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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Emplifi helps boost efficiency, increase revenue, and scale your social media — whether you have a small team or a complex product. Want to see how? Let’s talk today.
We’re recognized as a market leader in innovation, customer support, and ease of use from these organizations.