by Lauren Wilson, Co-founder + Chief Commercial Officer

On a cold December morning, I met with Natalie Simkins of the fashion account @simkinstyle at the ever-so-chic Sant Ambroues cafe in the West Village. We discussed many things… her upcoming nuptials in the fall, where to buy the best studded belts, and her upcoming collaboration with Ricki Beach Club. 

Ricki Beach Club, founded by Lauren Browning, rose out of the idea that swimwear held some of our most nostalgic moments...that beach town you visited every summer with your family  (looking at you fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty), the once-in-a-lifetime vacation you’ve been dreaming of, or the summers spent training out to the Hamptons with your best friends. Swimwear didn’t need to cause panic attacks, but rather transport us back to some of life’s sweetest times. 

Lauren, recognizing the power of storytelling and personal style, launched Ricki Beach Club where she collaborates with creators for limited-edition capsule collections around creator's favorite beach towns. Natalie would be launching her drop around 1960’s Palm Beach that spring.

So it was at this coffee shop that Natalie and I ideated on ways to bring this collection to her followers in the most personalized way possible, mirroring her own connection to the retro Florida destination that her collection was inspired by.  

As a fellow fashion girl gone tech, we talked about the power of Fluency, and how it would allow her to create a VIP experience for her followers, the ones who turn to her for style, travel, beauty and life advice everyday. It was time to ditch the algorithm and offer her followers a new way to connect with her. And thus, our first Ricki Beach Club drop came to life.  

It’s no secret that algorithms control our lives. If you’re a creator, you’re constantly trying to “outsmart” this opaque system so that your followers see your content. For customers, we are served content that we didn’t even sign up for, and we lose track of our favorite creators in the process. All of this is a lose a lose for all (well, expect companies like Meta!). 

So instead of relying  solely on social media or email blasts, Natalie partnered with Fluency to share an exclusive, members-only experience for her followers. Followers who signed up for her text list, now her Fluency Friends,  received early access to shop 24 hours before the official public launch, with the collection link sent straight to their phones via text.

In reminiscing on the launch this past May, Natalie shared “My experience with Fluency was so great!!” She continued “I was able to get a grasp on who my most engaged audience members are and give them a tailored experience. It also created a sense of urgency which resulted in sales that were better than ever!”

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The next month, Lauren shared that another favorite creator of mine, Stephanie Covington, of @alifewellsaved, was launching her Italian Riviera-inspired collection and wanted to employ the same strategy that Natalie did with Fluency. Her launch followed the same early-access model, creating buzz, exclusivity, and record engagement.

Fluency allowed both creators to transform a typical drop into a personal shopping experience. Each message was crafted to sound like a one-to-one text. From launch reminders to product highlights, making it feel more like a friend sharing a secret than a brand announcement.

“We loved partnering with Fluency for my swim launch,” said Stephanie. “Fluency helped gather valuable audience insights and real-time shopping analytics. It was a great way to engage my community and resulted in the strongest launch to date.”

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The Ricki Beach Club x Fluency activations performed like a case study in personalization done with intention:

So often, we only see these numbers driven by cheap schemes like discounts or massive promotions. This becomes a short term win for the brand and creator, but lacks nuance and loyalty that keeps customers coming back for more.

Fluency makes it personal. These results come from trust, timing and tone. Leading to long-term, sustainable relationship building with your followers, turned friends.  When a message feels like it’s coming from someone you know, followers don’t just click,  they convert.

Fluency’s model puts creators and brands in direct conversation with their audiences. For Ricki Beach Club, that meant giving followers a direct line to the people behind each collection and giving Natalie and Stephanie the data and tools to tailor every interaction in real time.

This approach turned commerce into community:

Ricki Beach Club’s text drops weren’t about replacing social, they were about owning the audience relationship and elevating how creators connect. For followers, it wasn’t just another drop, it was a chance to step inside the Ricki world, 24 hours before anyone else.

The strongest launches aren’t always the loudest. Sometimes, they’re the most personal.