GOING PLACES
Jennifer Rubio is the marketing mind behind luggage brand Away, which has created a loyal tribe of travellers in just three years. By Victoria Baker.
Jennifer Rubio is the marketing mind behind luggage brand Away, which has created a loyal tribe of travellers in just three years.
Like all good ideas, it seems obvious in hindsight. Luggage carousels covered in indistinguishable and uninteresting black nylon bags have been passing in front of our eyes for years. For Jen Rubio, a broken suitcase in Zurich airport, and the fact that none of her friends could recommend a luggage brand with any enthusiasm, was the kernel of the idea for Away. Just three years later, it was reported (although never officially confirmed) that the Duchess of Sussex gave an Away suitcase to each of the guests at her New York baby shower. While it takes more than marketing to build a business, Away’s thoroughly modern success story owes much to its founders’ clever ideas about what a brand should be.
Jen met her co-founder Steph Korey when they started work on the same day at online eyewear retailer Warby Parker, then a small start-up. Several years later, after the Zurich airport incident, Rubio called Korey, who was studying at business school. “I never set out to become an entrepreneur, but I’d always pursued roles that allowed me to work on things I was curious about. It wasn’t until my suitcase broke that my curiosity manifested into a business plan,” says Rubio. “I’m a problem-solver at heart and, in this case, the problem was that the brand and products I thought people needed just did not exist.
Steph and I felt so strongly about it that we were compelled to do it ourselves.”
The timing was right for both women, and they started work on the business in 2015, launching their first suitcase in early 2016 with a team of four. “Steph and I have very different skill sets, so figuring out the best way to divide the work has actually been the easy part,” says Rubio. “I’m focussed on bringing our brand to life and Steph is focussed on building a business that scales. We work together on all of the big-picture things and the strategic vision. As a co-founder team we can compensate for each other’s blind spots, which I feel has always given us an edge.”
The luggage itself is slick yet functional, with clever touches including a built-in battery for phone charging in the carry-on cases, a laundry bag and personalisation options. The range now encompasses four suitcase sizes plus a cute kids’ version, as well as complementary weekend bags and backpacks.
From the beginning, the idea was to create luggage that you’d be happy to buy, carry and recommend. “Our goal has always been to solve real problems that travellers face by creating products and experiences that make the journey more seamless,” says Rubio.
The business works on a direct-to-consumer model, with Away manufacturing and selling directly to customers, first online and now also from its own bricks-and-mortar stores. There’s a new wave of brands working this way: think Warby Parker, where the duo met, beauty phenomenon Glossier, fashion brand Everlane and sustainable footwear label Allbirds. It’s a model that allows the brands to do away with the middle layers of mark-up added by wholesalers and retailers, and means they have complete control over their marketing,
merchandising and messaging. And for all of them, communication is key. Rubio herself sounds like your cool, connected friend; the one who goes to the best parties, and is up on the latest and greatest of everything that matters. The Away brand voice and aesthetic are similar – she describes it as “inspired, but not out of reach”. Away’s focus is fixed on travel, rather than just on luggage.
“Before Away, a lot of luggage brands were using top-down voices that focussed on their products’ features (the wheels and the zippers!) but we’re creating one that’s familiar and intent on telling a broader narrative around travel and the places you could go with our products,” she says.
And here’s the key to it all: creating connections. “So much of what consumers today are looking for is a connection with the brand,” says Rubio. “They’re placing almost human expectations on the companies they interact with and they feel like their purchasing decisions are a reflection of their identity. If they just wanted a product, they’d buy it on Amazon. At Away, we’re building community through every touchpoint we have with our customers – we’re providing them with opportunities for meaningful interactions with the brand.” These touchpoints include their stores – originally planned to build awareness of the brand, but now cornerstones of the business in their own right.
“The stores are a place to bring a community together and for people to feel inspired to plan their next trip. We’re creating an experience that draws people in and allows us to connect with them in a way that we couldn’t do online alone,” says Rubio.
It’s a clever strategy, particularly in the aspirational and content-rich world of travel. A scroll through the brand’s Instagram feed and the #travelaway hashtag reveals a breezy, confident tone, and a social-media savvy set of followers. User-generated content from around the world is a strong part of its social presence, allowing customers to feel part of a tribe. Collabs extend exposure even further, including a recent tie-in with model Karlie Kloss. “Karlie was an early fan of Away, so we collaborated with her on a collection that would create something special for our tech-savvy customers, while also drawing attention to the work she does with Kode with Klossy to support and empower girls in tech,” says Rubio.
As a tech founder herself, how does she find time to direct her energy outside the demands of the business? “I believe in putting your energy towards what nourishes you, and because I love what I do, I do end up spending a lot of time thinking about work. I know that everything can’t get my full attention all the time, but I try to be aware of both what needs my attention and what’s good for me, and allocate my energy accordingly. If your idea of balance is trying to split your life evenly across the things that are important to you, you’ll almost always end up dropping the ball on something and feeling a lot of guilt. It’s a fluid thing for me.”
Away’s value is climbing steadily towards a billion dollars and that much-vaunted ‘unicorn’ status. While the pair try not to centre on it, they do see symbolic value in what they’ve achieved.
“I read that of the 200-plus venture-backed companies worth over a billion dollars, only two dozen or so have female founders,” says Rubio. “That’s insane! If anything, we’d be thrilled to set another great example and show the next generation what’s possible.”
Jennifer Rubio will speak at the Vogue Codes Summit in Sydney on June 14. Go to codes.vogue.com.au.
“CONSUMERS TODAY ARE LOOKING FOR A CONNECTION WITH THE BRAND”