Born Outside - Launch Strategy
Market Entry & Positioning · Experiential Campaign Concept · Content & Social Strategy · Digital Rollout · Influencer Architecture
Overview
When Born Outside entered the Middle East, the ambition was impact and positioning.
The founders needed clarity on
• Who to target in the region
• How to engage them with credibility
• How to create a launch that would generate both fashion authority and global press attention
I worked with a small strategic team to architect the brand’s regional positioning, launch concept, influencer ecosystem and long-term narrative.
My Role
• Middle East market entry strategy
• Audience and positioning framework
• Co-creation of Sneaker Island concept
• Influencer and tastemaker outreach strategy
• Gifting and seeding architecture
• Instagram account launch strategy
• Campaign content structure
• Launch video campaign collaboration with influencers
• Post launch brand roadmap
Strategic Positioning
Audience Architecture
We focused deliberately on
• Fashion insiders and tastemakers
• Luxury streetwear collectors
• Culturally influential early adopters
Rather than launching as a sneaker label, we positioned Born Outside as a status-driven experiential fashion brand entering the region with scale and confidence.
The Big Idea: Sneaker Island
Co-created with a Creative Director, Sneaker Island transformed product into destination. With Dubai being known for crazy real estate ideas an island shaped like a sneaker didn’t seem so far fetched, and the media lapped it up, to the point real estate agents were reaching out trying to get first dibs on the new development.
The twist, this was a launch event! We invited guests to one of The World Islands in Dubai, brought to life by Snoopy Events.
Instead of hosting a conventional venue launch, we brought fashion to an island and turned the metaphor of Born Outside into a physical experience.
Strategically, this delivered
• Immediate differentiation in a saturated luxury market
• A strong visual and narrative hook for international press
• Highly shareable influencer content
• A launch moment with global relevance
Campaign Ecosystem
The activation was supported by structured execution.
Influencer and Tastemaker Strategy
• Built a curated outreach list prioritising fashion credibility over volume
• Designed a premium gifting strategy aligned with exclusivity
• Seeded key regional voices ahead of launch
• Integrated influencers into a dedicated launch video campaign
Instagram Launch Strategy
• Developed the full content structure from anticipation to reveal to sustain
• Launched and scaled the Instagram account pre-product release
• Controlled tone, pacing and visual consistency
Post Campaign Transition
• Shifted the narrative from spectacle to brand substance
• Amplified earned coverage across channels
• Structured ongoing content to maintain premium positioning
Results
• 5,000 Instagram followers before product went on sale
• 4 million reach from influencer coverage of the island and launch event
• International media coverage including:
Campaign Middle East
Travel Noire
Yahoo
Breaking Travel News
The brand entered the market with visibility, authority and cultural relevance before a single pair of shoes was sold.
