Oliver Timsit is the founder and CEO of Oliver Logan – a denim brand based in Los Angeles that focuses on sustainable and ethical manufacturing practices. Oliver Logan believes that no one should have to choose between quality, sustainability, price, and style. They only moved to selling online about one year ago, and since then has sustained month over month growth. Both their LTV and AOV’s have increased this year, and return rates have decreased.
Oliver Logan takes a diverse and inclusive approach to branding, focusing on sharing ‘real content’. This strategy has resonated well with customers, as the company now generates $100k per month. The denim fashion market is highly competitive, so how does Oliver Logan make itself stand out?
Who are you and what brand did you start?
My name is Oliver Timsit and I am the founder and CEO of Oliver Logan. Oliver Logan is a denim brand based in Los Angeles, California that focuses on sustainable and ethical manufacturing practices, as well as delivering a high-quality product at a fair price. We believe that no one should have to make a choice between quality, sustainability, price, and style.
How did you come up with the idea, brand name and logo for Oliver Logan?
I’ve been in the fashion industry for over a decade and observed that more often than not, the consumer had to choose between quality, sustainability, style, and price. I wanted to create a brand that could deliver all of those things in each product that we make. Oliver Logan is that brand. It is a representation of my journey through life and this industry.
Describe the process of launching Oliver Logan?
It is a similar process to jumping into a pool without knowing how to swim. You smack your arms around and tread water until you figure out how to swim. When I started Oliver Logan in 2018, the focus was just to sell the brand through wholesale channels and other retailers. The model is very predictable in the sense that there is a traditional fashion calendar. You know when you need to be designing, selling, going to trade shows, manufacturing, and shipping. It is a lot to manage, but there was a general timeline to always follow. I relied heavily on 3rd party representatives to help promote the brand to their customers and convince them to give us a chance.
In February 2019, we moved into e-com and that calendar flew right out of the window. Now, every day is like taking an entire year of the wholesale business model and consolidating it into one day. Each day consists of working on product, sourcing, manufacturing, advertising, selling, shipping, and everything else that needs to be done. It’s exciting yet challenging. I still rely on the same 3rd party representatives to promote Oliver Logan in the wholesale channel, however I work very closely with our digital marketing team to build up our online presence in an attempt to meet our audience whenever we can.
Since the shift to online about one year ago, we have sustained month over month growth and are projecting for that to continue. Both our LTV and AOV’s have increased this year and return rates have decreased.
Since launch, what has worked best to attract and retain customers?
We have been having success attracting new customers through our digital marketing campaigns. Roughly 85% of our ad budget is allocated to Facebook marketing since that is where we are still seeing the best ROI. The content that we create for our ad campaigns is unique, diverse and inclusive. We continuously focus our efforts on creating and sharing real yet relatable content which is also inspirational. To date this strategy is working well for us.
With regards to business growth, how have things changed from a digital, revenue, customer and sales perspective?
The largest improvement and change for us in recent months has been our email marketing campaigns. Ever since we started segmenting our audiences, our average open rates have shot up to 40% with very high conversion rates. We have also been focusing on implementing a new customer service platform, Gorgias, to better understand our customers needs, aggregate that data, and then deliver an overall better experience.
How is the business doing today and what does the future look like?
2020 has definitely been an interesting time given the situation with COVID 19. It has pushed us to evolve as a brand faster than we had planned for. With more people staying home, we quickly had to pivot from a denim only brand to more of a lifestyle brand that now offers tee shirts, sweat pants, and hoodies.
In addition to that, we are launching a very exciting partnership with one of the largest beverage brands in the world.
Long-term, we will continue to introduce new categories and items that are all in line with our brand ethos. The aim is to build that relationship with each of our customers and provide products that get them through their own journey in life.
What’s been the biggest learning experience since starting your own brand?
Nothing comes easy. Learn to appreciate the small wins.
What are your top 3 tips on how to setup an Ecom store for success?
1) You need to have an “omnichannel” model. Your product should be available both online and offline. It is very easy to fall into one retail channel, but without both it will be a long road ahead.
2) Talk to your customers. Listen to what they say and remain objective. Take that data and look for patterns and make the adjustments based on that.
3) Surround yourself with people that influence you, push you, and support you. It is a long and exciting journey and you will need the support more than you think. This was and still is the most important thing for me.
What are some of your favorite online business tools you use to run Oliver Logan?
Shopify has been a great platform for us. We also rely heavily on apps and tools like Google analytics, Canva, Klaviyo, JustUno, and Planoly.
| Type | Tool Name |
|---|---|
| Platform | Shopify |
| Project Management | Basecamp |
| Email Marketing | Klaviyo |
| Reviews | Stamped.io |
| Analytics | Google Analytics |
| Shipping | FedEx, USPS |
| Accounting | QuickBooks |
| Productivity | Hubstaff |
| Payments | Shopify Payments, Paypal, Afterpay |
| Social Media Tools | Planoly |
| Customer Service | Gorgias |
| Design | Canva |
| Inventory | AIMS 360 |
See what tools and platforms other founders are using.
What have been the most influential books, podcasts or other educational resources?
Shoe Dog was very inspiring.
A lot of the challenges that Nike went through are very relatable and I had a hard time putting that one down.
Another book that has helped and was my latest read is Team of Teams written by General McChrystal. I discovered that book while listening to my favorite podcast, How I Built This.
Who have been the most influential people for you during this business journey?
I consider myself extremely fortunate to be influenced by some of my closest friends, some of which are entrepreneurs. They range from being in the outdoor space, law, fashion, finance, real estate, and the restaurant industry.
Any other advice you’d like to share with other aspiring entrepreneurs?
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and do the heavy lifting. It helps lay the foundation for your journey.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now or open to new investors?
I am always looking for new talent. I am currently trying to hire an in-house digital marketing manager. I’ve never taken investor money and don’t plan to (at least not for now).
