Illustration by Annelise Capossela/For The Washington Post; iStock
The Coachella ecosystem extends far beyond the official festival grounds, and no brand has capitalized on the space better than Revolve, a fashion retailer that is returning to the desert for the ninth Revolve Festival headlined by Don Toliver this year.
Unlike Coachella, you can’t just buy wristbands to Revolve’s event (though top buyers of the fashion retailer are invited), adding an extra degree of FOMO and exclusivity. Raissa Gerona, the chief brand officer of Revolve who leads creator strategy for the brand’s festival, shared with me how she and her team plan every detail for months and how they pick which creators get invited.
“I always know that it’s very close to Revolve Festival when my DMs are popping – it’s just like, ‘Hi, my name is; I’ve followed you for this; how can I get invited?’” she said.
The company’s entire brand marketing team of around 60 people have been planning this year’s Revolve Festival since late last summer – and would have started immediately after last year’s event if not for the fact that they are repeating venues. In addition, a production agency has already been on the ground for over a week building out the setup for this year’s “The Grand Revivre” themed event, Gerona said.
In her view, the relentless cold emails and messages from aspiring attendees are proof of the return on investment of Revolve’s creator-centric approach and how such events have helped the brand build its identity and convert content into actual site visitors and purchases.
“I read every single one and I’ll pass it to the team if I feel like it warrants … It’s very, very busy,” she said. “Someone who's like a senior in high school, who lives in middle America, is shooting their shot because they know about Revolve Festival? I'm a happy woman, this is what I want.”
Managers pitch brands on creators for Coachella partnerships up to a year out, knowing how small a roster will make the final cut. Gerona said that when it comes to their festival guest list, she and her team look for a creator’s legitimate “love for fashion and their style,” “their engagement and their community,” and “where their audience and where the creator is from.”
“It's quite calculated and making sure that we curate the right people – to first and foremost, make sure they're having a great time and they're representing the brand, but also, what are the subgoals of the business and making sure we have the right people to support those goals,” she said.
This story is part of Verified, a newsletter that is published by WP Creator, a new business outside The Washington Post’s newsroom that is focused on the creator economy and content partnerships with independent creators. Learn more about WP Creator.
