The Power of Culture and Branding with My Little Paris Cofounder Celine Orjubin
My Little Paris was created in 2008 by four women in their mid-twenties with two goals in mind. They wanted to create a product that they themselves would enjoy and they wanted it to go viral! Sisters Fany & Amandine Pechiodat, Anne-Flore Chapellier & Celine Orjubin started a newsletter of hidden gems in Paris to share with their friends. The first issue was sent to 50 people and featured a florist who made cocktails with flower infused liquor. They now count over 4 million subscribers and and their monthly box subscription My Little Box accounts for for roughly 60% of their more than 50 million in revenue.
So how did four young women with no experience and no money create such a successful business? They realized the power of the brand of Paris and they tell unique stories about Parisian culture in a charming and poetic way that captivates their audience. As they grew, they found that many of their subscribers may not live in Paris or may never visit, but they love receiving the stories of Parisian secrets in their inbox. Another key to the charm of the brand is the hand drawn illustration from Japanese born artist Kanako Kuno. Her illustrations add a more personal and human feel to the newsletter, website and apps.
“At a time when digital was very cold, I guess this human touch is something that people really felt. And we haven’t changed since then.”
The My Little Paris brand focuses on 3 main components:
- Spotters to find and create unique content, whether it’s restaurants or other cool spots no one knows about. The MLP team ignores the daily briefing all journalists receive & seeks to make their own unique discoveries to share with their audience.
- The power of insights: What will people say when they talk about your content? My Little Paris really know their audience. The newsletter began when the founders were in their mid twenties and they’ve found their audience has grown alongside with them. As the founders are now in their mid thirties, so are the majority of their subscribers. The average customer of My Little Box however are women between 25–30 years old and users of the app tend to be 15–25. Using these insights, My Little Paris can create content directly for each audience.
- Just in time: the right moment makes it resonate more. They precisely time their content, like sending a newsletter Sunday at midnight called “I cannot go to sleep”which will feature the best new relaxation podcast or sheep counting technique. They may send the “Monday Morning Rush,” complete with excuses to give your boss why you’re going to be late. The timing of the message can be just as impactful as its content.
Community and partnerships
Since 40% of My Little Paris’ revenue comes from media and branded content, it’s important to keep their own voice as to not alienate their community, which they value as their most important asset by far. As not to flood their community with advertising, a maximum of 1 out of 3 newsletters will be sponsored and if they agree to work with a brand, they must be able to do so in their own voice.
Their first client, Dior, had specific guidelines for the launch of a new perfume. The MLP team did not think it would be particularly interesting to their readership unless it was written in their words and drawn in Kanako’s style. Dior initially refused, but came back around and that was the beginning of My Little Paris’ signature branded content that doesn’t make their reader feel they’re being sold to. They have since done successful campaigns with many top brands like Hermes and Urban Decay.
My Little Box
“What people are looking for in the box is Paris. It’s really the brand Paris that they want to try.”
In October of 2011, inspired by receiving packages, the team decided to create a box full of Parisian charm and goodies that their community could have delivered to their homes. With only 12 weeks until Christmas, and the holidays accounting for 40–50% of box business, they set a goal of creating 2,000 boxes to be sold for that holiday season. Those 2,000 boxes sold out in 45 minutes. They increased production and the next month 10,000 boxes sold out in 24 hours. Today My Little Box accounts for 60% of My Little Paris’ revenue to subscribers in France, the UK, Japan, and Germany.
“My Little Box is like a 3D magazine that you receive. Birchbox will not do that.”
With only €20 in ads on Facebook, this video advertising My Little Box received over 3 million views in 2 hours and over 28.5million views to date! Subscriptions to the newsletter and the box skyrocketed overnight. Many YouTube vloggers have also featured My Little Box in popular unboxing videos, which also greatly boosted sales.
Mobile Apps
Mobile was initially a big challenge for My Little Paris. The first app failed because it was essentially a reproduction of the newsletter, which was just as easily read in email. They hired someone from Groupon and rebranded My Little App as Tapage, which suggests one unique idea per day and so far has seen much better results. They have also diversified into a variety of apps focused on beauty, emojis, restaurants and bars, an app for men, and one for meditation. Each of these apps has a team of focused content creators.
An Inspiring Company Culture
My Little Paris thrives as a company because they aim to keep an inspiring environment for their employees. “Creative people need a creative environment,” according to Orjubin. They organize a team “Creative Morning” once a month and a “Mega lab” once every two months in a theater, where each team member shares an experience, book, or inspiring idea. Each team member also has unlimited Amazon account, where they can buy as many books as they like for inspiration. When My Little Paris was acquired by the group Au Feminin in 2013, they were given complete autonomy, because it was understood how valuable authenticity is to a brand who’s community is its largest asset. Many other businesses can take a lesson from this team on the importance of company culture in consistently creating a product that delights their customers. Keep up the good work!
See the slides from Celine’s presentation here.
