Why Squarespace is Stepping Up for the Creator Community
For 20 years, Squarespace has been helping entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality through its website building facilities and e-commerce tools. A recent campaign sees it turn its attention to content creators, who are looking for new ways to monetise their content and nurture their communities. Inspired by the flourishing creator economy, Squarespace’s ‘Creator’ campaign consists of three digital spots highlighting all the ways in which Squarespace supports and encourages creators to build, share and manage their growing brand, all in one place.
It’s not a huge departure for Squarespace but it does mark the first time the brand has explicitly courted entrepreneurial content creators, rather than creative entrepreneurs - a subtle distinction to be sure. As David Lee, chief creative Officer at Squarespace, says, “While Squarespace has long supported creatives, this marks our first campaign speaking directly to the next generation of creators. The spots show how our tools allow anyone to transact online and transform followers and communities into the next big business. We're here to help, from the very first stitch or dish all the way to an empire."
The campaign sees Squarespace collaborate with content creators in various markets - in the UK it’s Julie Adenuga and Lottie Murphy, two real life examples who built their empires using Squarespace.
Delving into this latest step for Squarespace, LBB’s Laura Swinton caught up with Gui Borchert, senior director of creative at Squarespace who oversees the development of all brand design and branded content efforts.
LBB> Heading into 2023 what are the big priorities for Squarespace and the creative team this year?
Gui> Creatively, we will continue to deliver compelling and exciting campaigns. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the company, which is an exciting milestone to rally around. Our goal is to keep making great work that continues to raise the bar for ourselves and the industry – turning Squarespace more and more into a household name.
LBB> I guess economically, most people will be feeling a squeeze, from big businesses to individual entrepreneurs - how is that informing Squarespace's strategic and creative approach to marketing?
Gui> We are continuing to plan for an exciting year ahead. What’s great about our products, and really showcased in this creative campaign, is all the different ways Squarespace can help entrepreneurs grow and scale their business. I think its message is especially important given the current economic environment.
LBB> In terms of this new campaign, Squarespace has always served creators, but this is the first campaign really speaking directly to the next gen of content creators. Why now?
Gui> We’ve always aimed to support those bringing their ideas to life. Our tools give everyone the ability to grow an audience and transact online in multiple ways. This feels especially helpful for creators and entrepreneurs who are looking for new tools that can help them transform their followers into communities to grow their businesses. With recent product launches and updates, Squarespace feels more prime than ever to offer a full range of tools to help entrepreneurs and creators turn their dreams into empires.
LBB> How are creators' and entrepreneurs' needs evolving in this space?
Gui> Creators and entrepreneurs are looking for new ways to streamline their presence, monetise their audiences and content, and scale their business. Our products aim to simplify this process, giving them everything they need in one place.
LBB> How is Squarespace seeking to differentiate itself from other platforms that are built around helping creators monetise their content?
Gui> There are so many platforms out there that are speaking to creators. Squarespace is powered by best-in-class design for consistent brand experience across all touchpoints including CRM and website templates. Our products help creators and entrepreneurs grow and monetise their audiences, all in one place. As a company, we’re really focused on investing in our platform to ensure we meet our customers’ needs in the evolving digital world.
LBB> What was your creative starting point for this project?
Gui> We wanted to highlight all the ways that Squarespace supports entrepreneurs and creators as they build, manage and grow their brands, all in one place. To inspire the broadest possible audience, we focused on a few archetypes that we felt would resonate in the market.
LBB> The design and art direction around this campaign is really eye-catching - it feels very Squarespace in tone but also feels a bit refreshed. Can you talk me through how you approached the design/art and where you want to take the brand visually?
Gui> We wanted to create something that felt ‘of the internet’ in the way it looked, sounded and moved. A mixed-media approach that’s highly energetic, that borrows from online culture and delivers something that would have never existed 20 years ago. In other words, the opposite of a traditional commercial.
The beauty of our brand is that it can stretch and evolve, while staying true to who we are. Our work is always grounded on that hard-to-describe but easy-to-spot Squarespace feel – high design, high taste-level with a wink, and just the right amount of unexpected.
LBB> When you're working with real Squarespace users, whether they're creators or entrepreneurs, what's the key to identifying the right fit?
Gui> We pride ourselves in having a unique voice and point of view. Whenever we work with talent, we look for creatives that are passionate about what they do and speak from the heart.
For this campaign specifically, we were less concerned with follower counts and more about finding creative people that are doing something special and different, but in a field that many people can relate to.
