And the best part? They're leaving breadcrumbs everywhere if you're smart enough to pick them up.
Here's how the big dogs are eating, and exactly how you can eat too no excuses.
Glossier isn't just posting product shots. They're reposting you. Your bathroom selfies. Your TikToks. Your “I woke up like this” unboxings. That's the game. That's UGC user-generated content and it's scaling their trust without spending a cent on new assets.
How You Steal This:
Example: Bakery owner? Push #SweetTreatsBy[YourBrand] like it's your job. Repost every sugar-dusted muffin selfie like it's gold. It is.
Madewell isn't trying to win the entire planet in one post. They're zoning in city by city, slang by slang. Atlanta gets a different vibe than Portland. They run pop-ups, collabs, and hometown love that feels tailored.
How You Steal This:
Example: You own a coffee shop in Austin? Post a reel that says, “This latte's hotter than Sixth Street in July,” and watch people lose it.
Wendy's is a content troll in the best way. They drop Remix Reels that challenge fans, roast competitors, and get people involved. It's not polished it's reactive, chaotic, human.
How You Steal This:
Example: You run a gym? Post a Reel: “Bet you can't do 5 of these without dying. Remix it.” Hashtag it #FitWith[YourBrand]. People will jump in for fun and clout.
Gymshark doesn't need to flex their creators do it for them. Trainers, lifestyle influencers, everyday beasts they make the content, Gymshark just amplifies. That's distribution without burnout.
How You Steal This:
Example: Skincare brand? Find a beauty blogger who's actually into clean ingredients and shoot a video of their routine your serum in their hands. Boom.
Ben & Jerry's has always been loud about what they stand for. In 2025? They're even louder. They use Instagram to talk climate, racial justice, labor rights. It's not just ice cream it's identity.
How You Steal This:
Example: You make reusable home goods? Drop a series on single-use plastic waste. Not preachy real. Invite your audience to post how they reuse your stuff. Build values into your brand DNA.
Chanel just dropped multiple Jennie posts that blew up. Gucci pulled $24M in earned media during Fashion Week. Why? Not because they're pretty. Because they're cinematic, timed, and human.
How You Steal This:
Example: Jewelry shop? Announce your new line with a teaser Reel, followed by a “launch party” Story takeover. Rope in someone with reach, even if it's 2K followers who actually love your stuff.
Shopify posts educational carousels. Oreo's dropping dumb-funny Reels that go viral. And they both absolutely flood their Stories. Why? Because different content types = different hooks. And attention is the game.
How You Steal This:
Example: Pet supply shop? Daily Stories on pet tips. Reels with ridiculous dog content. Carousels that teach you how to wash a husky without dying.
Madewell tags products in everything posts, Stories, Reels. They know their followers want to buy fast. They don't bury the link. They put the store in your scroll.
How You Steal This:
Example: Home decor biz? Post a cozy Reel of your candle in a moody apartment scene. Tag the candle. Say, “Link's right here. Smell optional.”
Let Me Be Brutally Honest
You don't need a freaking marketing degree. You need to start. You need to post 100 times. Make 19 of them terrible. Make 4 of them pop. Learn. Keep going. That's the blueprint.
And if you're still whining about “not knowing what to post”… scroll back up and reread this until your battery dies.
TL;DR But Like, the Real Kind
No more waiting. No more “someday.” You have the tools. You have the brand. You have this playbook.
Now run it like your business depends on it (because it does).
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