REFY Case Study: Community Engagement Done Right
REFY has set a new trend that i look forward to seeing more of
In a world full of endless brand-sponsored trips for top beauty influencers, be REFY.
Refy took investing in their community to a whole new level and showed that they were all about pouring back into the very community that keeps the business afloat. After years of brand trips with top beauty influencers, they decided this time to take 8 members of their community on an all-expenses paid trip to Mallorca - an island in Spain.
The trip looked like what dreams are made of with all the community members bonding over their shared love for beauty and the brand - REFY. Mallorca which happened to be the co-founder’s favorite vacation spot was the perfect setting for a summer retreat.
The highlight was The REFY Villa, an extension of the brand’s lifestyle, where guests were immersed in the values REFY represents. The trip also included a REFY-branded beach day, visits to the REFY Wine Bar in Palma, an intimate dinner, and, of course, free products. It was the perfect opportunity for the brand to share secret product plans with their innermost circle and get real-time feedback.
The Brand and PR manager, James Mckeown, described the experience saying “The goal was to immerse our community in the REFY World. The weekend included a stay at The REFY Villa, an evening at The REFY Natural Wine Bar, and a day at The REFY Beach Club, along with a few visits to our founder Jess' favorite spots on the island.”
Let’s do a deep dive into the campaign strategy and its different phases:
Phase 1: The founder, Jess, told the community she was going to Mallorca for the summer and dropped subtle hints on how she wishes she could have brought them to see the view with her and posted a poll asking if they would love to join her. Over 1k people participated in the poll affirming their interest.
Phase 2: Jess came back to inform the community that the team was so impressed by the participation that they were planning to send actual invites soon and encouraged them to invite their friends to join the community group chat
Phase 3: They announced the giveaway competition in the community and on their feed, giving their members just 3 days to register their interest via their website and also continued to engage the community with polls and posts showcasing the allure of Mallorca while updating them on the itinerary they were planning.
Phase 4: After selecting and announcing the winners of the brand trip, they reported back to share the good news - 2 more slots were open with over 4,000 people signifying interest within 24 hours, and more people were selected
Phase 5: The trip felt very personal as they kept their community who couldn’t come abreast of what was happening through regular updates on social media and in the group chat.
Here are some strategies you can steal from Refy’s Community First Approach:
Choose a platform that works for your audience: Refy used their Instagram platform as the official base for their community group chat. This allows them to potentially connect with thousands of beauty lovers who already make use of their product and follow them
Make it personal: Refy’s co-founder, Jess Hunt, is a very active member of the group chat and often leads conversations in the community. She adds a personal touch to it using her personal Instagram account and gives real-time updates in the group chat.
Product Feedback: Refy makes use of its community group chat to get feedback from its audience on the shades, product types, etc to launch or improve on
Rewarding Community Members: From free products to community trips, Refy rewards its community members with various types of perks when they take specific desired actions from the brand.
In conclusion, I really love this community-first approach some brands are beginning to champion as it truly humanizes the brand. The execution of this brand trip was 10/10 to me. What do you think?
I have questions though:
Can I see the cute itinerary sent to the selected community members?
How were they all able to take time off work?
Why are they all gorgeous? They could all seriously pass off as beauty influencers
What were the criteria for selecting the trip winners?
If anyone has the answer please let me know.
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