Everyone’s a creator now — even your CEO
Built-in distribution is the new moat. And if you don’t have it, you better become it.
Welcome back to Sell! Sell! Sell! 🛍️
Hey — Tobias here 👋
This week, we’re doubling down on “Brand Moves”, because the line between creator-led brands and creator-backed brands is basically gone.
From Gen Z founders turning pickles into cult products to Twitch streamers launching fragrances with big-box retailers, social commerce is no longer a niche—it’s the engine of new brand behavior.
Let’s dive right in 🌊
🚨 This Week’s Headlines
(July 15th)
📸 The 2025 TIME100 Creators list is here
TIME released its second annual TIME100 Creators list this week, honoring digital-first talent across six categories: Titans, Entertainers, Leaders, Phenoms & Catalysts. The list includes figures like Alix Earle, Kai Cenat (more on him below) and good ole’ Jimmy D.
To celebrate, TIME hosted a party in NYC at IRON23, bringing together creators, industry execs, and media for a night that underscored the mainstream influence of digital talent.The list isn’t just about fame — it reflects how cultural relevance increasingly flows through platform-native voices with niche but loyal audiences.
👟 eBay Live partners with future-star “Jesus Made in Atlanta”
eBay Live just broke streaming norms, co-hosting with streetwear phenom (word of the week?) “Jesus Made in Atlanta” to sell collectible sneakers and merch live — all from ATL.
The move isn’t just a novelty: it signals eBay’s intent to court Gen Z communities via relatable micro‑celebrities, pairing platform trust with creator charisma. Expect more niche collaborations as other e‑commerce giants chase relevancy among younger shoppers.
📢 CEOs become creators — Chamber report flips the script
The U.S. Chamber’s new report explores how CEOs are pivoting to influencer status, leveraging personal brands to build trust and shave marketing spend. It’s a sign of the times: when leaders show up authentically—TikTok dancing or TikTok Live Q&As—they humanize their brands and win consumer devotion. For companies trying to stand out, encouraging execs to step in front of the camera is now table stakes.
🧠 Brand Move of the Week: Part 1
Yasaman and Leah - Founders of Hot Girl Pickles
Say hello to Hot Girl Pickles, the viral brand from founders Yasaman and Leah (@goodgirlsnacks). Two Gen‑Z women, zero ad spend, and a pickle jug empire.
They turned DTC into an influencer magnet:
Forbes 30 Under 30
10,000 pickle jars sold in first year of business DTC (yep, people ordered heavy, expensive PICKLES on the internet just to be a part of this brand)
Best-selling pickle brand at Erewhon
Reach 2.5 million accounts monthly on Instagram
Deal with a big retailer launching soon
Partnered with Revolve Fest at Coachella
Participated in or hosted nearly 20 successful events
Their secret sauce? A blend of content-first marketing, community events, and stunts that double as PR. Think popup sampling meets meme-native storytelling—and the internet responded in kind.
🧠🧠 Brand Move of the Week: Part 2
Kai Cenat × Target × Twitch = “Tone” fragrance
Body-care brand Tone recently partnered with Twitch mega-creator Kai Cenat to debut a new fragrance live on stream. No polished ad, just real-time reactions, chat hype, and immediate purchase links. The result? A sell-out drop in minutes—and headlines across youth and beauty press.
What stood out here isn’t just the celebrity tie: it’s the format. Tone leaned into Twitch’s native energy—gamers, creators, chat—all coming together to co-create the drop experience. They didn’t just buy Kai’s audience; they embedded their product in an unrehearsed moment. That feels like the future: product launches where the purchase button drops while the crowd is shouting in chat.
For brands looking to build intimacy and speed with Gen Z, this model offers a playbook: real people selling in real time—no ad agency middleman, no gloss.
Also available in Target as of last week.
🔭 Trend Watch
Built-in distribution is the new unfair advantage
If this week has taught us anything, it’s that people with built-in distribution are the engine behind today’s most successful brand launches. And if you don’t have that? Then you, as the founder or CEO, are becoming the distribution—on camera, in comments, showing up daily.
From Kai Cenat’s Twitch-powered drop to CEOs steppproding into the spotlight and TIME celebrating creators as cultural forces, one thing is clear: the best products don’t just go viral—they’re designed to be distributed by the people behind them.
Launching a DTC brand without a face, a following, or an influencer partner? That’s playing the game on hard mode.
See you next week. In the meantime, Sell! Sell! Sell! 🫡