How DTC brand JUDY made prepping cool with PR, podcasts, and joyful branding

JUDY are a 4 year old go-bag brand who are making preparedness cool and have attracted attention from the Kardashians, some Real Housewives, and the New York Times

Who will love this

• People named Judy

• Preppers

• People who read this New Yorker article

• Peter Thiel-wannabes without the private island

Today

G’day!

One thing about me: I love safety. Insurance, backup plans, having emergency first aid kits in my trail running pack - I’m your girl. 

However, despite my love of preparation, I am part of the problem today's brand solves. I count myself among the 42% of Americans who don’t have an emergency evacuation plan. In fact, only 15% of the country have packed a preparedness kit. (Source: IBM).

Today’s brand deep dive is on JUDY, a DTC bug-out bag brand that’s making emergency preparedness convenient. JUDY exists to help people like me be prepared in the event of a disaster. But in like, a really happy, optimistic way. Prepping is fun!

JUDY is founded by PR exec Simon Huck and Joshua Udashkin. Huck is an entertainment and PR exec who’s well known for his work with the Kardashians. DTC brand darling Red Antler did the company’s branding, and since an incredibly well-timed launch (January 2020), JUDY have:

• Been covered in The Wall Street Journal, Wirecutter, The New York Times,

• Counted the Kardashians, real housewives and real preppers as customers

• Landed a spot on Oprah’s favorite things (2023)

For legal reasons, you should definitely do your own research when it comes to life and death matters like survival kits.

Phew, that’s out of the way. Told you I loved insurance.

Let’s dive in!

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How JUDY made bug-out bags cool

JUDY is a great idea and leverages a gap in the market. There’s plenty of prepper oriented content out there, and the odd first aid kit for outdoor adventures, but nothing aimed at families.

But changing the way people think about disasters is sort of like getting them to go to the dentist, do their taxes, or plan their retirement. There are a about a million things people would rather do before any of the above. And, thinking about disasters is a little unpleasant. JUDY are shifting disaster prep (scary) to emergency plans (smart!). Even their name is a nod to a persona: the type of older aunt who’s type A, prepared for everything, and always has hand sanitizer in her purse. It’s a great name (and also the name of my dog!)

JUDY’s competitor isn’t another disaster prep kit - it’s apathy, or not doing something. And based on what I see, JUDY’s doing a good job at moving people to action without using scare tactics. We love to see it!

Business strategy

JUDY solves a simple problem: 60% of Americans don’t have emergency disaster kits. As FEMA’s director of individual and community preparedness mentions below, there’s growing awareness that families need to be prepared for disasters. JUDY does all the work that goes into that, for you.

Brand strategy

Since most Americans don’t have an emergency kit, JUDY’s got a sizable market. However, let’s consider that 40% of Americans also can’t weather an emergency expense of over $400. So let’s assume JUDY’s market is affluent families in the U.S.

The proposition: a family with a plan is a family that can.

The role for JUDY’s brand is to make prepping popular. Fortunately for JUDY, people’s awareness of disaster preparedness has increased in the last few years. The Wall Street Journal reported that engagement on disaster preparedness posts was up 47% in the 12 months ending September 2023. 😳

Judy’s brand strategy revolves around a few themes:

1️⃣ Life saving disaster prep tips. Part of JUDY’s brand strategy is reminding people that disasters happen (fun!). They manage to do this without feeling alarmist or like they’re fear-mongering, which is important. For example: The company's TikTok reminds people how to avoid a home cooking fire on Thanksgiving or tell the difference between a wildfire evacuation warnings and an order.

@readysetjudy

We’ve got you covered for all six 😎🧡 #emergencypreparedness #gobag #evacuation

2️⃣ Champion having a plan. Part of JUDY’s brand is encouraging families to make and practice an evacuation plan. Beyond the product itself, JUDY offer Apple Care like customer support. Once you buy your kit and register it, you get access to an expert to text with questions. 

@readysetjudy

Practice makes perfect, JUDYs🧡 #evacuation #ready #hurricaneian #emergencypreparedness

3️⃣ Bring prepping into popular culture. Prepping needs a rebrand. JUDY takes it out of the tinfoil hat-wearing space and brings it into popular culture by gifting kits and hosting in person events with celebrities. JUDY’s founder’s connection to the entertainment industry makes this a natural fit. It’s also a solid PR hook. ‘Disaster preparedness’ is an ok hook, ‘Kardashian approved disaster prep’ is way better.

Brand marketing moves 💃

• Celebrity endorsements. Founder Simon Huck’s relationships with the Kardashians have netted some strong coverage on Instagram by Kim, Khloe and some of the Real Housewives. 

• Social proof. Never underestimate the power of positive social pressure. JUDY’s site is covered in reviews. People trust people. It’s always a good idea to include positive reviews on your site and in your marketing, if you have them.

• Impact partnerships. Early on, JUDY partnered with the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation to release a limited edition t-shirt, with 100% of proceeds going directly to LAFDF. The brand also partnered with Feeding America and affiliated food banks in New Orleans, LA.

• Podcast blast. JUDY’s launch in 2020 was incredibly well covered across a range of podcasts. If you’re the founder of a company, you’re likely the best spokesperson for the company. Pitching yourself to relevant podcasts is a great way to begin getting your brand out there in a relatively cost-efficient way.

What can we learn from Judy?

• The power of branding. I’m talking specifically about branding, that is, the visual and verbal identity of your company (this is different to brand, or the position you hold in someone’s mind). The less attention your competitors have paid to branding, the bigger the lift you can expect from branding. JUDY is no exception. Visually, they stand out. They feel more like a cool food & beverage company than a paramilitary organization. If you want people to think of you differently (or at all), looking and sounding different is critical.

• Partner with experts to establish credibility. Particularly when a company's founders aren’t technical experts, partnering with experts and established organizations is important. JUDY have done this through their work with the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Feeding America, and some of the experts they reference in their marketing. 

• Think in PR hooks. It makes sense that JUDY’s PR is on point - founder Simon Huck helms Command Entertainment Group. I see a lot of brands that don’t have a PR strategy or the capability in house to manage PR - so they just don’t do it. This is a mistake. Tip: Ask yourself ‘What’s the headline?’

That’s all this week. Stay safe out there! ✌️

Amanda

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