SoapSox Ray Phillips Partners Up with Creative Agency Quantasy & Associates
In times of increased political and social change, many companies are frantically looking to revamp their marketing strategies to incorporate social activism into their campaigns and appeal to a company’s cultural perspective. But Will Campbell, co-founder and chief executive of digital creative agency Quantasy & Associates, is ahead of the game. He describes the company’s marketing approach as one that “pushes culture in the right direction by connecting consumers and brands via shared experience rather than race or other group demographics.”
Ray Phillips, chief executive of SoapSox in Eagle Rock, recognized the necessity for a cultured, humanized approach to marketing his washcloths and enlisted Campbell's help.
Previously, Phillips said the other creative agencies had focused on the contrast between his imposing physical presence and his cute and cuddly toys rather than parental bonding; “I am 6-foot-2, 260 pounds on a good day, and I’m a rugby player,” Phillips said with a laugh. “But I’m a dad first, right? (Other companies) wanted to promote me as (just) a big, burly dude with a washcloth.” With Quantasy, however, they were able to focus on the universal appeal of his company’s washcloth products as a way for dads to bond with their young kids at bathtime. This humanistic approach that connects audiences based on cultural beliefs and values “has a lot more long-term value for a brand and trying to bundle people by demographic” Campbell said.
Phillips, who is Black, added that crafting the right communication about a company’s social activism during times like these can be as challenging for a minority-owned company as a white-owned one. With Quantasy’s help, SoapSox aims to take on a more active approach. By redesigning SoapSox’s website to illustrate Phillip’s consistent involvement working with kids and his dedication to supporting children in underserved communities, the brand is able to incorporate a more humanistic, socially-aware perspective into its identity.
Phillips has always been hesitant to bring the topic to light in the company’s brand image: “We never marketed my history with kids before. I didn’t want to seem exploitative,” Phillips said. “But Will’s team said, ‘No, Ray, you need to call it out. This is a way to let people know what you are doing, and they can support you.’”
