Ricky Van Veen

A content guy turns 'home state' nostalgia into candles built to go viral

Sam tells how CollegeHumor/Vimeo founder Ricky Van Veen, now a Facebook exec, started Home State Candles, scents themed to your home state, because he knew as a content guy that state-themed products sell best and go viral.

“but as side project, he started this thing called like Home State Candles where they make candles that smell like your home state. So Washington is probably pine trees, California is probably ocean, Florida, who knows. So he knew this was going to go viral because he was a content guy and he knew that state-themed things sell best, right?”

Steal thisMatch a popular repeat-purchase product to a tribe people identify with (home state, birthdate) to build in virality.