When most people think about a viral product, they imagine some kind of marketing genius sitting behind a laptop, carefully calculating every detail of a campaign before unleashing it on the world.
I wish it were that glamorous.
The reality is that most viral products aren't viral because of the product itself. They're viral because of what the product represents.
That is exactly what happened with "Crows Before Bros".
If we're being completely honest, it is just a sweatshirt.
A sweatshirt with a crow on it and a phrase that made me laugh.
Yet that simple design reached hundreds of thousands of women. It generated conversations, shares, comments, orders and engagement far beyond what most small businesses ever experience. The obvious question is why.
The answer has very little to do with clothing.
One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make on social media is believing they are selling products. They're not.
They're selling identity.
When somebody buys a luxury handbag, they aren't just buying leather. When somebody buys football merchandise, they aren't just buying fabric. When somebody buys merchandise from their favourite artist, they aren't just buying a product.
They're buying a statement about who they are.
The same thing happened with Crows Before Bros.
Women weren't buying a sweatshirt because they desperately needed another item in their wardrobe. Most of us have wardrobes overflowing with clothes we barely wear. They were buying what the message represented.
For some women, it represented female friendship.
For others, it represented independence.
For some, it represented choosing themselves after years of putting everyone else first.
For many, it represented humour. A rejection of the idea that women should always be nice, agreeable and accommodating.
The crow itself became part of that identity.
Crows are intelligent, slightly chaotic, deeply loyal and famously unbothered by people's opinions. They don't ask permission. They don't seek approval. They simply exist exactly as they are.
It's hardly surprising that so many women related to them.
The more I watched the campaign grow, the more I realised something important about social media. People don't share products. They share beliefs.
Nobody forwards a post to their friend because they think, "Wow, look at this amazing cotton blend."
They share it because it says something they were already thinking.
They share it because it reflects part of their personality.
They share it because it makes them feel understood.
That understanding completely changed how I think about marketing.
For years, businesses have been taught to focus on features. Tell customers about the quality. Tell them about the materials. Tell them about the specifications. Whilst those things certainly matter, they're rarely the reason people stop scrolling.
People stop scrolling because something resonates emotionally.
The businesses that are thriving on social media understand this.
They're not selling candles.
They're selling self-care.
They're not selling gym memberships.
They're selling confidence.
They're not selling coffee.
They're selling comfort.
And they're definitely not selling sweatshirts.
They're selling belonging.
This is particularly important for brands like Dope Soul Village because our audience isn't looking for products alone. They're looking for connection. They want to feel seen. They want to feel understood. They want to feel like somebody finally gets it.
That is why so many of our best-performing products have messages attached to them.
The products become conversation starters.
A woman wearing "Crows Before Bros" isn't just wearing a sweatshirt. She's communicating something about herself. She's telling the world she values female friendships. She's embracing her slightly rebellious side. She's signalling to other women that they might have something in common.
The same principle applies far beyond fashion.
Think about the brands you love most.
Chances are, you don't love them because of the product alone.
You love them because of how they make you feel.
You love them because they align with your values.
You love them because they reflect part of your identity.
That emotional connection is where loyalty comes from.
It's also where communities are built.
One of the reasons I believe so strongly in community-led businesses is because people are becoming increasingly tired of being marketed to. They don't want to be treated like walking wallets. They want authenticity. They want stories. They want connection.
The internet has become crowded with businesses trying to shout louder than everyone else. Ironically, the brands that stand out are often the ones having genuine conversations.
That's why some of our biggest successes haven't come from polished advertising campaigns. They've come from sharing real stories, real experiences and real opinions.
Women don't connect with perfection.
They connect with honesty.
Looking back, Crows Before Bros taught me far more than how to create a popular product. It taught me how communities form.
People gather around shared beliefs.
They gather around shared humour.
They gather around shared experiences.
Most importantly, they gather around feeling understood.
The next time you see a product go viral, look beyond the product itself. Ask yourself what it represents. Ask yourself what identity people are buying into. Ask yourself what emotional need it's fulfilling.
Because chances are, the answer has very little to do with the item itself.
Crows Before Bros was never really about a sweatshirt.
It was about female friendship.
It was about independence.
It was about belonging.
And perhaps most importantly, it was proof that when women see something that reflects who they are, they don't just buy it.
They share it with the entire village.
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