How CASETiFY builds buzz with every drop

As Star Wars Day swept across social media on 4 May, brands once again rushed to align with pop culture’s most enduring fandoms, including global lifestyle brand known for its customisable tech accessories, CASETiFY. For Star Wars Day, the brand tapped into 'The Force' and unveiled a collection with references to the Star Wars IP, including the Rebel Alliance, the Galactic Empire and fan-favourite droids C-3PO and R2-D2. 

While many rely on nostalgia for one-off spikes in attention, CASETiFY has built an entire strategy around it by pairing iconic IP with emerging artists, cult labels, and internet-loved creators to keep its product drops consistently in demand.

From Tom & Jerry to lifestyle darling Oatside, CASETiFY’s drops are more than just design tweaks. They’re product-led campaigns built to start conversations, fuel fan engagement, and reflect a global audience’s ever-shifting interests. According to Beatrix Wong, head of new markets at CASETiFY, it all starts with alignment.

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“Our core strategy for collaborations revolves around partnering with brands that align with our values of quality, creativity, and self-expression,” said Wong in an interview with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. “We seek out brands that resonate with our audience and offer unique perspectives, enabling us to create designs that are both exciting and culturally relevant.”

That mix of cultural cachet and emotional connection is no accident. Wong said each potential partnership goes through a tight vetting process, one that looks beyond short-term trends to find shared values and community crossover.

“Successfully balancing cultural relevance, brand alignment, and commercial success is essential for any collaboration, though finding that ideal combination can be challenging,” she said. “We also seek a shared audience between our brand and the potential partner to ensure the collaboration resonates with both communities.”

Two recent collections offer a snapshot of this strategy in action. The "Oatside x CASETiFY" range, launched in time for the back-to-school season, blending playful designs with functionality and featuring customisable phone and laptop cases inspired by the nostalgic self-expression found on school lockers. The collection includes ‘locker personalities’ such as the 'athlete locker', 'slacker locker', and 'popular girl locker', with witty quotes and the oat milk brand’s quirky Bearism mascot bringing a whimsical twist to CASETiFY’s tech-forward product lineup.

Meanwhile, CASETiFY’s collaboration with Malaysian artist Chow Hon Lam introduced fans to Buddy Gator, the gentle green alligator whose comics spread messages of kindness and positivity. The partnership marked CASETiFY’s first with a Malaysian-made character, and included a product line of phone, tablet and earbud cases, as well as Instagram giveaways that brought the collab to life online. It also tapped into hyper-local fandom while amplifying an artist with growing global reach.

“Audience engagement is paramount to our success,” Wong said. “We closely monitor the brands and trends that resonate with [our community], enabling us to identify potential collaboration partners.” Each launch is then amplified through what she calls a multi-faceted approach from story-driven social content to immersive retail events that bring the designs to life.

That flexibility extends to the scale of each collaboration. When working with global franchises, CASETiFY taps into wide-reaching brand equity to reach mass audiences. But for smaller, local names, the brand shifts gears to spotlight distinctive voices and untold stories. “We emphasise their distinctive stories and artistic styles, providing them with a platform to reach a wider audience while fostering a sense of local pride,” said Wong.

Behind the creative decisions lies a healthy amount of data. Wong said the team leans on customer surveys, social listening, and past sales performance to ensure each new partnership hits the mark. “Understanding customer preferences, current trends, and cultural sentiments helps us make informed decisions about potential partners and ensures that our collaborations resonate with our audience," explained Wong. 

Operating across multiple global markets also demands nuance. While the brand’s identity stays consistent, Wong said CASETiFY tweaks visual elements, influencer choices, and messaging to better resonate with regional audiences.

“We aim to achieve a balance between global appeal and local relevance,” she said. “This might involve incorporating region-specific design elements, partnering with local brands and influencers, or tailoring our marketing messages to reflect local cultural nuances.”

Though she couldn’t reveal specifics, Wong teased that more “exciting new collaborations” are on the way.

“We encourage fans to stay tuned to our social media channels for sneak peeks and announcements,” she said.

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