Inside Vessi’s social strategy: A candid Q&A with their social media lead

We sat down with Vessi, the Canadian footwear brand based in Vancouver known for creating waterproof knit shoes made with patented Dyma-tex® technology. Vessi is one of those rare DTC brands that pairs strong product innovation with a standout social presence; clever, community-led, and impossible to ignore.

In this behind-the-scenes conversation with Taylor Knight, Vessi’s Social Media Lead, we dig into how her team approaches TikTok for business, campaign planning, and the wild reality of running social in 2025.

Q: First things first—tell us about that viral water bucket video. What’s the story there?

Taylor: Oh my gosh, yes – the infamous water dump! It was freezing that day, and I wore the same outfit I had in the post. My manager was way too excited to throw the bucket. But honestly, it’s all for the clicks, right? As a social media manager, you sometimes have to do wild things for engagement. That post brought people in and kept them watching. That’s the goal.

Q: What drew you into social media in the first place?

Taylor: I’ve always loved humor—making memes in high school, following funny brands on Twitter. I started at Vessi in customer service on a 3-month contract. Social media was part of that role, and I just leaned into it. I added personality to our replies, got the green light to experiment, and four and a half years later—here I am!

Q: Walk us through a typical day. Are you reactive or do you plan ahead?

Taylor: Honestly, more reactive now. Trends move so fast. We anchor our calendar with campaigns but fill in the blanks with cultural moments or spontaneous content—like the water dump video. Those last-minute ideas often outperform our highly polished ones.

Q: What’s your campaign planning process like at Vessi?

Taylor: It starts with a brief from the marketing team. I’m pulled in early alongside the creative team to align on the campaign’s visual identity and theme. From there, I start researching trends, scrolling TikTok, and figuring out how to make the concept resonate organically on social.

Q: What KPIs matter most to your team?

Taylor: Two big ones: reach and engagement. One tells us we’re growing, the other tells us our community is connecting. My personal favorite? Reach-to-engagement ratio. It’s a clear signal that our content is resonating with the right people.

Q: Do you create separate content strategies for each platform?

Taylor: Definitely. Facebook is for product updates. Instagram is now a mix of entertainment and reels. TikTok is our playground—we test content there first, and if it performs, we adapt it to IG. LinkedIn, of course, is more professional storytelling.

Q: What’s something people don’t realize about running brand social?

Taylor: The time it takes. It’s not just “post and go.” You’re strategizing, editing, reporting, collaborating—it’s a full ecosystem. People think brand social is like managing your personal Instagram. It’s not. You’re representing a company. It has stakes.

Q: What content format is crushing it right now for you?

Taylor: Carousels are huge right now—way more engaging than single images. Reels still work well for us, but static single-photo posts? Pretty much dead unless they’re super impactful. Also, breaking up videos into carousels adds a fun layer of interaction.

Q: Where do you find creative inspiration?

Taylor: Scrolling TikTok (aka my nightly scroll), following top brands, checking comment sections, and chatting with coworkers. It’s less about copying trends and more about understanding the DNA behind what works—and adapting it in a Vessi way.

Q: How do you balance trend participation with staying on-brand?

Taylor: Trends are dying faster than ever. We ask: does this align with our unique value prop—like waterproof shoes? If yes, we jump in. If not, we let it go. Our most successful “trend” content always ties back to what only Vessi can own.

Q: How does social support broader business or retail goals?

Taylor: We collaborate closely with product and retail teams. If we’re launching a shoe or opening a store, we create content around those goals. For example, when we opened our first physical store, we made in-store TikToks to drive awareness—most people still think of us as online-only.

Q: What tool or workflow keeps you sane?

Taylor: My Emplifi dashboards! I have a daily and weekly one for performance and competitor tracking. They’re my emotional support dashboards – I’d be lost without them.

Q: What trends are you over heading into 2025? And which are you excited about?

Taylor: Over? Q4 content that all looked the same, those generic 25% off “newsprint” or photocopier-style posts. I get why brands did them, but it got so stale.

Excited about? Community-first content. Less chasing virality, more building connections. We’re focusing on our superfans and creating experiences that make them feel seen.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to new social media managers?

Taylor: Don’t compare your brand to others’ highlight reels. You’re only seeing their wins. Most content is average—and that’s okay. Just keep going.

Top takeaways to steal from Vessi’s social strategy

1. Use TikTok as an R&D lab: Test scrappy content and repurpose top performers on Instagram.
2. Focus on engagement over follower count: Track reach-to-engagement ratio to measure true resonance.
3. Let your personality through: Weird, relatable, low-fi content often outperforms polished campaigns.

Q: Favorite “Why did this go viral?” moment?

Taylor: We built a Danny DeVito shrine in our office as a joke and posted it on TikTok. It blew up. No real strategy—just weird and funny. Those often do the best.

Q: Final fun one: You get a week off, no phone, no Vessi. What’s Taylor doing?

Taylor: I’d be outside, playing basketball with friends, probably still accidentally filming content. I can’t help it—once a content brain, always a content brain.

Takeaway: Why Vessi’s social strategy works

Vessi’s approach to social media proves that great brand-building doesn’t always come from massive budgets or perfectly polished campaigns. It comes from consistency, creativity, and a deep understanding of your community. Taylor’s work reflects a smart balance of instinct and insight: trend-aware but not trend-obsessed, data-informed but still deeply human.

For retailers looking to scale their social presence, the lesson is clear: Start with your audience. Move fast. Stay weird. Measure what matters. And above all, don’t be afraid to dump a bucket of freezing water on yourself if it tells the right story.

Want more brand insights like this? Stay tuned for the next feature in our Social Media Spotlight series.