Sofia Richie’s lavishly extravagant wedding might have been the best PR stunt in 2023. Her wedding has been nicknamed “our royal wedding”, and she is now regarded as Tiktok’s “it girl”, the “unproblematic nepotism baby”, and the “people’s princess.” Yet even with all this lavish attention, she’s actually only had Tiktok for a little over a month. Before this rebrand she was simply known for her connections to various famous men such as her father Lionel Richie, or her ex-boyfriend Scott Disick. In just a few short weeks she has completely transformed her social persona, and has completely branded herself apart from her celebrity relationships.
In the past month Sofia Richie has received an exponential spike of social currency on every platform. If Google “Sofia Richie wedding” it will result in over 22 million articles. She launched her Tiktok on her wedding weekend where she showcased GRWM (get ready with me) videos, the outfits she was wearing, and what she was doing leading up to her wedding. Her first tik tok was posted on April 20th, and she now has 2.1 million followers, totaling 45.4 million views. Before this rebrand she was averaging around two thousand new followers a day on instagram, in contrast to the week before her wedding where she got up to a whopping number of 600,000 new followers in one day alone. She gained over 2 million followers on Instagram in only one month.
Plenty of grand celebrity weddings have come and gone, and while many have generated buzz very few have had the impact the Richie-Grainge wedding has had. So how did she achieve this level of engagement and public infatuation?
Firstly, timing the launch of her Tiktok to right before her wedding was impeccable. This is one of the only true celebrity weddings that has had intimate real-time behind the scenes footage being posted. If you look at the comments under her Tiktok videos, they are filled with people saying it feels as though they are on Facetime with her. This friendly approach has made her relatable while simultaneously being unattainable. Through these videos showcasing her personality she has created a relationship with her followers which very few socialites of her stature are able to do. These videos highlight her amiable, fun-loving, girl next door nature. From the GRWM videos, to footage of her dancing barefoot with her brother-in-law, as a viewer you truly feel a connection with her. Additionally, she tapped into her already established associations with brands such as Chanel and Jo Malone. This reiterated the timeless brand she was trying to achieve.
A lot can be learned from Sofia Richie’s strategic execution of her rebranding. Most notably how she perfectly tapped into the era of Authentic Influencers. Her genuine, magnetic personality has drawn people in and given her the official title of Tiktok’s new “It Girl”.
