Inside D’Amelio Brands: Using TikTok clout to fuel a consumer empire

Is TikTok fame fleeting or can viral videos translate into an authentic brand with paying customers? Marc D’Amelio thinks the latter is true.

Marc rocketed to fame managing the careers of teen influencer daughters, Charli and Dixie. They have a reality TV show starring the entire family but now Marc is launching D’Amelio Brands to partner with big companies on co-created consumer products (with a focus on footwear) endorsed by the TikTok superstars.

With over 200 million followers between them on TikTok alone, the D’Amelio sisters have incredible influence. But as their dad knows, followers don’t necessarily equal paying customers.

Marc discusses the strategies bring used to leverage Charli and Dixie’s popularity into sustainable business ventures. “You have to have the full package,” said the CEO. “When I first started my clothing brand, I had really good product, but I didn’t have any influence. And there were all kinds of roadblocks.”

Authentic and organic brand engagement

Rather than just slapping the D’Amelio name on products and expecting them to sell, Marc is focused on authenticity. “I’d much rather help [my daughters] create products that they actually love and enjoy and wear every day,” said Marc. When fans see the D’Amelio sisters genuinely excited about a product, it creates an “organic way to really engage potential customers.”

Authenticity is also key to conveying quality. According to Marc, “the days of someone – either Dixie or Charlie – going on social media, and holding up a product and selling it, it’s not genuine and I think the fans and the followers see through that.”

“I’d much rather help them create products that they actually love and enjoy and wear every day,” said their dad.

“Then normally what will happen is someone in the comments will say: Where did you get that? Or: What is that? And that’s where I think it’s a more organic way to really engage potential customers than to … be a pitch person.”

D’Amelio Brands isn’t just sticking to TikTok: It uses a “multi-prong approach” to connect with customers, which includes pop-up shops where people can try on their shoes, appearances at trade shows, and an upcoming college tour. As Marc put it: “With footwear people have to try it on, feel it and like it, and it’s a little bit more difficult to do that online.”

Gen Z consumers want sustainability

Marc says the fast fashion approach that so many clothing companies embrace is not what D’Amelio Brands wants – nor what Gen Z consumers want. Rather than creating “an abundance of unneeded products in your closet” the idea is to develop “staple items and staple colours”.

Charli and Dixie, says the CEO, “make sure we do things the right way” including footwear that comes in biodegradable plastic sleeves and cardboard boxes with handles, eliminating the need for extra in-store packaging.

Footwear is only the beginning. In this episode of The Next Stage, Marc shares a vision for building a billion-dollar brand using Charli and Dixie’s digital stardom. Listen on to find out what their next big product is going to be.

Marc D’Amelio, CEO of D’Amelio Brands, was in conversation with Mark Stenberg, senior media reporter for Adweek, on Venture at Collision 2023.

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Main image of Marc D’Amelio, CEO of D’Amelio Brands, speaking at Collision 2023: Harry Murphy/Web Summit (CC BY 2.0)