You Don’t Need a Big Brand—You Just Need to Know Who You’re Talking To
Why Anthropologie’s Marketing Works—and How Yours Can Too
Studio Notes
Monthly Live Q&A Call is this Friday at noon for Paid Subs! Head to the bottom of this email for the zoom link (I’ll message it out on Friday as well!)
Updates: What’s going on with my different ventures…
What I’m Reading: I️ jut finished this book and although actually unlike anything I️ have every read (twin taking over her influencer sister’s life) the plot was so carzy I️ read it under 24 hours.
A Little Growth Hack: Learn more about it here.
Packaging Ideas: Really loving how I’m packaging my new paintings. What do you think?
You Need This: FREE Notion Content calendar. I️ discovered it in this Substack article about the creator.
What I’m Into:
This Substack contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase—thank you for your support!
Good morning!
I’m excited to dive into today’s conversation because it takes me way back to my college Ad Class. Picture this: we spent a whole semester functioning like a real-world advertising agency, competing in a regional campaign pitch (shoutout Ocean Spray). I was the Creative Director—shocking, I know—and naturally, our campaign featured hand-painted, animated fruit motifs. It was gorgeous.
We didn’t win (it was obviously rigged—at least that’s what we told ourselves at the hotel bar afterward), but we did walk away with a consolation prize for “Most Creative” or something like that.
Anyway, I know I’m immediately veering into a story, but trust me—it relates. I needed to give you some context on where this idea came from.
In that class, we studied brand case studies endlessly. We dissected marketing strategies, brand tone, and iconic ads. I still remember having to take detailed notes on every Super Bowl commercial. To this day, I can’t watch the big game—or really any commercial—without immediately slipping into critique mode (also knowing full well they likely had a million-dollar budget to make it happen).
Fast forward to today, where most of us are solopreneurs working with shoestring budgets. My best ideas? They still come from studying (borrowing from) the greats. Like Austin Kleon says, steal like an artist.
That’s why I love analyzing what big brands are doing—and what we can learn from them. Because when you’re working solo, it's easy to stay in your own bubble. But observing brilliant marketing in the wild can unlock new ideas fast.
Today’s case study? One of my forever favorite brands: Anthropologie. Not only has their content been catching my eye lately, but it’s also common reference point, which makes this breakdown even more fun.
And why even do a case study in the first place? Because we’re visual people, and I’m a visual learner. I can give you advice all day long, but seeing it in action? It hits differently. Plus, you know I love a good aesthetic breakdown.
So let’s get into it: What Anthropologie is doing right—and how you can apply it to your creative business.
Specifically, I want to dive into their recent Mother’s Day campaign. It checked all the usual boxes:
Beautiful? Check.
Product-forward? Check.
On-brand? Absolutely.
But what truly made it shine, and what made me stop scrolling, was how clearly it spoke to one very specific person.