Ain’t no party like a REVOLVE partayyye! With the #REVOLVEAWARDS set to take place this evening, we chatted with Keefe, Men’s Brand Manager at REVOLVE/FWRD for this month’s brand feature.
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Keefe Dempsey. I grew up in San Diego, went to college in Orange County, and now live in Los Angeles. No plans to move any further north. I currently head up the mens marketing efforts at REVOLVE/FWRD. This means I do everything from running social and writing the email and homepage copy to planning events and influencer relations. I’m really into soccer and go to way too many concerts.
What was your best and worst experience working with REVOLVE/FWRDs’ influencers?
We once worked with an influencer and gave him a gift code, but the code was broken and had an unlimited amount on it. He ran up a pretty big bill before we caught what was going on. Craziest part was that we had him in the studio for a shoot a week before we found out. I still can’t believe he had the nerve to come to our HQ when he knew he was stealing from us. That was definitely the worst.
For best experience, I’d say just meeting some great people and making some amazing friends. For a specific experience, we did a shoot with Jahleel Addae, who is the strong safety of the LA Chargers last month, and his manager hooked me up with front row tickets to their next home game. That was pretty cool.
Using three words, how would you describe REVOLVE/FWRD?
1. Parties
2. People
3. Data
We are kinda known for throwing these big parties, but our team has it down to a science and everything we do we do it with the support of data and numbers. People because we have a ton of good people who work at REVOLVE/FWRD, and we work with some of the best people as well.
What are four things we can look forward to seeing from REVOLVE/FWRD?
I think we’re just going to continue to scale. If things keep performing the way they do, then you’ll see us throwing more events, working with more influencers, doing more exclusives, and just trying to make more of an impact.
What are five tips you would give to influencers looking to collaborate with REVOLVE/FWRD?
1. Think long term. Focus more on building relationships with brands and companies than doing one-offs. Sometimes that might mean working for less or for free, but those relationships have so much value and will eventually pay off.
2. Develop a good rapport with your contacts. I’m not saying be fake or anything, but it’s good to not be strictly business. As much as we look at data and such, I definitely still favor guys who I actually like and hangout with outside of work stuff.
3. If you’re reaching out to brands about working together, make sure their vibe and aesthetic fits yours. I can’t tell you how many people reach out that are so completely off brand. It’s just a waste of time and energy.
4. Keep hustling. It’s obviously a competitive space, but the more content you’re putting out and the more you’re interacting and working and putting yourself out there, the greater your chances are of breaking through.
5. Go above and beyond. I can’t stress enough how much brands love it when you post extra images, create extra content, or just are down to do more than what was asked. That’s the best way to get loved by a brand/company.
Bonus
6. Be authentic. Instead of chasing after what’s trendy, do what you think is cool and interesting. You will get more support and create a more engaged fan base in the long run.
Interested in learning more about our favorite brands? Check out our interview with Pocket Square Clothing here!