her less than 100 TikTok followers and ended up blowing up overnight. Her videos got so much attention because unlike most influencers for a brand there was no partnership or deal involved, she was rating the clothing as honestly as possible in a comedic manner, pointing out the good and the bad.
She made videos reviewing popular clothing brands such as Zara, Revolve, H&M, Pretty Little Thing, Victoria’s Secret and others. Her “realistic” hauls have gotten her over 2 million followers on TikTok and brand collaborations with today’s most well-known fashion brands. Usually someone like Remi is a PR nightmare for clothing brands like these, she calls it out like it is and her content is raw, genuine, and brutally honest. However, most of the brands have taken Remi’s content and platform and turned it into something positive. Even with partnerships, she is still honest and tells it like it is and most of the brands have even taken her and her follower’s advice and feedback to improve their clothing brands.
One of her most viral videos was a realistic clothing haul for Revolve, she criticized the brands sizing and how they did not cater to bigger women. Many people agreed with Remi and there were thousands of comments from plus size women expressing the same concern.
Remi just launched her partnership with Revolve on their first-ever expanded size collection. In “Remi x Revolve” Remi is both the collaborator and face of the collection; she says this is a more in-depth partnership than any other because the brand used a lot of her and her follower’s advice specifically when creating the extended size collection.
Remi’s content is an excellent example of Trojan Horse marketing, brands tagging along for the ride and turning criticism/praise into marketing. Remi’s videos are entertaining, funny, real, and the audience eats it up. Her reviews are good and bad, she calls out what she doesn’t like but also gives credit where it’s due. The brands who have partnered with her and sponsored her content, even if it comes with backlash, saw that her content itself was worth it. Trojan marketing or content marketing serves as marketing by constantly delivering valuable content. Remi’s content is unique, and she has come to be a voice for size inclusion in the fashion industry. She has become valuable for these brands, and they would be crazy not to work with her or her platform.
“The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing.” – Tom Fishburne