Each week, we'll bring you select insights from our newsletter, How to Build Brands and Influence People (HBBIP). To have all of these insights delivered directly to your inbox, subscribe today!
Is it just me, or is everybody talking about Quince lately?
Call it Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, call it the inner machinations of the mind, but all of a sudden it seems like Quince is everywhere. Promising “high quality essentials” at “radically low prices,” the brand promises a DTC goldmine for cashmere and silk goods, be they high-fashion or home furnishings.
Turns out that selling luxury items and a low price point will get you on consumers’ radar (free business tip), because the media is buzzing about Quince right now. It’s not just the media: my coworkers—as reliable a bellwether for hot brands as any source I know—are also curious about Quince, sending me down the research rabbit hole to examine the source of all this hype.
While I can’t vouch for Quince’s products—though I will once again extend the offer to Quince to be the first brand to send me free stuff—what I can vouch for is the momentum that the brand is experiencing on social media.
So no, it’s not just me: everybody really is talking about Quince lately.
There are meteoric rises, and then there’s Quince.
Founded in 2018, the brand garnered negligible EMV that year and in 2019, then got on the board in 2020 with $221.6k EMV. Things really jumped up a notch from there, with Quince growing 10x to collect $2.3M EMV in 2021. The brand nudged up to $2.8M EMV in 2022, then soared to $11.6M EMV in 2023.
Things are showing no sign of slowing down, with 2024 proving to be the brand's best year yet: from June 2023 to May 2024, Quince has pulled in $19.3M EMV, a whopping 366% YoY surge.
As you might expect, Quince is drastically outperforming the YoY growth for its associated verticals, as measured by CreatorIQ's EMV Indexes. These EMV Indexes calculate the expected change in EMV that a brand in a specific vertical would experience over a given time period, based on broader trends in that vertical. Comparing your brand against its relevant EMV index allows you to determine if you’re over- or underperforming versus your vertical.
Relative to the following verticals at large, Quince—again, 366%YoY—experienced dramatic growth:
Translation: Quince is beating the expected/average growth in its verticals by a casual ~340%. Not too shabby!
In addition to that EMV growth, the last 12 months have also brought the following YoY increases for Quince across other key metrics:
If you’re posting consistent triple-digit YoY growth across key metrics, it’s never for a single reason. Here are just a few of the factors that contributed to Quince's momentum:
Say it with me now: partnership hashtags are a leading indicator for growth! Sure enough, Quince’s top hashtag from June 2023 to May 2024 was #QuincePartner, with $4.8M EMV. What’s more, the hashtag came out on top by a wide margin:
This is a great sign, as it shows that the brand is tapping into its network of affiliated creators, rather than relying on #ad or #spon content. What’s more, the brand’s other top hashtags clearly demonstrate the areas where Quince is popular: all things cozy and decor-related.
Of Quince’s $19.3M EMV haul from June 2023 to May 24, $13.9M EMV (72%) came from creators who hadn't posted about Quince during the prior 12-month period (June 2022 to May 2023). The brand's top EMV-driver, again by a wide margin, was home and lifestyle creator Chelsea Alysa (@groundedinneutral on Instagram), who powered $1.5M EMV via 81 posts after not mentioning Quince previously.
By building fresh partner networks with new creators, Quince popped up on the radar of a wider audience than ever before.
As seen below, Quince kicked into high gear in fall 2023, when its partner community began participating in campaigns oriented around cozy fall clothes and decor. The same community is now running spring-themed campaigns, underscoring Quince's seasonality.
Mark my words: it’s no coincidence that Quince hit its stride during Cozy Season! After all, consider the brand’s namesake:
Like UGG before it, this blog series is committed to bringing you the best in fall-and-spring-friendly brands. Personally, I’ll be curious to see whether Quince can keep its momentum going into the summer, swapping out cashmere for silk.
You didn’t really think I’d get away without mentioning it, did you? Of course everybody’s favorite app got in on the fun for Quince. While TikTok contributed just $2.5M EMV relative to Instagram's $16.4M EMV, TikTok was responsible for seven of the brand's top 10 EMV-driving pieces of content, underscoring the platform's viral potential for product-based campaigns. In all, Quince saw a 437% YoY surge in its TikTok total, exceeding its impressive 386% YoY growth in Instagram EMV. So to be clear, Quince is doing just fine across all platforms—but TikTok does deserve a shoutout.
Long story short, it looks like we’re all going to continue seeing Quince everywhere. Just remember that, at least for some of you, it all started here.
To get all of these stories, plus much more, delivered to your inbox weekly, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter.