Here's How a 42-Year-Old Built a Multimillion-Dollar Business by Making Phone Cases

Hong Kong-based tech accessories brand, Casetify’s story is a true example of the entrepreneurial spirit and the great opportunities that social media brought to the world. With the thought of giving people the power to make their own phone cases, Casetify’s co-founder Wesley Ng reinvented the phone case industry sowing the seeds of one of the biggest tech accessory brands across the world. Wesley and fellow co-founder Ronald Yeung founded Casetify in 2011 and since then the company has sold more than 15 million phone cases, topping $300 million in annual revenue last year, reports CNBC. Here’s a look at the inspiring story behind the multibillion-dollar business of Casetify.

How was Casetify founded?

Casetify was born with a mission to remodel the business of one of the largest tech accessories in the world, the phone case. Once in an interview with Highsnobiety, Wesley Ng revealed that he conceived the idea of the business when he first ventured into the world of social media. He was fascinated by Instagram, right after purchasing his first iPhone.

While he was scrolling through stories and moments of happiness shared by people on the social media platform, he failed to find a phone case that he liked. Thus, he conceived the idea of building something that would allow people to express themselves with their phone cases. This led to the creation of the app called Casetagram which let customers turn their favorite photos into custom phone cases. Soon, Casetagram turned into Casetify to immerge as one of the greatest crossovers of social media and technology.

Casetify’s smart promotion strategy

Leveraging the growing culture of social media influencers in its early stages, Wesley Ng tapped into influencers who had lots of Instagram followers. He sent messages to them asking if they wanted to turn their photos into customized phone cases. According to Wesley, he thought that if the influencers liked the product, they would automatically share it with their followers. This strategy is now common among companies that are just starting out and have a low marketing budget.

Jamie Oliver was one of the very first celebrities who popularised the brand and drove massive traffic to the website. As per CNBC, it was at this moment when Wesley decided it was finally the time to quit his day job and invest all of his time into Casetify.

Moreover, Casetify was the first to move to have an edge over its competition. Over the next years, the company received great reviews from international press including The New York Times, TechCrunch, Mashable, and more. The increased visibility allowed Casetify to reach out and bag endorsements from bigger celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Drake, and Olivia Rodrigo. The company also has global partnerships with brands like Disney, NASA, and Saint Laurent.

Wide range of products and customization

Casetify thrives on its unique phone cases, providing options for iPhone users, Android users, and users of products like Airpods, iPads, MacBooks, AirTag holders, and more. The platform also allows customers to choose the print/design of the case, color, and any text or photos.

There are multiple case types, fonts, colors, and layout options. Customers can also select photo grid cases with different layout options and add pictures from their social media handles or directly from their devices.

Over the years, Casetify has collaborated with global brands such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pokemon, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and recently with Marvel to release the Spider-Man and Venom collection.

Strategy to compete 

Casetify’s competition has got tougher than ever in an increasingly online marketplace. Thus, to remain relevant and preserve its leadership, the company has made itself available on other platforms such as TikTok, removing its exclusivity from Instagram. The company has also expanded its product offerings to a variety of accessories beyond phone cases as well. Further, Casetify’s products are now available in physical stores as well, and in 2018, Nordstrom started selling Casetify products, too.

Currently, the company has 25 brick-and-mortar stores, throughout Asia and Australia, and it opened its first U.S. store last year in Santa Clara, California. The company is also experimenting with 'Style labs' in some cities like New York City where it opened last month.