Take Advantage

Meet Jessica Hickerson, co-founder of a hot, local South Bay business - Esplanade Brand. She recently revamped her website and redid the logo for a fresh, updated look. Another part of her digital marketing plan includes taking advantage of free options that are available to everyone. She utilizes Instagram and MailChimp. She is a smart gal! Why wouldn’t you use any of the free marketing tools that are out there?! While MailChimp has limited features when it comes to their free plan, it is a fantastic option if you are just starting out with sending an email newsletter.

My Q & A With Jessica

Aside from our beautiful South Bay beaches, your website mentions Hawaii and Big Sur have a piece of your heart. Can you elaborate on this?

Give me a body of water and I am happy. I was raised in the water. I started surfing when I was 5 and would swim in the ocean or pool until my skin was pruned and tan. Hawaii has been a big part of my life since I was a child because my dad’s job took us there a couple times a year. We have kept that tradition with my family and it has been one of my favorite things to share my love of island life with my daughters. There is just something about it that is hard to describe. My husband and I found a similar feeling while exploring Big Sur many years ago and that had become another place we visit at least once a year. No matter what beach we find ourselves at, we always take time to stand at the edge of the water and just breathe it in, it’s a feeling I will never take for granted.

What does your dream beach day consist of?

My dream beach day consists of a private beach with palm trees leaning over the water, close enough to string a hammock between them. All of our friends join us and we are there from the morning until the sun sets. We waste the day away just laying out, swimming, surfing, and snacking of course. And there would definitely be dolphins. Beach days are always better with a few dolphin sightings.

What’s the most important thing you have learned from opening your own business?

The most important thing that I have learned from owning a business is that a little kindness goes a long way. I always strive to be a good person, and I don’t want numbers and deadlines and taxes (or other whomp-whomp kind of things) to get in the way of that. A business person should also act like a real person, not a robot!

What is Esplanade Brand all about?

Esplanade Brand is all about living life in the sunshine. We create products that spark joy and make people want to spend time outside enjoying the beach, sand, and sunshine. I love that we have something for the whole family, and that we are not limited to just shirts either! Our blankets, hats, and tumblers have been such a fun addition to the brand.

What inspires you in your design process?

My design process is strongly inspired by the things that I love, which is currently small town beach life & motherhood. I typically start a design on paper and then create it in Photoshop. Then I mockup the designs to find the right shirts and color combos. I am so particular with everything that it takes a long time to have a finished product!

What’s your favorite product right now in your online store?

Right now my absolute favorite product is the Spread Peace tank. I have wanted to create this shirt for so long, and I feel like I made it for me and just hoped other people would like it too. I think the best products are created that way because there is so much heart behind them!

You recently redesigned your logo and website. What was the impetus behind the changes?

So Esplanade Brand was originally born in 2016. My husband and I were just married and I started doodling these t-shirt ideas inspired by our home in the South Bay. We called it “Esplanade” after our favorite spot in Redondo but also because we felt like an esplanade (translated to a street by the sea) is the place where adventures begin, and we were about to begin a big adventure…We started the online store and had so much fun with it, until our first daughter Dylan came along and we didn’t have the time anymore. So we shut it down and focused on our “regular jobs” and our family. We had another daughter, Sadie, join the crew in 2019, and then a few months ago I started feeling drawn back into it. In the back of my mind I think I always knew it would come back. So we re-launched July 1st with a new logo (brought to life by my incredibly talented friend Kimber Brown) and a new website! We have some of our original products available but I am in love with creating and see myself constantly coming up with something new to share with our customers.

You do a terrific job with digital marketing, in particular your email newsletters and your use of Instagram. How have these digital marketing tools helped you increase brand awareness?

Instagram and email blasts make up 100% of our advertising- and they are both completely free, how cool is that? I think people really trust a friendly voice and I try to keep everything we share friendly, honest, and FUN! So when I share something on Instagram, its not “posting just to post” its because I’m excited about something and want everyone to share in that excitement!

How do you plan out your content strategy?

Like I touched on above, my content is very spur of the moment. Maybe that’s not the best answer, but its true! I like to mix up product photos with customer images and then good old “life at the beach” type content, but it is all about creating a vibe on our page that makes people feel excited about Esplanade. When we have a new product I like to tease it a bit and then tell people when its going to be available. We also like to have FUN - for example, last weekend I decided to do a scavenger hunt around the South Bay where I hid products and posted clues on Instagram. It was silly and people really got into it. I can’t wait to do it again!

Do You

What is refreshing about Jessica is that she stays true to who she is. She is a Southern California beach girl and that vibe comes through crystal clear in her company. Scrolling through the Esplanade Brand Instagram feed makes you feel the sun on your face and the warm sand between your toes, even on a cold and dreary day.

I’m dying to get my hands on one of her beach blankets for our next sunset dinner at Knob Hill after I saw it in an email. She’s doing something right because the Abalone blanket I want is currently sold out. I really love that she is not spending money to highlight her products. Don’t get me wrong, if you have a budget for ads, I am a strong believer in them. But, it’s refreshing to know you don’t have to spend a ton of money to get out there and get noticed. This is especially encouraging if you are a small business that is just starting out and you can put more towards your website.

Let Me Leave You With This

Collaboration is H U G E ! Last week Esplanade Brand and Bettolino Kitchen teamed up for a social media contest. You could enter to win one of their beach blankets and a Betto Bundle family meal. You simply needed to follow the two businesses on social, like their photo and tag a friend. The more you tagged, the more chances you had to win. And if you shared the post to your stories, you got bonus entries. Guess what? You bet I shared and tagged as many people that I could think of that would love to win this too. It is a genius way to get more followers and have people share your content for F R E E !

While I was not the lucky winner, I stilled enjoyed participating! That’s ok, ‘cuz I’m still holding out hope to win a custom-shaped board from Dennis Jarvis and his contest. Click here for your chance.

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Images: Esplanade Brand

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