Chubstr – fan-made men

• By Chubstr
• 04 Jul 2012

Meet Chubstr

A website set up by the larger-than-life Bruce Sturgell, Chubstr is a blog for generously proportioned men who want to dress as stylishly as their friends. "I’ve always been a bigger guy" Bruce tells us. "But why should that mean I want to live day after day in tracksuits or Hawaiian shirts – the only two options available in the mass market!" Bruce, a digital marketing expert, set up a Tumblr page simply to suggest outfits for his fellow "Chubsters" – but soon enough, he began getting emails from men asking "Where did you get that shirt?", or advice on where to shop and decided to make the website into something with a stronger message behind it.

Evolving style

By listening to the wants and needs of its growing readership, Chubstr evolved from a simple blog into a one stop content shop for larger gentlemen with style. "I wanted to build a strong brand, when I realised that I wasn’t the only one who'd spotted this glaring gap in the market" Bruce told us. "Over time, our readership started informing the content – they started sending in pictures of themselves in outfits they'd put together. A lot of "Big and Tall" shops cater for athletically larger men, whereas I'm more short and round. So what we're doing is creating inspirational content and also, directing our readers to where you can buy the items we highlight."

Big strong branding

In marketing for many years, Bruce knows a thing or two about the power of a loveable brand. "We wanted to find an endearing, memorable name that made it ok to be bigger, and stylish – and we love the name Chubstr, as it's a really positive way to make what is marginalised become mainstream. I think the idea of a recognisable brand is the key to our growth, to make it more than what it is" And because Chubster is unique, having content that's equally unique is essential. "We're evolving all the time, into a high quality fashion destination. We're aming towards high quality photoshoots, a Chubstr fashion line, and generally letting mainstream designers know that big guys aren't a niche, they're a valid consumer. We also plan to better monetize – it was a 6 billion dollar a year industry in 2009, so we have the customer base!"

Our community thrives on sharing inspirational stories. If you have a story to tell your fellow MOO customers, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at yourstory@moo.com and tell us about you, your company, and your story.

Written on:

04 Jul 2012

Categories:

Setting Up A Business