In a world where attention is the ultimate currency, authenticity and community building have emerged as indispensable assets for success. At an insightful keynote session at Cannes In Cairns, LiSTNR creators Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw, co-founders of the health and wellness app KIC, shared their insights and inspirational journey.
Lead image: Grant Tothill, Laura Henshaw and Steph Claire Smith
From humble beginnings to navigating the complexities of the industry, Claire-Smith and Henshaw’s story exemplifies the power of authenticity and community engagement.
Starting out as a model in London, Claire-Smith developed an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise, becoming fixated on her appearance at a time when she was more of a “coathanger” than a woman. Returning to Sydney, she bonded with Henshaw over shared experiences struggling with body image and wellness.
“I didn’t know it was going to be as challenging as it was at the time… I was also getting used to hearing a lot of different messages online from different people and having a say in what I looked like,” she said. “I put all my value into just trying to be as small as possible. The agent over there didn’t look at me as a person; they looked at me as a coat hanger that fit into certain measurements”.
What started as a passion project evolved into a thriving business as the pair quickly recognised the need for a more welcoming and inclusive approach to wellness. KIC, launched officially in 2015, aimed to disrupt the wellness industry by promoting a balanced lifestyle devoid of calorie counting and unrealistic transformations. Their success stemmed from staying true to their mission and building organic channels to connect with their audience.
“KIC is on a mission to change the relationship people have with wellness and themselves. It offers hundreds of 1000s of feel-good workouts, recipes, and meditations to keep striving to be the most inclusive, sustainable wellness community on the planet. Promising no calorie counting, no wanes, and no transformation photos…ever,” said the moderator of the panel, Grant Tothill, executive head of LiSTNR Podcasts at SCA.
As their journey progressed, the KIC team delved into the world of podcasting, seeking to provide long-form content for their community. The podcast became a platform for deeper conversations on taboo topics like body image and personal struggles, fostering a sense of camaraderie among listeners.
“We keep reconnecting with the community through the lived experiences and problems that we have gone through with body image. Through the podcast, we open up about things more and more – that is how we grow the podcast every single time because people feel connected. And we take people on the journey,” said Henshaw. “We really wanted a form of long form content to share with our community. Because we know that if someone is going to engage, or we believe this anyway, someone’s going to engage with longer form content, then they’re pretty sticky”.
Central to Kick’s success is their unwavering commitment to authenticity in brand partnerships. Laura and Steph emphasize the importance of aligning with brands that resonate with their values and genuinely benefit their community. By taking their audience on the journey and involving them in every step, they ensure that brand partnerships feel organic and genuine, leading to better engagement and outcomes.
“The first thing that we look at is whether either of us have ever heard of the brand. Or if we’re interested in trialling it for a period of time because we need that, we need to authentically be on board with their values,” Henshaw said.
Looking ahead, the KIC team is focused on continuing to prioritise authenticity and community engagement. They emphasised the importance of understanding audience profiles and tailoring campaigns with precision to maximize engagement.
