• by Barbie Romero , June 23, 2026

Audiences watch. Communities participate. Gabrielle Richards on why that distinction drives everything at Shapermint, how TikTok Shop changed the way they evaluate creators, and what it takes to push bold creative ideas past internal gatekeepers.

1. At our last Retail Summit, you mentioned TikTok Shop being huge right now. How has that changed your marketing strategy?

What’s amazing about TikTok Shop is the transparency it provides to creators and brands. In the past, many marketers would base their influencer and creator hiring decisions on followers, engagement rates, and content quality. Now, on TikTok, you can see which creators are thriving in certain categories and who are actually generating GMV. You’ll often see that the following is not necessarily a driving force if the creator performs “well”. TikTok Shop also has a strong halo effect on D2C and Amazon. With all that said, it’s caused us to allocate more resources in our community to serve both Meta and TikTok. 

2. What does your process look like for analyzing and reacting to TikTok trends quickly?

Speed is everything. We're watching trending sounds, formats, and conversations in our category every single day. When something picks up, we have a process to get a test version out within 48 to 72 hours. 

3. What separates brands that successfully build community from brands that just build audiences?

An audience watches. A community participates. The difference is whether people actually feel seen. For Shapermint, that means showing up with real customer stories and real bodies, not just polished campaigns. Community members defend you, share with you, and come back. Audiences leave the moment someone else runs a better ad.

4. What advice would you give marketers trying to push more ambitious creative ideas internally?

Bring the data, but lead with the emotional angle. Provocative & creative content tends to perform well because it evokes emotion, whether that's laughter, tears, or anger. Saying "I want to try something bold" gets pushback. Saying "here's what's connecting with our audience right now and here's what we want to test" is a completely different conversation. Also, start small. You don't need a full campaign budget to prove a concept. One good test can open more doors than a 10-slide deck.

5.  Is there a TikTok Shop brand whose strategy you really admire?

Comfrt. They built their whole presence around mental health and emotional wellness, and it actually resonates. They're not just selling hoodies, they're selling a feeling. And their community shows up for it. The way they tied product to purpose without it feeling forced is something I genuinely admire.

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