Harper Wilde's Jenna Kerner and Jane Fisher: 'Our North Star is to be the next market leader in intimates'
The Glossy Podcast · with Jenna Kerner and Jane Fisher · August 31, 2022 · 39 min
Summary
Harper Wilde's co-founders explain how they built a thriving intimate apparel brand by focusing on community and crowdsourcing feedback. This episode reveals their strategies for differentiating in a crowded market through high-quality, size-inclusive products and their vision for becoming the market leader. Essential listening for DTC founders looking to build a loyal customer base and scale their brand.
Key takeaways
Community building is crucial for early-stage DTC success; Harper Wilde leveraged it from day one for product development and brand advocacy.
Crowdsourcing customer feedback is a powerful tool for product innovation and ensuring market fit, especially for nuanced products like intimates.
Differentiate in crowded markets by focusing on superior product quality, material research, and addressing underserved customer needs like size inclusivity.
Strategically expand sales channels from online DTC to curated retail partnerships (e.g., Nordstrom) to reach new customer segments.
Define a clear 'North Star' vision for market leadership and consistently use it to guide product expansion and business growth beyond initial offerings.
According to co-founders and co-CEOs Jenna Kerner and Jane Fisher, Harper Wilde, the intimates brand they launched in 2017, would not be nearly as successful as it is if it weren’t for the community they built early on.
Kerner and Fisher launched the DTC bra brand after previously working together on a completely different brand following business school. Though the two had very little experience in the retail space, they knew there was an opportunity for a millennial intimates brand to launch and disrupt the industry.
Fast forward to 2022, and Harper Wilde has not only managed to foster a thriving community, but it has also differentiated itself in a crowded market — a feat not many brands are able to tout. To date, it’s leveraged through crowdsourcing and has created a high-quality product made of well-researched raw materials — and Harper Wilde has bigger milestones ahead. For example, the company is hoping to expand into new categories later this year. Currently, Harper Wilde’s online site is its primary shopping channel, but it also sells at Nordstrom in a few stores and online.
“Our North Star has always been to be the next market leader in intimates. There’s so much opportunity for us to continue to provide more silhouettes, more products and more sizes,” Kerner said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “[Our customer] is asking us for more than just bras and underwear. … Now that we have her size for the most difficult garments to make, there are a lot of opportunities for us to understand how we can make other garments that fit her incredibly well and are super soft.”
Community building is crucial for early-stage DTC success; Harper Wilde leveraged it from day one for product development and brand advocacy.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Crowdsourcing customer feedback is a powerful tool for product innovation and ensuring market fit, especially for nuanced products like intimates.
What does this episode say about product & merchandising?
Differentiate in crowded markets by focusing on superior product quality, material research, and addressing underserved customer needs like size inclusivity.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Strategically expand sales channels from online DTC to curated retail partnerships (e.g., Nordstrom) to reach new customer segments.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Define a clear 'North Star' vision for market leadership and consistently use it to guide product expansion and business growth beyond initial offerings.
