Why Your Best Customers Can Be Your Best Marketers
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Episode Description
ABOUT THE EPISODE The people who already love a brand can be more effective than a traditional influencer campaign.
Lindsey Carter, Founder and CEO of SET Active, explains how the activewear brand identifies passionate customers and turns them into authentic advocates through its SET Insider program. She shares why social media should be a place for connection, how product drops can create a sense of belonging, and what marketers can learn from building a community customers want to be part of.
ABOUT THE PODCAST Marketing Matters is hosted by Wharton marketing professors Barbara Kahn and Americus Reed. Each week they discuss marketing and advertising trends, consumer behavior, data and analytics, the latest in retail marketing, brand-building, and much more with their expert guests. Episodes are recorded at the Wharton School.
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Brief Summary
Lindsay Carter explains how Set Active uses customer advocates, product drops, and lifestyle storytelling to stand out in activewear.
Key points
- Activewear for the everyday girl. Lindsay Carter saw that activewear marketing centered on workouts and performance, leaving everyday customers like her out. Set Active began with a simple promise: make getting dressed easier with matching sets.
- Coffee shops as a research lab. Without relying on formal data, Carter watched what women wore as they came and went from coffee shops. Those observations helped her recognize a need for everyday activewear.
- Connection is the real social strategy. Carter traces her approach to social media back to a love of connecting people and telling stories. That instinct shaped both her earlier work and the way she built Set Active.
- Trust the gut—and stay close to customers. After losing touch with customers during a low point, Set Active refocused on understanding what they want. Carter also trusts her instincts when a product or graphic doesn’t feel right, even after approval.
- Customers become Set Insiders. Set Active invites loyal customers to share behind-the-scenes content in their own voice, with clear guidelines when free product is involved. One customer’s brand videos helped her reach 10,000 TikTok followers.
- Selling a feeling, not just leggings. Set Active builds immersive worlds around product drops, bringing customers into the experience online and in person. The goal is more than convincing someone to buy another pair of leggings.
Episode highlights
- Activewear for the everyday girlLindsay Carter saw that activewear marketing centered on workouts and performance, leaving everyday customers like her out. Set Active began with a simple promise: make getting dressed easier with matching sets.“getting dressed should require less decision making, not more.”2:14Oct 22, 2026
- Coffee shops as a research labWithout relying on formal data, Carter watched what women wore as they came and went from coffee shops. Those observations helped her recognize a need for everyday activewear.“that was like my personal data.”4:53Oct 22, 2026
- Connection is the real social strategyCarter traces her approach to social media back to a love of connecting people and telling stories. That instinct shaped both her earlier work and the way she built Set Active.“the art of connection”7:16Oct 22, 2026
- Trust the gut—and stay close to customersAfter losing touch with customers during a low point, Set Active refocused on understanding what they want. Carter also trusts her instincts when a product or graphic doesn’t feel right, even after approval.“we just lost touch with the customer.”10:32Oct 22, 2026
- Customers become Set InsidersSet Active invites loyal customers to share behind-the-scenes content in their own voice, with clear guidelines when free product is involved. One customer’s brand videos helped her reach 10,000 TikTok followers.“These customers have almost become their own influencer.”14:23Oct 22, 2026
- Selling a feeling, not just leggingsSet Active builds immersive worlds around product drops, bringing customers into the experience online and in person. The goal is more than convincing someone to buy another pair of leggings.“We're selling product, yes, but we're also selling a feeling.”16:21Oct 22, 2026
- Finding the customer in the experimentsAfter trying categories like denim, Lindsey says the key lesson was understanding what the customer really wants: clothes that fit her real life and help her feel put together.“Our customer is someone who honestly just wants to feel put together without overthinking it.”21:14Oct 22, 2026
- A drop can bring in more than one generationLindsey explains how a sporty, nostalgic collection can appeal to older customers while introducing younger shoppers to a new side of the brand. Different drops create different entry points into SET Active.“Wait a second, do I need that?”26:14Oct 22, 2026
