A Deeper Look at WNRS Successful Use of Social Media
We’re Not Really Strangers is a U.S. brand created by Koreen Odiney, a model and artist based in L.A. that began the WNRS card game in order to help people create deep and meaningful connections between people. The two-player game is designed to ask thought-provoking personal questions about yourself and your life that will result in building a stronger connection between you and the person you are playing with, whether it’s a stranger, friend, relative, or significant other. They also have recently introduced WNRS-themed merchandise such as hoodies, crewnecks, t-shirts, phone cases, and other items that reinforce the beliefs and takeaways of the game. We’re Not Really Strangers sells their product through their own website and has social platforms on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and Tiktok. They use their social media platforms to create social commentary, promote positivity, and display real-life connections made between people using their product.
“Find the lesson. Because I’m finding the lessons every day. And that’s what I turn into art.” - K. Odiney
WNRS uses all relevant and up-to-date platforms that will reach mass audiences in today’s social stratosphere. Each account is catered towards which platform it is using and is adjusted a little differently to fit the use of that platform. For example, their Twitter account is used as a diary space where Koreen expresses quotes and her daily thoughts and opinions (as most people do on Twitter). Their Youtube channel is a recent endeavor but features short social experiment videos of real people using the game. Tiktok also includes short clips of inspirational quotes using their products. All of the platforms reinforce Koreen’s goals of establishing the game as well as create a cohesive brand image with their trademark color; red. Red is also often a color that is associated with intense emotions such as passion and love, which greatly reflects their product and the value they provide to customers.
Arguably I believe the brand’s use of Instagram is by far the best out of all of their social platforms. All of their platforms have a substantial following, although Instagram is the largest with an astounding 2.4 million followers. Therefore, the fact that WNRS takes advantage of Instagram is a strategic move on their part because this is where they reach the most amount of people.
WNRS also displays a great understanding of effective content marketing and creates consistent content that would resonate with its audience, whether it’s content that is informative, inspiring, or relatable. Personally, I love looking to their Instagram for aesthetic inspirational quotes and will often share their posts to friends and family because they resonate with me, and I’m sure many others do the same. Their content fits the time and era where there is an emphasis on self-love, self-development, and inclusion. Their profile features models of all different races, ethnicities, and genders. They also have celebrities that are using and promoting their game through social media whether it’s Noah Centineo, Emma Chamberlain, Dr. Phill, Hailey Bieber, Stassie, and Penn Badgley.
Even if their followers are not buying the game, they are providing value and this can lead to purchases in other merchandise as well. Even though I have never bought the game, I love the brand as a whole and ended up buying a (very expensive) hoodie from them, due to social media. In my opinion, the only thing that the brand could be doing better on social media is to have their products directly incorporated or linked to posts to make it easier and more accessible to find and purchase, as sometimes it can come across as just motivational quotes rather than a card-game. However, in a way the quotes attract the kinds of people that would love the game, therefore it can go both ways.
WNRS is unique in that there really isn’t any card game like it around (at least that I know of) today. I believe the most popular card games that set the standard in the industry are Cards Against Humanity and What Do You Meme, which are both entertainment-based card games. WNRS focuses on human connection rather than being a party game. None the less, after looking at the social media platforms of these games (specifically Instagram), they both do not have as big of a social media presence (Cards Against Humanity: 68.6k followers, What Do You Meme: 204k followers). Their profiles are also not as cohesive and aesthetically pleasing, but that could also be because of the nature of the games as being more entertainment-focused.
Overall, there is nothing that really compares to WNRS in the industry today and the brand’s social media platforms take advantage of this. I believe the game became a trend and attracted customers due to its social media presence. WNRS goes beyond being just a card game. The realizations exist beyond the game. The beliefs exist beyond the game. The inspiration exists beyond the game. The connections exist beyond the game. All with the powerful message that indeed “We’re Not Really Strangers”.
