Since its launch in 2019, Silk + Sonder―a self-care brand reimagining guided journaling through an innovative, holistic suite of physical journals and companion mobile app―existed predominantly as a direct-to-consumer brand. On January 6, 2023, the company’s founder and CEO Meha Agrawal made the decision to pivot the brand to what some might consider an old-fashioned platform in the reign of social media: QVC. Designed to help users achieve goals, boost productivity, and relieve stress and anxiety, Silk + Sonder is all about accessibility and inclusivity. What better way to reach the masses than the age-old home of some of our greatest brand-success stories?
Meha Agrawal saw the move to QVC as a natural extension of the brand’s preexisting social footprint—12 million-plus in impressions across TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram. “QVC and Silk + Sonder already have similar customer bases and demographics so this partnership has been synergistic from the start.” Utilizing timing and the specific capabilities of the platform were essential for the success of the collaboration. Coming to QVC during early January, what Agrawal refers to as the “Super Bowl of the wellness industry,” was the first step. “For many consumers, January is the time to kickstart resolutions. Whether that be healthy lifestyle shifts or an increase in self-care rituals, our goals at Silk + Sonder perfectly align to carry these ideals through.” Offering a three-month set, which includes a life workbook and keepsake box, the brand capitalized on the influx of intentions by providing something with a little more staying power.
Making the most of QVC’s Total Experience, available on QVC+, meant showcasing the brand in a way Agrawal had never done before. Video testimonials and live demos featuring the founder allowed for long-form conversations without the fear of having to commit to a quarterly/yearly subscription via DTC. Agrawal shares, “It was an amazing opportunity to be able to share my story on how I stopped building safety nets as a child of immigrants and former software engineer, and instead leaned into my strengths and passion to help people reclaim the driver’s seat of their lives.” Noting founder Sara Blakely (of Spanx) and her savviness on the platform, Agrawal says that the “partnership with QVC made me incredibly excited for what might be possible for brands like Silk + Sonder to impact an even wider audience.”
The founder’s excitement for the platform is well-earned. QVC and its sister network, HSN, reached 380 million homes worldwide and sold $3 billion worth of product in 2021. Instead of resisting the exponential growth of platforms like Instagram and TikTok, QVC has found a way to leverage the prosperity under its own terms. After 35 years in the business of shopping, the platform utilized time-pressured promos and real-time shopping―a trademark of the booming livestream shopping―to keep viewers engaged and ready to spend. The category of livestream shopping is projected to grow four-fold in the next two years, or up to $25 billion, according to Coresight Research.
A new guard of wellness-adjacent brands and their founders have found a home on QVC alongside Silk + Sonder, such as Deepica Mutyala (of Live Tinted) and Katie Sturino (of Megababe), to name a few. Instead of siloing itself into a niche, Agrawal sees QVC as the place where “aspiration marries inspiration” for her brand.
The brand’s customer base—tens of thousands of paying members in every state of the country—are the best stamp of approval. Ninety percent of users note that Silk + Sonder has improved their mental and emotional health, ability to achieve work/life balance, feelings of more calm and less stress, and feeling a stronger sense of community through the use of the Silk + Sonder app and journal. The message that wellness and a calmer state of mind are for everyone, reigns true across the wave’s of the free-to-air television network, QVC.
