In 2009, 18-year-old Amanda Zuckerman was shopping for college bedroom furniture with her mother Karen when “[they] “They were really surprised to find that XL style bedding and everything you need to dress and organize a small space didn’t really exist, and it wasn’t sold in one place,” he said. So, during Bed Bath & Beyond. , the two decided to design their own bedding line. of the dorm room.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dormify. Amanda Zuckerman, left; Karen Zuckerman, right.
Flash forward to Zuckerman’s sophomore year of college, and Dormify was officially born. The mother daughter team launched a blog about college life and dorm decorating. Zuckerman’s friends contributed as writers, eventually growing a large network of brand ambassadors who provided “proofs of concept” in a time long before social media filled that gap. Print-to-order posters were the company’s first product line.
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Despite not raising a lot of money right off the bat, as was common with direct-to-consumer products at the time, the small space decorating business that Zuckerman started in his bedroom would turn into a multi-million dollar company thanks to its “down-to-earth tactics.” Dormify hosted trunk shows so people could interact with the brand, “much like Tupperware parties back in the day,” Zuckerman said. Ultimately, those efforts led to the emergence of seasonal and retail partnerships in more than 200 stores.
“It’s difficult because we have a new customer every year.”
Of course, as Dormify passed ten years in business, its core customer base evolved with it — from millennials to Gen Z. “It’s tough because we have a new customer every year,” Zuckerman said. “So it’s not just getting them and continuing to grow that customer. It’s getting a new customer every year.”
When it comes to catering to Gen Z, business owners should not underestimate the importance of social media. Not only has this experience been key to Dormify’s growth over the years, but it also gives the company a valuable direct line to its current customers. However, like all brands, Dormify must be patient and strategic in all of its social channels to win over Gen Z.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dormify
Related: Gen Z Don’t Care About Your Billboards – They Care About Authenticity. Here’s How Business Leaders Can Earn Gen Z’s Trust and Loyalty.
“With all communication with the Gen Z consumer, who we’re talking to, not their parents, [it’s essential] engaging authentically and providing products, content [and] advice that really benefits them,” said Zuckerman.
“It’s not just about selling them a product that you’re going to put in their place. It’s about making them feel comfortable.”
That means striking a balance between accessibility and authority, according to the founder.
“We want this audience to think of us as a big sister,” explained Zuckerman, “and that’s how we’ve branded it. So it’s not just about selling them a product to put in their place. It’s about making them feel comfortable. In this transition to college it’s about helping them think about what challenges they have to face, such as living with a stranger or leaving home for the first time.
Related: 5 Ways Gen Z Is Different From Millennials That You Should Consider When Developing Your Business
Gen Z is exposed to endless choices every day, bombarded with marketing and ads when they scroll through Instagram or TikTok, so brands must avoid appearing “sales-y” if they want to be successful, Zuckerman said.
Dormify prioritizes entertainment, educational content and community building on its social channels over revenue and sales games. In fact, according to Zuckerman, it is a mistake to rely on revenue as the main indicator of the performance of social media at all.
“If that influencer is putting out tons of sponsored content, this audience is more informed than that.”
Additionally, Zuckerman notes that while some brands have the ability to find influencers that drive customer acquisition, others miss the mark in that regard.
“There are a lot of companies that don’t understand what Gen Z wants and think that hiring or paying an influencer will generate sales or communication or loyalty to the company,” explained Zuckerman, “but if that source is putting out tons of sponsored content, this audience is more informed than that.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dormify
Related: Traditional Marketing Doesn’t Work for Gen-Z and Millennials. Here’s What You Should Do Instead.
Dormify gives its interns and consultants “a lot of freedom and autonomy” to run the company’s channels as they see fit. “We’re not overreacting,” Zuckerman said. “We let them do what they think will work, what they want to do. It’s a lot of trial and error. Having too many constraints in the communication channel can lead to bad interactions.”
According to Zuckerman, Dormify boasts an engagement rate of over 8% across all of its social channels, which is significantly better than the retail industry average. In June 2024, the average retail industry engagement ranged from .59% (TikTok) to 1.62% (Instagram), depending on the platform, per data from social media performance engine Hootsuite.
“I’m excited to continue to change the way we communicate with our customers.”
Dormify also faces the challenge of connecting with Gen Z consumers as a seasonal business. The key is to continue to grow with its customers — for example, tracking when those first-year college students designing their dorms become adults who need diploma frames. The company also keeps in mind its target audience: tweens who decorate their bedrooms or campers who decorate their banks.
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“I’m excited to continue to expand the product,” Zuckerman said, “and I’m excited to continue to change the way we communicate with our customers and do things differently than most companies out there.”
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