The Marketing Bestie Podcast with zoeunlimited - when pretty privilege fails you

Episode Date: January 19, 2026

How did the D’Amelios screw up more than$ 32 million worth of pretty privilege? The downfall of the D'Amelios explained by your marketing bestie. A case study on digital marketing, branding, and business growth from a Gen Z perspective

Okay, when I sell my business, I want the best tax and investment advice. I want to help my kids, and I want to give back to the community. Ooh, then it's the vacation of a lifetime. I wonder if my out of office has a forever setting. An IG Private Wealth advisor creates the clarity you need with plans that harmonize your business, your family, and your dreams. Get financial advice that puts you at the center. Find your advisor at IG Private Wealth.com.

Amazon presents, Laura versus Fruitflies. Swarming your fruit and terrorizing your kitchen, these little freaks multiply at a rate that would make a rabbit say, yo. Chill. But Laura shopped on Amazon and saved on cleaning spray, countertop wipes, and fly traps. Hey, fruit flies, your baby boom ends here. Save the Everyday with Amazon. This episode is brought to you by Tellus Online Security.

Oh, tax season is the worst. You mean hack season? Sorry, what? Yeah, cybercriminals love tax forms. But I've got Tellus Online Security. It helps protect against identity theft and financial fraud so I can stress less during tax season or any season. Plan started just $12 a month.

Learn more at tellus.com slash online security. No one can prevent all cybercrime or identity theft. Conditions apply. How far can Pretty Privilege get you? TikTok star Charlie DiMilleo. Charlie DeMilleo. Charlie DeMilleo. I was like, that's it. I'm famous.

Don't talk to me. Guys, it's Charlie and I'm super excited to be sharing with you my first ever YouTube video on the YouTube channel. If there was one person who saved the universe in their past life, it must be Charlie Demalio because she was dealt with everything anyone could ever ask to be successful. A virally beautiful face and body. Every opportunity in Hollywood commercial. Okay, boomer. The top talent agency in the industry. A book deal.

A reality TV show. A TV show. A clothing line. A makeup line. A record deal. But somehow, there is still a way to mess everything up. Just really need to admit this to you guys. I actually do have nipples.

And I mean, that's really, like, that's all that I can say about this right now. So how did the Dimeleu script? grew up more than $32 million worth of Pretty Privilege. That's exactly the mystery we're going to uncover today. But not only that, as your marketing bestie, who graduated top 1% UCLA business economics with a background in marketing, we are going to explore how pretty privilege can still fail you if you have a terrible brand. And how you, yes you, no matter if you have pretty privilege or not,

can build a successful brand to help you down your career. And by brand, I don't just mean slapping your name or face on a t-shirt. Branding is about how your future college, future boss, future boyfriend sees you. And I'm creating this series to analyze celebrities from a marketing perspective, because many of whom do not recognize the power of influence they have over a generation of young girls. I really don't want to work anymore. And I think it's so important to be aware and reflective of the people who are shaping our culture. And despite how terribly the Demelio franchise flopped,

we will also talk about how they could come back from the Laca brand and the hate they always cry about. I'm upset because I haven't been in any drama. First, we need to understand how the Demelios had every single chance to build a billion dollar empire. Charlie DeMalio for those who have never heard of a small app called TikTok, Good for You. It's a Connecticut high schooler who is not a Nebo Baby, an Instagram heiress, or a self-made artist. She started creating dance videos on TikTok in 2019 that quickly broke the platform and the Guinness World Record as the first person with 50 million followers on TikTok in

April 2020, then 100 million in November 2020. The entire internet and Charlie herself was dumbfounded by the success because while Charlie was a dancer many have claimed her dances to be mediocre surely it can't be that people are shallow and that the TikTok algorithm prefers a pretty face right not possible at all of course Renegade became the Charlie Demelio dance because she did it so much better than the original choreographer and of course the reason Dixie Demalio Charlie's sister began blowing up too was that her natural talents blew the platform away All in all, some people are born on the right side of the beauty algorithm and beauty standard,

and they should embrace it. But as the sisters are dealing with this life-changing fame, which in this day means power, which means money, their parents and new teams saw a pot of gold. How exciting! There is so much possibility when the hype is only rising for the girls. They were seen as the model citizens of TikTok and basically had the attention of every teenage girl, in the nation. There was so much potential here for them to grow into the icons and role models for the next generation of young girls. But no, no, the D'Amalian parents said,

heck, we are the new Kardashians. And if you're the Kardashians, then being hot is all you need to build a successful business, right? And so what happened next was a big, impressive list of business ventures. But if you take a closer look, you'll start to realize that each is very mid and that the team behind them is not just a uncreative, but literally throwing random shit at the wall and hoping that one would stick. Wow. So what this is is a look at your 2021. This is the major things we're focusing on.

So we have all partnerships, you have the different companies you're working with, like, you know, ring lights and starting a clothing company. So, and then you have books and TV shows. Well, this is so big, we need to first look at physical products and then their digital appearances that led to the ultimate downfalls. From 2020 to 2023 alone, they had their makeup line with Morphy, not exactly a hit, then a collaboration drink with Dunkin' Donuts, a fragrance line, a nail polish collection, a mattress, a footwear brand, a skincare brand, a popcorn brand, where I don't know which creative genius idea it was to tell the Demalios to dress up as Walmart employees

in order to promote this relatable fun brand. And all they did was to mock the working class where Labor was only a fun activity for them. And being so incredibly talented while launching back to back to back to back to back businesses, Charlie D'amelio, of course, had the time to write a book in 2020, called Essentially Charlie, the ultimate guide to keeping it real, which became a New York Times bestseller.

If there was an award for launching the most number of unmemorable businesses, the D'amilios probably would have won. That's my laundry being finished. If I didn't tell you, you probably don't even know half of these brands existed and some of them deceased. Because honestly, by the speed that these products were launched immediately following the blow-up, there is just no way that they were developed with care and passion from Charlie and Dixie. These brands have no connection with them. Like, why shoes, why popcorn, why mattress.

It's just slapping the Damele label on a bunch of consumer goods that are very mid themselves. D'Amelio Footwear is recommended by doctors to treat broken ankles. Don't say that. I don't care if you like the Kardashians were Haley Bieber. Yes, they also launched and flopped brands, but the brands that we will remember and rave about are the brands that they care about and rave about themselves. Kim Kardashian is known for her iconic body. So what does she launch?

Skims, a shapework company that has quality products that could sell even on their own. Kylie Jenner, known for her lips. So Mama Chris got her to launch Kylie Cosmetics. Haley Bieber, the woman is constantly showing her glowy skin. And each launch is super creative and tied to her personally. Emma Chamberlain. Vlog with coffee for four years. It just makes so much sense you have a coffee company and she has killer creatives.

Alex Earle's merch, very on brand with her personality. The fact that you don't even know the name of the quote unquote brands launched by the D'emelios shows you how disconnected they are from these brands. And it is so funny to read Charlie Demelio's brand inspiration for the shoes as, quote, we are always in heels, we are walking carpets, we've done all the uncomfortable blister-filled shoes before. So it's been really nice to be able to look into our closets and see, hmm, what are we missing and what do we have that we can make better? Clearly, extremely relatable to their teenage girl fan base who walk in heels and go to Carpice all day.

And clearly, the dream shoes for the teenage boys who follow them because of their kids. their hotness. I love you so much. We love you so much. Charlie, let's go. I love you, Charlie, and to go! It's crazy how their entire marketing team never gave a single thought to who the targeted demographic is, because it is not women in their 20s and 30s with actual purchasing power

who won't want to wear these hot pink or electric blue pumps to work. Which is probably a hard concept for the Demelou sisters to grasp because they never had to work a single day since they had enough money to do whatever they want. since 17. And at this point, it is apparent that the main issue is. The D'amelios don't know why people follow them. And frankly, it is hard to answer that question. As many still only know Charlie D'amelio as the famous TikToker who dances and not much more. Surely, digital appearances should help, right? On the personal branding side, although it seems like the D'emal family has done so much since Charlie became famous on TikTok, everything they worked on

somehow only made them less and less relevant and less likable. Don't even wrong, I respect the hustle of the family, where they really tried to emulate the Kardashian grind and did everything possible to stay relevant. But they do not understand the full price of monetizing your family. And what it truly takes for a family to become a money printing machine like the Kardashian clan. Either their team is very lazy or has no creativity. Since blowing up, the D'Amelios launched a podcast because every other influencer under the sun did,

called Two Chicks Podcasts. They made a total of 27 episodes before asking the question, is this what the girls actually want to do? And do they have anything to talk about? Dixie began doing music, and so did Charlie. They had their family YouTube channel, which had a lot of backlash since the first episode, where the girls were seen as extremely rude, and in spite of a private chef-made meal, Dixie threw it up in front of everyone and Charlie said it's better to get dino nuggets.

Sometimes happens when... Oh god. So dramatic. Do we have any dino nuggets? At this point, the Demyl brand was already out of touch with their audiences, who likely don't live in a large mansion with private chefs, but that's okay. They don't have to build a relatable brand if they want to be more aspirational like Taylor Swift or Billy Eilish.

They could keep their mystique and stop doing the mediocre family content. But no. The team behind the demilio's wanted them to be the Kardashians and put them on a reality TV show even after the YouTube family channel backlash. While they lack the very essential elements of the Kardashians to be interesting, sex tapes, celebrity scandals, divorces, pregnancies, the demetals are just too normal and unproblematic compared to other celebrities. The biggest drama they could pull is Charlie and Dixie hating each other. No, I think it's so cute that you riding on my coattails, like, really worked out for you. No, I mean, like, that was your life.

I mean, two years compared to 18, it's like really different. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which is so hard to watch because it's not authentic. I was caught off guard and then expected to be like, oh my god, this is so perfect. You know what? Why don't you put this song on my album? We could do it together. And probably did damage their relationship as a family. What the hell just happened?

Like, I thought you were the only person I can really trust in the world. That's not fair to me. So how are we supposed to live with each other anymore? In addition, the fact that almost every single episode was about the sisters facing hate from people on the internet due to their massive following and massive presence online is very jarring for the audience. Not saying that the hate they're dealing with is not valid or important, but to their viewers who don't understand a life of never needing to work since 17,

having the luxury of time to cry repeatedly in a mansion and complain is very off-putting, where there's a lack of awareness of privilege. The biggest challenge they have to face in life is the hate that come from having hundreds and millions of followers where many cannot even afford a roofer for their heads and have to stress about where the next meal is. The impression of Charlie and Dixie not being appreciative of the capital, money, and power they have

is not only unrelatable, but also unlikable. And if they're building brands after brands after brands that depend on their personal brand and people liking them, then if people don't like them, then of course the brands they release every few months flop, in addition to how each product has no soul or passion. Since the very start, except for maybe Charlie and her dancing, there was not a soul or passion in every project that Dameleus touched on. Dameleu Footwear is recommended by doctors to treat broken ankles.

Don't say that. You can't say that. Not sure if Dixie Damele even wanted to be a TikTok star or singer, while always being overshadowed by Charlie. It's always your time to shine. When the entire enterprise was born because of the lucky, or perhaps unlucky, pretty privilege without a soulful connection, it is doomed to fail as soon as the halo effect of a pretty face or body gets tiring and loses its shine. All in all, I do think Charlie and Dixie are sweet girls

and handle way too much pressure from their team and perhaps even their parents who just want to milk the fuck out of their fame and youth. But like I said before, a brand cannot just be built in one day and you can't just launch 20 things in four years hoping one was stick if you don't have an ounce of passion for any of them so what does make sense for the demilio brand and how could they create something sustainable without further decreasing their likability first they need to make a very conscious decision of whether they want to be influencers or celebrities which are two very separate concepts if they just want to play a role that is aspirational then don't

overexposed themselves by appearing on every show network possible. Keep the mystique. And if they want to be influencers, they need to be way more self-aware and aware of what is normal outside of their multi-million bubble. Stop pretending that they are just a normal family only worth $32 million in a mansion and be more respectful towards the audience that they've been cashing out on. And stop contradicting themselves by stop pretending to be dramatic and problematic in their shows for the sake of views and just stay true to who they are.

And maybe they don't care about music, popcorn, mattress, and that is okay. Which brings up second, they need to stop launching brands. The next brand launch needs to be something so thoughtful and something they absolutely love. Because so much trust has already been lost, they need to let every millet ounce of the next product to show that they poured their soul and their heart into it. And maybe they're not passionate about anything right now, which is also okay. Do some soul searching first, then develop the product that their audiences actually need. And to be honest, if they don't care about products, they don't need to create one.

There is already enough money to be made from working with existing brands that align with them. Third, not sure about Dixie, but Charlie's initial dream was related to dance, and her going on dancing with the stars was a great move. It just aligns so well with who she is at the core. Instead of starting drama, just to start drama with Dixie about pursuing singing. Many people initially follow Charlie because of the positive energy she brings. And maybe from dance, she could create a product that finally connects with her. That helps sell problems for her as a dancer.

Like gear that prevents dance injury that could eventually be pushed out to a broader athletic market. Or dance of leisure that's extremely durable yet comfortable and cute during practice that could eventually become its own clothing line. Instead of popcorn and mattress. With that being said, Although times have changed and the Damelio sisters are highly unlikely to regain that surreal level of mass attention again, all they need to do is to build a stronger connection with their existing massive following, instead of treating them like cash printing machines to feed soulless products to.

And stop doing and saying, problematic, off-handed things, or complain about their privileges to be further disliked. I really don't want to work anymore. Pretty privileged can't get you far, but cannot last a lifetime. Ultimately, it still comes to good intentions, authenticity, and hard work to build a long-lasting brand. Which I do believe the Demelio sisters are capable of and can have a rise to their careers again if they choose to use their influence for good impact. That's how to wear real influence instead of a pretty follower account. Let me know your thoughts if you think the Demelo brand was a flop or not.

And comment below which celebrity you'd like me to analyze next to a marketing perspective. This is your marketing bestie, Zoe Unlimited. Share this video for Impact, and I will see you next week. Frozen lasagna, medium power, 15 minutes. Sounds like Ojo time. Let's play. Feel the fun with Play-O-Jo, the online casino with all the latest slot and live casino games.

What you win is yours to keep with no wagering requirements, instant payouts, and no minimum withdraws. Hey, I just won. Woo-hoo! Feel the fun, play Ojo. Honey, forget about the lasagna. Let's celebrate. 19 plus Ontario only.

Please play responsibly. or that of someone close to you call 1-66-531-2,600, or visit connectxonterio.ca.