In 2009, 18-year-old Amanda Zuckerman was shopping in her dorm room with her mother, Karen, when “[they] we were really surprised to find that stylish XL bedding and everything you need to furnish and organize a small space was virtually nonexistent and not sold in one place,” she says. So, at Bed Bath & Beyond, the couple decided to design their very own line of dorm room bedding.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dormify. Amanda Zuckerman, left; Karen Zuckerman, right.
Fast forward to Zuckerman’s sophomore yr and To go to sleep was officially born. Mother and daughter began a blog about college life and dorm decor. Zuckerman’s friends contributed as writers, eventually developing a vast network of name ambassadors who offered “proof of concept” in an era just before social media filled the void. Custom-printed posters became the company’s first product line.
Despite not raising a lot of capital upfront, as was common for direct-to-consumer brands at the time, the small home décor company Zuckerman began in her dorm room turned into a multimillion-dollar company through her “grassroots tactics.” Dormify hosted demos so people could interact with the product, “very similar to the Tupperware parties of the day,” Zuckerman says. Eventually, those efforts led to seasonal pop-ups and retail partnerships in greater than 200 stores.
“It’s difficult because every year we have a new client.”
Of course, as Dormify has crossed a decade into the business, its core customer base has evolved with it—from millennials to Gen Z. “It’s tough because we have a new customer every year,” Zuckerman says. “So it’s not just about acquiring them and continuing to nurture that customer. It’s about acquiring a new customer every year.”
When it involves serving Gen Z, business owners shouldn’t underestimate the importance of social media. Not only has the phenomenon been instrumental in Dormify’s growth over the years, it also provides the company with a critical direct line to its existing customers. However, like all brands, Dormify must be agile and strategic with its social channels to win over Gen Z.
Image Source: Courtesy of Dormify
“For all the messages we have for Gen Z consumers, not their parents, [it’s essential] engage authentically and deliver products, content [and] “advice that is really beneficial to them,” Zuckerman says.
“It’s not just about selling them a product to put in their space. It’s about making them feel comfortable.”
According to the company’s founder, this implies finding a balance between being approachable and having authority.
“We want this audience to see us as the big sister,” Zuckerman explains, “and that’s how we position the brand. So it’s not just about selling them a product to put in their space. It’s about making them feel comfortable with that transition to college. It’s about helping them anticipate the challenges they’re going to face, like living with a stranger or leaving home for the first time.”
Gen Zers are faced with an infinite variety of selections every day, and are bombarded with marketing and ads when they browse Instagram and TikTok. Brands should avoid perceiving them as too “salesy” if they need to succeed, Zuckerman says.
Dormify prioritizes entertainment, informational content, and community building on its social channels over raw revenue and sales. In fact, Zuckerman says relying on revenue as a key measure of social channel performance is a mistake.
“If this influencer just posts a ton of sponsored content, that audience is much more savvy.”
Zuckerman also notes that while some brands are in a position to find influencers who drive customer acquisition, others fail to fulfill expectations in this space.
“There are a lot of companies that don’t understand what Gen Z is looking for and think that just hiring or paying an influencer will generate a sale, a connection, or brand loyalty,” Zuckerman explains, “but if that influencer is just posting a ton of sponsored content, that audience is much more savvy.”
Image Source: Courtesy of Dormify
Dormify gives its interns and social media coordinators “a lot of freedom and independence” to administer the company’s channels as they see fit. “We don’t overmanage them,” Zuckerman says. “We let them do what they think works, what they want to do. It’s a lot of trial and error. Too many restrictions on a social channel can lead to poor engagement.”
According to Zuckerman, Dormify boasts an engagement rate of over 8% across its social channels, which is significantly higher than the retail industry average. As of June 2024, the average retail industry engagement rate ranged from 0.59% (TikTok) to 1.62% (Instagram), depending on the platform, in response to data from the social media search engine. Hootsuite.
“I’m excited to continue evolving the way we communicate with our customers.”
Dormify also faces the challenge of engaging Gen Z customers as a seasonal business. The key is to repeatedly evolve with customers—tracking when freshmen designing their dorms, for example, develop into seniors needing diploma frames. The company is also aware of its adjoining audiences: teenagers decorating their bedrooms or campers outfitting their bunk beds.
“I’m excited to continue to evolve the product,” Zuckerman says, “and continue to evolve the way we communicate with our customers and do things differently than a lot of other companies.”