Every semester we ask our students for brands they are following in an effort to learn more about what’s outside our bubble. While we always get some of the understandable, there is always a more massive group of companies they care about, engage with and follow that we learn about…or even brands…Stanley Tools for example…who are growing by smartly engaging with a women’s audience now. The one most mentioned this fall? ON Running, which is included in the first ten we highlight (we will do a second ten as well…there were over 35 brands that were identified as on the radar). Below are the first ten in alpha order, with their notes and highlights as to why.
DedCool is a growing fragrance brand launched in 2016 that focuses on modernizing the fragrance industry and caters to consumers’ individuality. DedCool promotes being fully vegan and carbon-neutral, which are both important to consumers looking to support sustainable brands. DedCool became available at select retail stores in 2018 and more recently launched at Sephora in August 2022. Most of the lifestyle products from DedCool are still found only online on the DedCool website or retailers like Sephora.com. I think the biggest thing that needs to change in order for DedCool to be even more successful is having these lifestyle products more accessible to be shopped in person. The brand went viral for their gender neutral, “second skin” fragrances called Milk and Xtra Milk. Although they are best known for their fragrances, they make each of their best-selling scents in many more products, such as candles, lotions, laundry detergent, linen spray, and that’s just to name a few. DedCool should build on their brand story in wanting individuals to have a “signature scent that extends beyond a glass bottle”
Denim Tears was founded in 2019 by designer and aesthete Tremaine Emory, each Denim Tears collection tells a story, revealing what the brand’s founder calls the African Diaspora. Denim Tears can deepen its brand narrative by integrating more stories that celebrate the African diaspora, such as blog posts or video content that highlights cultural history and influences on fashion. They should also expand storytelling via collections: creating themed collections that represent different aspects of the African diaspora can help articulate a broader narrative. Each collection could tell a specific story or pay homage to historical events or figures. In order to fully dive into this campaign, the company should select the appropriate model from the specific diaspora region. This will help develop the brand’s narrative of authenticity and build community spaces. Additionally, capitalizing on interactive campaigns provides a significant growth opportunity. Denim Tears should also begin launching interactive campaigns that invite customers to share their own connections to the diaspora, perhaps through art or fashion. This can create a rich tapestry of customer engagement that enhances the brand’s narrative. Additionally it gives opportunities for those outside of the diaspora to interact and engage with the brand.
Erewhon. The high-end grocery store has become more than just a place to buy food; it has become a cultural status symbol. With celebrity smoothie collabs and its integration into the Los Angeles lifestyle, Erewhon has created a narrative about health, exclusivity, and influence. Their next move should be to expand this cultural cachet into broader partnerships, maybe even athlete-driven wellness products or recovery-focused collaborations. If they tell that story right, they can position themselves not just as a grocery store, but as a lifestyle brand that defines modern health culture.
Honey Stinger. Honey Stinger is another popular brand among endurance athletes, with the promise of providing a blend of natural ingredients – yes, including honey – to fuel performance. To continue growing, I believe Honey Stinger should focus on expanding its brand community and its reputation as a fueling product for everyone, not just athletes. To be fair, the brand has already done a lot of this through its work beyond professional athlete partnerships: it has a college ambassador program along with The Hive, a newsletter with 350,000+ subscribers that gives subscribers discounts, early access, and giveaways. I think it can take the next step, though, by promoting its products to youth/rec sports and working on grassroots community building, not just athletes in college and beyond. Honey Stinger already has the slogan ‘trusted by athletes, made for you’ and I believe it can lean into that storytelling angle by integrating at the local level, promoting its products for everyday use, and encouraging UGC. The brand gets a ton of engagement from users, and a lot of people make Blank Street content on their own. I have been working there since May, and half the customers who come in the store whip their phones out and record or take pictures. People post photos and reviews of their drinks in addition to videos of stores and merchandise. I’m curious to see how Blank Street can leverage the organic content produced by social media users. They could potentially offer rewards or free drinks for reaching certain levels of engagement on Blank Street tagged posts.
LMNT. LMNT was founded in 2018 and built on one premise: providing a simple, proprietary blend of electrolytes to fuel hydration for athletes. LMNT is community-driven; it primarily relies on expert endorsements and partnerships with high-reach influencers and content creators (I came across it on a podcast). However, it is still a pretty niche product used primarily by endurance athletes. To broaden its appeal, I think that LMNT should work to expand its athlete partnerships, signing on more mainstream athletes, as they have done with Bradley Beal. Yes, the company has tried to create a narrative around everyday use for people who are fasting, low-carb, or low on electrolytes, but I think it is expanded reach through more diverse athlete partnerships and endorsements, along with promoting user-generated content from everyday users, that will allow it to grow at scale.
Lola Blankets. Lola Blankets has branded itself as a lifestyle and premium comfort brand, and has capitalized on influencer marketing and activations. In November 2024, Lola Blankets partnered with the Utah Jazz as their Official Blanket Partner. This partnership included co-branded products and in-arena activations. Given that Lola Blankets was founded in Utah and has a large demand there, it was an extremely strategic partnership. Utah Jazz fans and Lola Blanket consumers seem to overlap in geography, their interests, and their lifestyles. Other partnerships with now-national brands that originated in Utah, such as Crumbl, Simply Protein, and Aptive, are effective partnerships for both the Jazz and the brands. Lola Blankets has also partnered with the pop group LANY and a large array of influencers. However, adding more sports franchises to their portfolio will be an opportunity for extreme reach and growth, especially as a brand that seems to have the funds to do these partnerships due to their accelerated growth. Partnering with teams in California, New York, and Washington where fans could be interested in lifestyle and premium comfort products could allow the brand to grow even more.
Olipop focuses on the health benefits trend consumers want in their everyday products. Olipop has benefits such as prebiotics, fiber, and low sugar. TikTok has powered its success, with users calling the brand a fun alternative to traditional drinks. Olipop lives off the wellness trend and has made an actual tasty product. Strategic taste launches could help Olipop continue to keep its trendy and cool narrative, as well as its healthy narrative.
ON Running. Started in Switzerland in 2010 and quickly gained recognition for its innovative CloudTec cushioning technology. What began as a niche performance running shoe grew into one of the fastest-rising sportswear brands globally. Roger Federer’s 2019 investment and subsequent ambassador role boosted both visibility and credibility, opening the door for ON to expand into tennis and lifestyle fashion. By 2025, ON reported more than 47% direct-to-consumer growth in a single quarter and a continued push into apparel alongside footwear. Its distribution now spans major global markets, and it is increasingly seen as a premium challenger to Nike and Adidas. ON’s opportunity is to prove it can scale without diluting its premium, Swiss-engineered identity. To make sure the fast growth doesn’t hurt the identity of the brand.
Salomon has become a brand to watch due to the footwear being combined with performance, comfort, and aesthetic appeal. Salomon has moved from outdoor function overshadowing street fashion. The company allows customers to use the same shoe for everyday and outdoor activities. Salomon products emphasize lifestyle wellness and active trends. Fashion influencer partnerships will help establish the brand as functional but cool. This will help truly drive awareness to consumers who value convenience, functionality, and wellness.
Swig is a restaurant chain founded in Utah that specializes in “dirty sodas.” Dirty sodas are traditional sodas that include added cream, flavor shots, and more to enhance the soda experience. Swig currently communicates its product(s) to a younger female audience, as seen on its Instagram page and the faces the company markets on the platform (Instagram, 2025). As the company expands, its communications strategy needs to incorporate the younger male audience as well. Starting in Utah as a trial, I propose that Swig partner with one (or both) of the Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth by opening a location at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. This plan can build a connection between men’s sports (predominantly male audience) with younger men. The return on investment would be increased male customer share, gameday sales boosts, and brand differentiation against beverage giants like Starbucks/Dunkin. Swig has 141 locations with more on the horizon; a strengthened communications strategy can help them surge in an untapped marketspace.
Learn anything? I sure did.
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