Behind the Brand with 35mm co. founder Madi Stefanis

Can you tell us a bit about the design process that went into perfecting the Reloader camera and making it unique to 35mm Co.?

The design process for The Reloader took 12 months. I wanted to bring to market a product that was easy to use, built for beginners and could easily be stored in your handbag. Aesthetically, it needed to be cute and appeal to a Gen Z audience. We could only launch with one SKU due to high minimum order quantities, so in August 2021 we launched the Blue Reloader to market. The Blue was a hit so we continued releasing custom colourways that are exclusive to 35mm Co. This has really allowed us to curate a range of cameras that are unique to the brand and best appeal to our customers.

You have recently launched the Reloader camera in two Neutral tones and White, perfect for wedding season! How has diversifying your product colour options helped you to appeal to different customer niches?

The neutrals have definitely allowed us to appeal to a millennial audience. These colourways were highly requested by our customers - particularly brides-to-be that were seeking a film camera for their weddings. The neutrals definitely align more with my personal style so I've loved expanding the range - they're easy to pair as a fashion accessory and make a great gift if you're unsure what colour to purchase.

35mm Co. has a visually distinct product and brand. At what stage of growing your business did you invest in professional brand design?

I love this question. I'm not a graphic designer so I invested in one from the very beginning. I provide the creative direction for 35mm Co across our branding and product design, and a graphic designer brings the concepts to life. I heavily invested in our brand identity when I launched The Reloader. We gave 35mm Co's branding a complete makeover and launched to market with a whole new look.

Do you have any tips for other entrepreneurs wanting to launch a product in a market with many already-established competitors – how did you create a unique brand voice, hype and loyalty?

You need a strong point of difference. For 35mm Co, it was our product. The Reloader negates the need for single-use, disposable film cameras. The reusable element, coupled with an affordable price point and aesthetic design was our unique selling point. Our brand voice is laced with nostalgia which has always been integral to 35mm Co's brand identity (we sell memories, not cameras). Tiktok was incredible for organic reach and building hype when we launched to market.

You’ve done a few collaborations with visual artists – from custom painted cameras to stickers and camera bags – can you tell us a bit about the collaboration process?

We love collaborating with artists at 35mm Co. We collaborated with local queer artist Kasia Frankowicz to create a limited edition release of hand-painted cameras for Sydney World Pride - this was such a beautiful collection and we loved working with Kasia to bring it to life. More recently we have collaborated with Italian-Australian artist Studio Sogni to create a limited edition European-Summer inspired collection. Elena presented us with her artwork ideas for the collection, of which we then selected our favourite to use across a limited edition head scarf, camera box and sticker sheet. It was really important to us that Elena was involved in the collaborative process from start to finish - we implemented her suggestions for content creation and marketing to ensure that the collaboration felt authentic for both brands.

As a brand aimed primarily at Gen-Zs, you often need to be ahead of the curve and on top of the latest trends. How do you determine what your customers will want next – do you look at feedback, conduct market research or just do what feels natural for the brand?

Absolutely. We regularly review customer feedback and involve our community in the product development process. Our White Reloader camera stemmed from customers asking for a film camera that catered to wedding parties. We offer a 30% discount on bundles of 10, 20, 50 and 100 White Cameras for this reason.

You started the 35mm Co. journey without a big following, do you think growing a brand or personal following is a crucial early goal?

It really depends on your circumstance. If you have a strong personal brand, I would absolutely leverage it to grow a business, however I do believe that your brand needs to be able to stand on its own. I would priortise building consumer trust first and foremost for your brand.

What unexpected challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur, and how do you motivate yourself to push through?

Public speaking has always been a challenge for me. I'm naturally quite introverted and didn't want to be the face of the brand when I launched 35mm Co. I started saying yes to podcast and public speaking opportunities which forced me to put myself out there. This has definitely improved my public speaking skills and I love speaking about the business now.

As the founder of a successful and rapidly scaling business, how do you make time to slow down and take care of yourself?

This is something I've learnt to prioritise as my work life gets busier. I get acupuncture weekly and do regular infrared saunas - both of which allow me an hour to myself, phone free to switch off and take time away from the business. I love reading before bed each night and try to spend at least one day of my weekend away from work, with family or friends.

SHOP 35MM CO. FOLLOW MADI STEFANIS

We bring to life the dreams that

keep you up at night

In The Loop Design Studio is a creative agency specialising in influencer

branding and strategy. Contact us here today xxx