Project for Hearst: Relaunching Sugarscape

Sugarscape, a part of Hearst UK (home to publications like Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar), is a beloved brand that paused operations in 2016. My agency, THE Z LINK, partnered with Sugarscape in 2021 to spearhead the brand’s revival and reconnect with its vibrant community of nearly 400,000 followers!

What we did: Our work focused on reigniting Sugarscape’s online presence and re-establishing their connection with a dedicated audience. This involved:

Community engagement strategy:

→ We launched the comeback with a series of impactful tweets to captivate the audience, reigniting engagement after a 4+ year hiatus

→ We developed a consistent daily content strategy that combined active listening, community interaction, and a voice aligned with the brand’s legacy

→ We achieved an engagement rate of 4.5% in the first month (well above industry standards), with some tweets reaching 22% engagement and 70 mentions per day

2. Cross-platform expansion:

→ We introduced Sugarscape to TikTok, creating organic, fandom-style content leveraging old YouTube snippets

→ We targeted legacy fans while gradually attracting new followers, extending the brand’s reach beyond Twitter

3. Performance optimization:

→ We leveraged analytics from the initial month to refine targeting strategies for TikTok content

→ We produced two TikTok videos that went viral, securing 4,300 new followers within the brand’s niche in just one week.

Through this intentionally comprehensive approach, we successfully revived Sugarscape’s community and positioned the brand for sustained growth across multiple platforms, for the duration of their re-launch!