Georgina Wilson, Martine Cajucom and Bea Soriano are not just the country’s most gorgeous it-girls, they are also known for being business-savvy as evident in their very successful lifestyle brand- Sunnies Studios. An instant hit among stylish millennials, Sunnies Studios sunglasses and prescription eyeglasses have become statement-making accessories for the cool crowd. While its sister brand, Sunnies Cafe, has become the ultimate breakfast to cocktails go-to spot in the metro.
Sunnies Studios started out with the vision of offering impeccable unisex sunglasses and rad specs, with on-trend and vintage-inspired frames patterned from the styles of the legendary decades. Ranging from impressive cat eyes to mirrored aviators, Sunnies Studios’ unique eyewear collections elevate one’s style to a whole new level of chic.
Today, Sunnies Studios has more than 70 physical stores nationwide, and is even catering to global customers from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, United States and Vietnam through its website. Sunnies Cafe, on the other hand, has four branches, strategically located in the hippest locations in Manila.
From branding, marketing and practical operations, here are some pieces of business advice you can apply into your biz from these style visionaries:
- Listen to what your target market wants.
Sunnies Studios originated from its mother brand Charlie Apparel in 2011. Owned by Bea Soriano and husband Eric Dee, Charlie Apparel sold clothing, shoes and accessories for men and women at no more than a thousand bucks, and it rivaled popular high street brands in terms of trends and quality. The couple noticed that Charlie Apparel store’s sunglasses were selling like pancakes.
“Our sunglasses in Charlie Apparel at the time were in two acrylic boxes only, yet 70% of our total sales were acquired from our shades alone. Imagine, in a 40-square meter store full of all kinds of clothing, bags, belts and shoes, we were getting most of the sales from our sunglasses segment. And so we thought, there you go! There’s a business opportunity right there!” Bea Soriano beamed.
Don’t be afraid to focus your entrepreneurial energies on one product segment of your brand that is proven to gain revenues. Listen to what your clientele loves, and work on improving that product.
- Partner with people who believe in your vision.
“When Eric and I decided to focus on our sunglass product segment, we knew we had to partner with creative and hardworking people who share the same vision with us. One thing I had learned from Charlie Apparel is to get a bigger team, ” said Bea. “We knew exactly what to do with Sunnies because of Charlie Apparel. With Charlie Apparel, Eric and I used to do everything for ourselves- from marketing, visual merchandising, operations to finance. When we started to build Sunnies Studios, we knew any goal could be done with the right people.”
Charlie Apparel was successfully converted into Sunnies Studios when the two partnered with Georgina Wilson and Martine Cajucom. Martine, a former LA-based head creative for international clothing brand American Apparel, assumed the creative director post while her cousin Georgina, the country’s most sought-after supermodel and social media star, became director of marketing.
“The key to materializing your business plan successfully is to partner with people who have the same passion and vision as yours,” Bea shared.
- Good and authentic branding really pays off.
“We wanted to present the brand as an ‘affordable luxury’. It is affordable for other people, attainable for some, while it is aspirational for most,” Georgina said. “We just go with what feels right, so you could say that the brand is really intuitive and a non-traditional brand. We don’t want to sacrifice the branding and imagery of the brand just because we sell it at affordable prices. We want the brand to convey messages, even though our items are sold at affordable prices. That’s one of our key visions, to create something that is beautiful yet affordable.”
If you’d shop Sunnies pieces in its online and physical stores, you can eye a very consistent feel from the sunglasses. The styles are current, yet not following any trends. Also, the brand’s visual aesthetics in its marketing platforms, be it in social media or billboards along EDSA, have the same retro yet fashion-forward vibe.
Follow through with what feels right in terms of your brand imagery and brand positioning so you can have loyal customers who can consistently associate with your brand. This way, your clientele can grow with your business too. “We let the brand evolve, and we always let it grow based on what we feel is right. We don’t have frigid guidelines on how the brand should be, yet we make sure that our imagery as a brand is topnotch,” Georgina said.
- Take advantage of the social media.
Before Sunnies opened its first store in Mall of Asia in 2013, the it-girls first secured a huge following of their brand on Instagram.
“We were really fortunate to use the social media at the right time. Sunnies was one of the first brands in the country to showcase its items on Instagram, so it was so organic. At the time, people were really posting things because they wanted to, and not because they were paid to do so. So you can say that the feedback of the market was really authentic, and the fandom began, ” Martine shared.
Sunnies Studios first showcased its products through IG in January 2013 and opened its first kiosk in September that year. They recognized the power of its social media following as the culprit to its success.
“We are very receptive to comments and feedback and we make sure that we answer each and every comment on Instagram and other social media accounts. Before, we would post updates ourselves. Today, we have a team that handles our social media accounts. But everything goes through us still. We make sure we see everything,” said Martine.
- Think international.
With the power of social media, your company can be noticed and seen by people from literally all parts of the world. And the Sunnies it-girls knew that.
“We’ve always had an international vision for the brand. Personally, I don’t believe in local and international branding anymore, especially in the age of social media, “ Georgina said. “Our brand just naturally talks to the world as it is an inevitable global brand, with a voice speaking to clients in terms of creativity and style,” said Georgina.
Expand your business revenue platforms by keeping your global market in mind. Be strategic in catering to their needs too by managing your online store and social media platforms to your international advantage. Be it shipping services, or having an easily-navigated website, be open to offering your products or services to the world.
- Do not be afraid to do the dirty work.
“In the beginning, the four of us did what fifteen people should be doing, and that’s part of the sacrifice when you have your own business. But because we really want to invest in this business, we really did the dirty work ourselves. We really focused on our vision- for the brand to be everywhere,” said Georgina. “Up to now, even if we started from a small team to now a medium- sized company, we still work hard,” Georgina shared.
“Be prepared to sacrifice a lot. But keep in mind that it is also rewarding and so fulfilling. Business is truly like having a child, you just never stop thinking about it. Create things that you like, that you would wear and use, that you would be really be proud of, ” said Georgina.