Helping B2C Startups Reach Millennials | EST. 2001
HypeLife Brands is a progressive brand development + startup marketing agency helping disruptive B2C lifestyle startups and challenger brands engage the Millennial generation. Established in 2001, HypeLife Brands is headquartered on the edge of Orange County and North San Diego, in coastal downtown Oceanside, California. We serve a select roster of clients throughout the United States that are dedicated to growth, and who value the idea that Millennials are quite literally, the Future of Everything.
headquarters
Recommended Providers
Focus
Portfolio
[adult swim], HUDL Music, American Greetings, Lasio Professional Haircare, Epitaph Records, Techvestor, GROM-IT, GoodFetch, Challenger Sports, PinkLion, Phoenix International (Acquiried by C.H. Robinson), Lovebug Speed Dating, Creative Environments of Hollywood, InnerTitan, Avanti Workspace, Rhythmlink, Velocity Dance Convention, Rock the House Dance Intensive
HUDL Music (Agency of Record from Day 1)
ARRANGING
Let’s get this out of the way from the top: Yes, it was certainly helpful that our Founder & CEO, Curt Cuscino, is a successful Music Producer, DJ, and nationally-syndicated radio show host in his own right, with a nationally-syndicated radio show reaching over 1 million FM listeners + podcast-land downloads in over 100 countries each week. Having leadership that's an independent artist-meets-specalist in navigating a complicated and evolving marketing space for well over 20 years definitely helps.
With that said...
Aligning with a brand whose WHY centers on helping independent artists and musicians worldwide, and the fans who support them… Yes, please.
In fact, in talking with HUDL Music founder, La'shion Robinson, it seems the love-at-first-sight vibe was mutual. “I’ve had the idea in my head for HUDL Music since the first time I set foot in the studio to record a track, so I had a pretty good idea of the brand I wanted to build,” says Robinson.
MIXING
It’s a big responsibility to bring a man’s lifelong vision to fruition, but we were thrilled at the opportunity. Some things we absolutely HAD to nail:
- Brand Naming
- The Vibe
- The WHY
- The Message
- The Tone
- The Look
- The Tech
- The Launch
Much coffee -- and locally-distilled bourbon, but you didn't hear that from us -- was had.
MASTERING
Like every great collaboration, the result is bits and pieces of everyone involved (HypeLife's 14+ person senior team), working together in perfect harmony. And hopefully, with a little luck and a lot of strategy, a Visionary can manifest his vision.
HUDL Music believes that the fiercely independent are the future of music, and the brand’s centralized approach to what’s in place now, and what’s to come, will help artists better focus on what they got into music for in the first place — that ability to freely create — while utilizing HUDL Music to help them reach a worldwide audience, market themselves more easily & effortlessly, share new music, collaborate, and much more.
Reviews
the project
Dev, Branding & Digital Marketing for Music Platform
“They take everything seriously and contribute as if they were a part of our team.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder and CEO of a platform that allows independent artists to get discovered with fans and other artists.
What challenge were you trying to address with HypeLife Brands?
We needed to build a platform that attracts both young audience members and reputable companies with a previous history of successful clients.
What was the scope of their involvement?
After a discovery and design phase fronted by their team, they moved into an implementation stage. They documented their work every step of the way, so there was a plan for everything. Their team was responsible for the development, UI/UX, and the brand as a whole.
In those efforts, they implemented social media sharing capabilities, incorporated a music player, and built out PayPal integrations that allowed fans to contribute to the needs of artists. At this point, they’re working on marketing and tech support. We recently launched the first version of our product.
What is the team composition?
There were seven individuals staffed to my project. I worked most closely with Curt (Founder & CEO), Zach (Senior Brand Strategist), and Troy (Senior Digital Product Manager).
How did you come to work with HypeLife Brands?
When I found them through an internet search, their team had the experience of building brands for other clients. After meeting with their team and having a productive conversation, we decided to move forward with a partnership.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent about $130,000 so far.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in July 2019, and our teams are still collaborating.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
After the first week, we’ve seen growth in web traffic and users on the platform. I’m happy with everything so far. Any bugs or concerns have been addressed by their team within 24 hours.
How did HypeLife Brands perform from a project management standpoint?
Their communication was above and beyond what I was expecting. I communicate with the founder on a regular basis. Even if we don’t have a scheduled meeting, I typically hear back from him within minutes. We had weekly update meetings with them. They met every deadline that was within their control.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They made me feel like I was a part of their team from day one. It truly feels like they have skin in the game. It’s rare to have a partnership with an outsourced team like this. They take everything seriously and contribute as if they were a part of our team.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I can’t think of anything at the moment. They have the experience to provide great services.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Come to the project with a vision and the end result in mind. From there, they’ll guide you through the entire process.
the project
Marketing Overhaul for Shared Work Space Organization
“We were profitable within 12 months of opening our doors and at about 80% capacity.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm a general manager and co-owner of Avanti Workspace, a shared workspace provider with a recently added location in Southern California.
What challenge were you trying to address with HypeLife Brands?
As we were opening our new location in Southern California, we wanted to expand our brand into a new demographic. We were looking for a partner to help us promote the business and portray to potential customers that it was modern and forward-thinking.
What was the scope of their involvement?
HypeLife worked with us on with the branding of the business, which included recreating our website and overseeing social media and outreach. They even promoted us at local networking events and introduced us to connections within the industry. They also made recommendations to improve the efficiencies of our processes after examining how leads were brought in and managed through our CRM.
What is the team composition?
We worked directly with Curt (Founder and CEO, HypeLife Brands), who managed others on his team working on our account.
How did you come to work with HypeLife Brands?
HypeLife was actually one of our tenants, so I got to talking to Curt among our shared workspace when we started interviewing other marketing companies. We ultimately wanted to work with him, because he had a good understanding of our company already, as well as the demographic we were targeting.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent around $5,000 per month on their services.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together shortly after opening our new location around November 2016. By January 2017, we progressed from working with their team on social media to a full-service model for about six months.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We were profitable within 12 months of opening our doors and at about 80% capacity. That momentum has continued to grow since HypeLife wrapped up their work. They did a great job in helping us get recognized in the market. In fact, we'll soon be increasing our square footage in order to meet demand.
How did HypeLife Brands perform from a project management standpoint?
Curt did a great job of getting things done efficiently and being proactive about keeping up the momentum of his results. Their team was very thorough and consistent throughout the engagement.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their work didn't just stop at digital media services; they took a personal approach, introducing us to a number of key players at events. They took on our project as if it were for their own benefit, investing themselves wholeheartedly into the success of the project. It made all the difference to finally work with a professional on our digital presence–it had a tremendous impact on our company.
Are there any areas they could improve?
We truly enjoyed our experience, but wish there was a way to continue the relationship on a smaller scale. We couldn't afford to maintain their minimum monthly service rates.
the project
Branding & Social Media for Board Sports Brand
“With HypeLife as our brand manager, life has been so much easier.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
My name is Alison Pandelos, and I'm the owner and directing manager of GROM-IT, a board sport brand.
What challenge were you trying to address with HypeLife Brands?
Our interactive website focuses on the art that surfers and skaters create for their boards. We've been building an audience for a couple of years, but needed help growing a social media presence.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They began by building an audience on the various social media platforms. They worked with the existing website to fix what wasn't working. Once they had a solid sense of the brand, they built a new custom website. They also wrote content and created email campaigns.
HypeLife now serves as our brand manager, providing troubleshooting and brainstorming of new ideas.
What is the team composition?
I work exclusively with the founder of HypeLife Brands.
How did you come to work with HypeLife Brands?
I was searching online to find a company to manage our social media, focusing on those that specialize in marketing to millennials. I checked out HypeLife’s site, then reached out via email.
I’d worked with other companies for our previous website, and was very unhappy with their service. HypeLife was different; our first phone call was more than 2.5 hours. I felt like I finally found a company that gets what I'm trying to do, and they felt that our brand really resonated with them.
What is the status of this engagement?
Work began in October 2015 and is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
In the first year, there was a big increase across our social media channels (e.g., followers on Instagram and Twitter, YouTube channel subscribers). It's plateaued over the second year, but in the past 12 months we’ve had at least 35% increase in our social media numbers.
The quality of their design work and writing has been top notch. The new website not only appeals to users, but the backend is customized to fit our needs.
How did HypeLife Brands perform from a project management standpoint?
It’s a very productive working relationship; they really take the time to understand exactly what I need.
With HypeLife as our brand manager, life has been so much easier.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Working with previous website companies was so stressful that I considered closing the business. HypeLife is super easy to work with.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I've never had any problems or issues.
Despite only being on the market for about two weeks, the platform and website are receiving increases in user traffic. The team works nimbly to meet deadlines and is willing to make themselves available for communication. They corrected one-off bugs and issues within a day of being notified.