Meet the Muse: @choupettesdiary

Her Instagram profile (@choupettesdiary) is boasted with over 90K followers, while her Twitter account has an equally impressive 51K followers. Ashley Tschudin, the creative mastermind behind Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette Lagerfeld, tells MuseFind about the immense positive response and unparalleled thrill of starting the social media profiles for the infamous character.

How would you describe your Instagram?

@choupettesdiary gives an exclusive glimpse into Choupette’s lavish lifestyle, including what she likes and does not like. Although ironically, it initially started as a satire. Instagram is where she can brag about the brands she loves that’s obviously influenced by Daddy Karl.

How did you get started with Instagram?

Choupette’s Instagram is the ultimate reflection of the gradual progression that the other social profiles have had over the last couple years. Choupette’s Diary actually started when I was featured at Fashionista, mentioning about the satire behind Choupette’s life. In an instant, I got viral on Twitter because the satire piece that I wrote gained viral traction within the same day.

If you think about it, nobody ever raised an eyebrow about the luxurious life that this cat is spoiled with. Simply because of the fact that Choupette is a cat. Whereas for actual fashionistas, they are more readily subjected with stereotypes of being vacuous and vain. So it really was Twitter that enabled me to even ‘win’ on Instagram now.

How long ago did you create your account?

I started to join Twitter in 2012. Immediately following my first tweet as Choupette, Karl Lagerfeld’s personal assistant DM-ed me on Twitter to find out who I was. At first, I expected him to ask me to shut down the account or reported me. It turns out that the Chanel team was more than happy to let me continue as long as it was conducted in good taste.

With my Instagram, it only started to grow as quickly only from last year, which I think is when Instagram reached their peak.

When did you start getting so many followers?

To be honest, it was actually within a day as soon as I got viral on Twitter. There was a lot of press surrounding Choupette, so that really drove the organic following that I received. The tried-and-true formula to increase your social media followers quickly is with regular content posting.

But for Choupette’s, I actually still get followers every day even when I don’t post something — mainly thanks to the coverage from the press.

Did you often use hashtag to gain traction?

Yes, of course for some posts as a general purpose for tagging. But more often I cross promote content between my Twitter and Instagram.

What do you think influencers should avoid doing?

Influencers should never partner with brand that does not align with their personal brand. Followers are increasingly becoming more savvy. Since the value of influencer marketing lies behind its authenticity, it is critical for influencers to be able to maintain that credibility.

How do you think can brand find the right influencer?

First of all, do not focus solely on the numbers, especially followers number. Not only can followers be ‘puchased,’ but the level of engagement is also more important. So, brands can measure the ratio of comments and likes to their followers, and if the ratio is off, then they can raise some question marks. As influencer marketing starts to get bigger, brands need to focus more on finding influencers that truly reflect their brand’s story well.

Do you have any personal social media strategy you’d like to share?

For me, it’s about maintaining content balance of organic (original content) and influencer partnerships. I also recognize that I have different audience on the different channels that I am on, so it’s about how I cater my content differently for those niche audiences. What I post on the blog and Instagram are different than what I tweet from day to day.

What companies would you want to work with in the future?

Chanel, of course. Since it is the brand that really speaks for Karl as the creative director.

La Mer. As a luxury beauty brand, it aligns perfectly with the lavish lifestyle that Choupette is all embraced in.

Do you have any advice for other IG users?

Find a niche that has not been tapped into. Because of the number of traffic that is already growing right now, it definitely is challenging for one to stand out unless you can really distinguish your own brand.

How has Instagram improved or affected your growth?

The Instagram community is amazing! Choupette would not be where it is today without the continuous support of the followers. Even though there are more platforms that pop out everyday and everybody wants to hop on the bandwagon, Instagram seems to have a longevity as a social platform.

Who are some of your favorite Instagrammers?

@voguemagazineUK, @karllagerfeld, @irisapfel_

Anything else you’d like to share? Any interesting stories?

Hmm.. I’ve got lots but here’s a good one! So this was back then when I was still working for Fashion Unfiltered. I, along with other editors, was about to interview Katy Perry. Before the interview started, Perry asked all the editors in the room to introduce ourselves. When my turn came, I told them that I wrote for Fashion Unfiltered and also runs the social media profiles for Choupette. It got Katy Perry so excited so she started interviewing me instead! It was hilarious.

This overall experience of running Choupette’s profile has been definitely thrilling. I get to meet celebrities and VIP in the fashion industry and there have been so many WOW moments. It’s been an incredible journey.

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