STICKY BUSINESS:

A community-building success story

Xero customer Sticky, a family business making delicious candy treats, is a great example of a business successfully harnessing this power of community to survive and thrive during the pandemic.

With foot traffic to their counter at The Rocks in Sydney grinding to a halt, and all their weddings and corporate events cancelled, Sticky owners David King and Rachel Turner faced the prospect of shutting down after 18 years in business. With nothing to lose, they began streaming their production live on Facebook and Instagram, and suddenly their audience and potential customer base exploded. Then, in a stroke of genius, their daughter suggested setting up a TikTok account.

David was initially sceptical— even asking “What is TikTok?”—but they gave it a go, and the engaging visuals and fun, quirky stories they posted were a big hit with the channel’s audience. The different demographics and focus of the three platforms worked to nurture and cross-promote one another.

Now, with over 2.8 million TikTok followers and reposts from the likes of Snoop Dogg, business is booming. They’ve hired new staff, expanded production levels and started the ball rolling on international exports.

“Whether you’re in Florida, Copenhagen or Sydney, we’re like the local business,” David said of the effect of their online communitybuilding efforts. “We might be on the other side of the world, but we’re your local lolly shop and you know us.”