Emma Chamberlain has cemented herself as one of the most relevant trend-setters of Gen Z. Starting her YouTube channel at just 16 years old, she blew up within a few months and created an image that was desirable to young girls around the world.
Known for her honest and relatable content, Emma has always shared the real parts of her life, from her unique fashion sense to her obsession with coffee. The jackets, hairstyles, and iced latte orders of teenage girls reflected Chamberlain all throughout the late 2010s as she took the internet by storm.
As her career grew, rather than stray from her interests to make a profit, Chamberlain decided to market herself by building upon the brand she had already created for herself. Now at 23 years old, Chamberlain is an ambassador for Louis Vuitton, a successful podcaster, and the founder of her own coffee brand, aptly titled, Chamberlain Coffee.
Her ventures have proven to be massively successful, mainly due to her authenticity and the creative direction she has taken with her brand.
One of the techniques her brand has leaned into is shock factor, or rather the ability to get others talking. Just a few months ago, Chamberlain Coffee launched a collaboration with 818 Tequila, Kendall Jenner’s alcohol brand. To many, this collaboration was unexpected, which is exactly what drew such massive attention to it.
Jenner and Chamberlain have overlapping demographics, mainly young women, who were excited or at the very least interested, in seeing how they collaborated. The result was an espresso martini created using their respective brands, The collaboration was incredibly unique as a whole and the specific idea of using an espresso martini only added to it, due to the online trendiness of the beverage.
She also adds a personal touch to her campaigns that allows consumers to feel connected to her. Chamberlain often models in official photos and acts in videos for their social media campaigns. For example, using childhood photos in a campaign further the illusion of closeness to her as a creator. Being authentic and personable, although often online, has been essential to her effectiveness as a businesswoman.
Another aspect of her successful marketing has been her ability to remain relevant to the current culture. This past summer, everything, and I mean everything, was about the Paris Olympics. I mean, how could it not be? A worldwide event is a primetime for marketing of all sorts across the board.
Knowing this, Chamberlain and her team leaned into the trends by launching a limited edition ‘coffee for champions travel cold cup’. Playing into the theme, Chamberlain dressed as a vintage gymnast with a leotard, tights, sweatbands, and a gold medal, while repping the American red, white, and blue aesthetic.
If you asked a viewer in 2018 to describe Emma Chamberlain in one word, I’d bet that word would be “relatable”. But how can she be relatable in 2024? When she’s at Paris Fashion Week with Louis Vuitton one week and modeling for her coffee brand the next, it’s hard to remain in touch with your fan-base.
Due to her massive lifestyle change, she has had to shift her content slightly, to what feels the most natural to her, as well as to her audience. As she has grown, she has acknowledged that so has her viewers.
Her social media accounts remain candid despite the way her life has changed over the years. Her Instagram account is casual, her YouTube still boasts her lazy days in bed, and her podcast documents the struggles she still continues to have with mental health.
The secret behind her prosperous career can be boiled down to one word: authenticity. Chamberlain is as honest and true to herself as she has always presented online. Chasing her passions and expanding upon them has served her in more ways than one. Her involvement in these ventures has created a community where her fans feel as if they not only know her but trust her, which is the key to a successful business.
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