Olivia Rodrigo Is Selling Out

How the pop star is using her closet to build connection

June 11, 2021

Happy Friday Y’all. Facebook announced this week that it would take a 0% cut from creators until 2023 and Netflix announced their own shop. Follow @ThePublishPress on Twitter to stay up to date with headlines like these in between issues. Today Max is exploring the world of online shopping and niche audiences. Enjoy âśŚđźŹ»âśŚđźŹ˝.

In Today’s Issue 💬

→ A chance to raid Olivia Rodrigo’s wardrobe 

→ Breaking down Instagram’s new creator shopping features

→ Why Substack is going after comic books

Raiding Olivia Rodrigo’s Closet

Why the music star is selling her favorite fits on Depop

Source: Depop + Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo is officially a full fledged Depop girl. The rising music star opened her own shop on the Gen-Z shopping app last week, featuring affordable looks taken straight from her music videos and personal closet. The account, dubbed the SOURshop, launched June 3rd and has over 110k followers. The products on the shop are all reasonably priced, with the most expensive item going for $65. Rodrigo has also already promised to donate all proceeds from sales to charity. 

But with a new album just dropping, why is Olivia spending her time selling clothes?

  • Good 4 U(s) → 90% of Depop’s customers are below the age of 26, which just so happens to be the primary demographic for Olivia Rodrigo stans. By promoting her content on platforms where her fans hangout, Olivia is meeting the people who love her most halfway. It’s like the modern version of a mall pop-up.

  • 1 Step Forward, No Steps Back → Fashion reselling and DIY clothes are having a moment. Platforms like StockX, Poshmark, and thredUp are doing hundreds of millions in sales each year. Even Depop just got acquired by Etsy for $1.6 billion. By leveraging her success in other industries, Olivia can become the first major influencer in what is quickly becoming a billion dollar industry. Could we see the first album announcement on Depop in the near future? đź‘€

Our Take

Olivia’s Depop shop takes a page right out of TikTok’s book - focusing on authenticity and accessibility over celebrity and exclusivity. It’s the same reason songs like Drivers License and Good 4 U blew up online; they feel like something anyone who's gone through a break up can relate to. As creator platforms continue to shrink the gap between celebrity and every day person, Olivia Rodrigo is yet another example of what a career built on keeping it real can bring.

Instagram Doubles Down on In-App Shopping

Creators can sell products without ever leaving the app

Source: Instagram

Instagram announced a new slate of ecommerce-focused creator tools, including affiliate links and merch stores, earlier this week. The features help creators monetize by offering fans the chance to buy exclusive merch and third party products directly in the app. Creators get a cut of the action but the company has yet to announce the details of the rev share.  The move comes as a part of Facebook’s Creator Week, a week-long company-wide effort to announce product moves catered towards creators.

  • Building The Mall 2.0 → 55% of fashion shoppers have purchased something on Instagram after seeing their favorite creator wear it. Turning social profiles into a one stop shop for physical products makes it easier than ever for fans to support their favorite follows. And for creators that aren’t big enough to get a line with Hollister like Charlie and Dixie, Instagram stores offer a more accessible way to build a retail business.

  • Platform See, Platform Do → Creator platforms are competing for market share, and can't afford to fall behind the competition. With both Snapchat and TikTok building new in-app ecommerce tools and YouTube already offering creators the option to sell merch on the platform, Instagram has to do the same to ensure their most valuable users don't go elsewhere.

Our Take 

Launching D2C brands was previously an option reserved for the largest creators. But, platforms like Instagram are making product sales accessible to everyone. Today, your favorite YouTuber can become a retailer, offer you a look at their favorite brands, or even launch products of their own. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the next American Apparel or Urban Outfitters come from a collective of our favorite creators. 

Substack Goes Super

The newsletter platform is investing in bringing comic writers on the platform

Source: C&S Creative

Earlier this week, Insider broke that Substack hired Nick Spencer, the writer behind modern revivals of Captain America and The Amazing Spider Man, to bring more comic creators onto the company’s writing platform. The company hopes to lure comic artists with its Pro offering, which provides select creators a one-year cash advance in return for a majority of first-year revenue. The offer is an attractive alternative for most artists, who often make a majority of their income from project work, and don’t usually have predictable income.

  • Stranger Than Fiction → Thanks in part to the pandemic, people are spending more time reading. In 2020 alone, fiction sales grew 9%, with a majority of that coming from growing interest in the world of comics. If Substack wants to truly achieve its mission to build a better future for writers and capture part of the billion dollar comic industry, they can’t just focus on classic newsletter topics like headlines, politics, and opinion pieces.

  • Digital Love → Niche markets like comics have some of the world’s most loyal fans. It’s why San Diego Comic Con can generate $26m/year and why digital comic apps often find themselves in the App Store Top 500. By tapping into this community, Substack is ensuring they can diversify their dominance and compete in mediums outside of email.

Our Take 

New corners of the internet, like BookTok and TikTok Radio, are springing up to replace some of the old school ways we consume content. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the next comic book hit from an independent artist, rather than a big name like Marvel.

🔥 In Other News