ThredUp:
From Transactional to Emotional

“Bianca is one of those rare brand leaders who can see both the forest and the trees. She is equally gifted at shaping big-picture strategy and rolling up her sleeves to make the creative sing. She doesn't just make the work beautiful, she makes it meaningful and effective.”

— Kristen Brophy, SVP, Head of Marketing, ThredUp

The Beginning

Understanding the Problem

ThredUp had millions of items and strong unit economics. What it didn't have was a reason for customers to love it.

The messaging leaned heavily on discounts and sales, limiting its ability to connect with customers on a deeper level. Brand awareness remained relatively low, and in a crowded value apparel category, ThredUp lacked a distinctive point of view. The product was strong. The emotional story was missing.

I joined as an embedded partner within ThredUp's marketing and brand organization, working day-to-day with leaders and cross-functional teams. This embedded approach gave me ground-level understanding of how the brand operated and ensured the strategy was built with the team and aligned with business objectives. At the same time, I curated a group of external creative collaborators – writers, stylists, content creators, and cultural thinkers – to bring fresh perspectives and help shift ThredUp's brand from transactional to emotional.

The Middle

The Strategy and the Work

Insight

ThredUp’s customers are value-driven, but value alone isn't differentiating. What draws people in—and brings them back—is the thrill of discovery, personal expression, and the joy of finding something that feels uniquely them.

Brand Advantage

ThredUp offers unmatched variety at prices that feel smart. Shoppers trust they'll always find something that fits their evolving style.

The Strategy

Reposition value not as a discount message, but as a form of freedom—freedom to explore, experiment, and express personal style in endlessly individual ways.

This led to the overarching brand narrative:

Think Secondhand First

Fashion is more than what you wear—it's how you express yourself, discover inspiration, and build connection. ThredUp makes secondhand feel modern, accessible, and creatively liberating. The experience shifts from endless sifting to intentional curating. Personal style becomes less about consumption and more about editing, refining, and choosing what feels true to you.

Endless Possibilities. Only One You.

How We Worked

I built a content framework connecting brand narrative to storytelling formats across social, editorial, and creator activations. By pairing ThredUp's internal strengths with curated external collaborators, we created a creative ecosystem that felt distinctly secondhand, distinctly personal, and distinctly ThredUp.

As ThredUp undertook a comprehensive rebrand, I served as strategic advisor, ensuring the work focused less on pure aesthetics and more on customer benefit. This meant integrating AI-powered features that helped shoppers explore personal style, making the experience of discovering secondhand feel intuitive and personalized rather than overwhelming. The rebrand became a practical manifestation of "Endless Possibilities. Only One You"– using technology to help customers navigate variety and find what feels uniquely theirs.

The Future

Impact and What's Next

This work gives ThredUp a long-term platform to build brand love, not just brand transactions. The narrative launched across campaigns, social content, email, and site experience – shifting brand perception from discount-focused to style-driven.

It created:

  • A differentiated emotional position within the value apparel space

  • A unified story across brand, performance, and customer experience

  • A foundation for future campaigns, activations, and cultural storytelling

  • A scalable approach rooted in personal style and creative freedom

Testimonial

“Bianca is one of those rare brand leaders who can see both the forest and the trees. She is equally gifted at shaping big-picture strategy and rolling up her sleeves to make the creative sing. She doesn’t just make the work beautiful, she makes it meaningful and effective. It's rare to find someone who is as strong of a creative and campaign strategist as they are a writer and stylist. She can do it all.

During her time consulting with our marketing team, she crafted a brand narrative that helped transform our company from transactional messaging to a more emotional, human-centered story. She helped us put personal style and freedom at the heart of who we are, and worked closely with internal teams to execute the vision across touchpoints. As a key advisor throughout our comprehensive rebrand, Bianca brought both strategic insight and creative direction, ensuring our vision came to life seamlessly across every creative touchpoint.

On top of it all, she has been a fantastic thought partner as we’ve begun meaningfully investing in building our brand.”

— Kristen Brophy, SVP, Head of Marketing, ThredUp