Introduction – About CASETiFY
CASETiFY was the first company to make custom phone cases by using Instagram photos when they were founded in 2011. This was the main focus of the company and what contributed to their initial and immediate success. Since then, the company has transitioned into selling a variety of electronic accessories, as well as retaining some of their customization services. Despite this shift, CASETiFY has only gotten bigger and is now the 3rd (2nd in the U.S.) largest tech accessories brand in the world. This article looks at what helped CASETiFY’s growth and how these factors keep the brand growing to this day.
Reason #1: Large Product Selection
CASETiFY is known for their phone cases. They sell phone cases for iPhones and Androids and have cases for every iPhone and Android model from the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S20 onwards. With older models, it is common for the selection to be very small as people are constantly upgrading their phones to newer models. CASETiFY’s phone case selection for older models is not small at all. They still have many options for older phones. This helps to not exclude customers who have older phones. They also sell cases for Airpods, iPads, and MacBooks, accessories, and lifestyle items. This large selection has helped CASETiFY shift away from being branded as “just a phone case brand” and attract customers looking for other products.
Reason #2: Customization Options
Another feature of CASETiFY that helps differentiate them from their competitors is their customization service. For all their products, they have customization options so that their customers can personalize their items. The customization options CASETiFY offers vary based on the item, device, and case. Some common options are the print/design of the case, the type of case, the case’s color, and the addition of text and photos. CASETiFY has thousands of designs to choose from and release new ones on a frequent basis. They also have multiple case types for each device. In terms of colors, they have clear, sheer, and matte colors with a variety of shades and tones. For cases that allow for the addition of text, one can choose their layout, font, and color. Typically, customers will use their names or initials as their text. As for photos, CASETiFY has photo grid cases where customers can choose their layout and upload photos from their Instagram, Facebook, or device. Offering customization does a great deal in helping CASETiFY customers feel connected to the brand because CASETiFY shows that they care about their customers’ thoughts and want them to play an active role in the buying process.
Reason #3: CASETiFY’s Quality
Are CASETiFY cases good?
It is mainly the quality and protection level that matters the most when choosing a case. Although the customization processes may make it look like CASETiFY only cares about the aesthetic value of their products, they do prioritize making cases and accessories that will actually protect devices. CASETiFY states that they make sure everything is drop-tested and quality assured before they have their in-house designers create designs. When looking at the features of the cases, they are said to be military-grade and two-layered. They raise the sides around the screen and the camera lenses to create bumpers that protect them if the device is dropped. Their cases vary in drop-test approved heights, but the average height is 6.6 feet or about 2 meters. What is also special about CASETiFY cases is that they are made out of qitech material. This qitech material is trademarked to CASETiFY and is essentially a material that distributes and absorbs shock well to protect devices. In reviews, CASETiFY cases are said to be heavy-duty yet still slim and overall highly-rated.
Are CASETiFY cases worth the money?
Prices for cases vary depending on a variety of factors. As a case brand, CASETiFY’s prices are in line with their competitors. Their phone cases range from $40-$85. Prices are based on the model and case type. Choosing colors and adding text are not additional costs. Overall, CASETiFY offers protection, style, and customization. When factoring in all of these aspects, a lot of people who have CASETiFY cases find them worth the money.
Reason #4: CASETiFY’s Collaborations
CASETiFY does release their own designs and collections but a large portion of their product selection comes from their collaborations.
Co-Lab
CASETiFY’s Co-Lab is the hub for all of the collaborations and partnerships CASETiFY has with brands, tv shows, movies, and celebrities. Some of their collaborations among many are with DHL, KFC, Vetements, Saint Laurent, SpongeBob, Squid Game, and Blackpink. By looking at some of these names, it may seem unexpected for them to collaborate with a phone case and electronic accessories brand, but that is what makes the collaborations fun and unexpected. One of their recent collaborations that did very well was with American singer-songwriter, Olivia Rodrigo. CASETiFY usually shoots the products as part of their campaigns, but for this collaboration, Olivia Rodrigo actually shot with the phone cases. Jillian Wheeler, CASETiFY’s creative director, said that it was the biggest shoot the brand has ever done. Collaborations like the one with Olivia Rodrigo are beneficial because CASETiFY taps into other audiences they may have not had access to on their own.
Artists
While Co-Lab collaborations bring in new audiences, CASETiFY introduces their audience to artists, designers, and illustrators because they care about giving smaller artists a platform. Some collaborations are with TARO OONO, Nathan Bennett, Marta Olga Klara, Kate Illustrates, and Anne Marie Coolick. They have these collaborations because according to CASETiFY, “There is so much talent and undiscovered creativity out there deserving of the spotlight. We’re not only about bringing something new to the table, but we want to share the heart behind it.” Artist collaborations function similarly to the collaborations held through CASETiFY’s Co-Lab.
Reason #6: Influencer Marketing via Social Media
As CASETiFY’s cases are visually appealing, people want to post them on social media, whether that is through mirror selfies or actually telling people about CASETiFY. The mirror selfies route is common on Instagram, while the sharing of CASETiFY is common on Tik Tok.
Celebrities, influencers, and everyday people will take mirror selfies where their phone case is clearly on display. CASETiFY has their brand name written around the camera lens, so it is easy to tell whether a phone case is from CASETiFY. Therefore, when people post mirror selfies that show their CASETiFY case, they are indirectly promoting the brand. This is what Kylie Jenner did with a CASETiFY mirror phone case. Kylie Jenner had reached out to the brand asking if she could try out their mirror phone cases, so they sent them to her. This was not an official sponsorship as Kylie Jenner and her team did not guarantee that they would post content of Kylie using the phone cases, but she did. Kylie Jenner is a top influencer with a large, worldwide reach, so her post had people asking where the phone case was from and finding out that it was from CASETiFY. The mirror phone case became very popular and started to be called the “Kylie Phone Case.” Along with posts about collection drops and collaborations, CASETiFY takes non-sponsored posts like Kylie Jenner’s and reposts them on their main Instagram @CASETiFY, which has 2.6 million followers.
Tik Tok
In addition to Instagram, CASETiFY’s cases gained popularity through Tik Tok because people were either purposefully or unintentionally showing off their phone cases in their videos. To let people know that their case is from CASETiFY, creators will either say it in the video or write it in the caption or comments of the Tik Tok. The #CASETiFY is also used in Tik Toks featuring the brand and currently has 1 billion views. CASETiFY has specific products that are popular on the app, which they acknowledge by having a whole “As Seen On Tik Tok” section on their website. One of those products was the photo grid case that is now labeled the “Tik Tok Case” on the website. By acknowledging the brand’s Tik Tok popularity on their website, CASETiFY makes it easy for users to locate the specific cases popular on the platform. They also let customers who were not aware of their Tik Tok popularity that their brand is approved by the mass of people on Tik Tok, which consequently boosts their reliability and reputation. CASETiFY also has their own Tik Tok account with 505.4k followers and 3.1 million likes. They post videos of influencers and customers using and showing off their CASETiFY cases.
Reason #7: CASETiFY’s Cause-Related Marketing
CASETiFY is vocal about a lot of world issues because they believe in standing up for personal beliefs and showing support for causes that affect them and their global community. Their activism is effective because it attracts customers who also support the causes they support and more importantly has a positive impact on the cause. CASETiFY organizes their activist activities into #CASETiFYProtects, #CASETiFYSustainability, and #CASETiFYCares.
#CASETiFYProtects
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, CASETiFY wanted to show their customers that they prioritize health and safety. In keeping with their brand, they released a “UV Sanitizer” that destroys the germs on the surface of phones. From March to April 2020, 100% of the proceeds from selling the UV sanitizers went directly to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund. They also started selling face masks and included free sanitizing wipes in every order. In addition to products, they also donated $100,000 to Coronavirus Relief and cloth masks to the Hemkunt Foundation and the Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council (NSWC) as both held COVID-19 relief efforts in India.
#CASETiFYSustainability
CASETiFY processes a lot of plastic in making cases, which is damaging to the environment. They are aware of this, which is why they have been taking steps to be more sustainable. One step was their creation of compostable cases. Because these cases are made out of a blend of biopolymers, starch, and bamboo, they are biodegradable and break down into carbon dioxide, water, and other naturally occurring minerals. CASETiFY’s compostable cases are the world’s first 100% biodegradable custom phone cases. In addition to compostable cases, they created a Re/CASETiFY line consisting of cases made out of old phone cases, manufacturing scraps, and plant-derived bio-plastics. These cases are called Crush cases because all of the materials are crushed together to create new ones.
#CASETiFYCares
CASETiFY’s focus with #CASETiFYCares is on social and humanitarian issues. One way they show their care is through creating products and collections on social issues and donating some or all of the proceeds to an organization that brings awareness to the issue at hand. They did this with their Pride Case and Stop Asian Hate collection. 100% of proceeds earned from the Pride Case and the Stop Asian Hate collection were donated. For the Pride Case, proceeds were donated to the Ali Forney Center, a center that protects LGBTQ+ youths from the harms of homelessness. For the Stop Asian Hate collection, proceeds from the release of the collection through April 2021 were donated to Stop AAPI Hate, a non-profit organization that fights against hate crimes towards Asians. In creating the products and collections, they also educate people on these issues and refer them to relevant organizations.
Conclusion
CASETiFY is a brand that is very active and does a lot for their customers, which is why they are so successful. They create and sell a variety of products, allow for customization, work with people and other brands, utilize social media, and are activists. Through all of this, they prove that brands do not have to stick to whatever their original purpose is. CASETiFY could have stayed as a company that sells phone cases, but they wanted to do more and did. It wouldn’t be wise for every company to expand quickly and tackle a lot of areas, but if done correctly, it can reap many benefits.
