How Lala Kent made enough money with one merch item to make down payment on a $1.3M home
Reality TV star Lala Kent has revealed that she made enough money selling branded merchandise to pay for the down payment on her $1.35 million home in Palm Springs, California. The merchandise consisted of “Send It to Darrell” sweatshirts, which Kent created after a video rant on Instagram referencing her lawyer, Darrell Miller, went viral. Kent’s team used the quick turnaround time and marketing power of Bravo, the network that airs her show Vanderpump Rules, to capitalize on the phrase. The success of the merchandise sales has shown how reality stars can leverage their social media presence to turn a phrase into a lucrative business opportunity.
FAQs:
Who is Lala Kent?
Lala Kent is a reality TV star known for her appearances on Vanderpump Rules, a show about the staff at the restaurant SUR in West Hollywood, California.
What is “Send It to Darrell”?
“Send It to Darrell” is a phrase coined by Kent during a viral Instagram video in which she referenced her lawyer, Darrell Miller. The phrase became a meme among fans of Vanderpump Rules.
What is the merchandise that Kent sold?
Kent sold “Send It to Darrell” sweatshirts through a merchandise company called Homemade Merch. The sweatshirts featured the phrase on the front and back.
How much money did Kent make from the merchandise sales?
Kent has not disclosed the exact amount she made from the merchandise sales, but she has stated that it was enough to cover the down payment on her $1.35 million home in Palm Springs, California.
How did Kent market the merchandise?
Kent used the quick turnaround time and marketing power of Bravo, the network that airs Vanderpump Rules, to promote the merchandise sales. She also promoted the merchandise on her own social media channels.
Lala Kent Earns Enough from One Merchandise Item to Secure Down Payment for $1.3M Home
Reality TV star Lala Kent revealed that her now-famous “Send it to Darrell” sweatshirt merch helped her cover the entire down payment on her $1.35 million home. While selling branded clothing and accessories is not new, it has become a competitive market and requires a lot of things to go right together. Kent’s business associates disclosed that she turned a seemingly unremarkable phrase into a small fortune by being so in-tune with her fans that she could spot “the snowball when it [was] still small”, make quick decisions to put the goods for sale within four hours, and harness the power of Bravo to snag free promotion for her wares. Her “Vanderpump Rules” co-star Scheana Shay also bought a home next to hers. Kent revealed that while she recorded a tense, stinging Instagram video about the legal letter from Scheana’s attorney, she noticed fans had picked up on one particular phrase from the screed – “Send it to Darrell”. The phrase satisfied the public’s frantic need for “Scandoval” content and showcased Kent’s call-the-shots sophistication in one quotable line. Kent says she believes her loyal attorney’s name was a vital component of the merch’s viral success and that the conditions for success are so ephemeral. She contacted Los Angeles-based Homemade Merch, which specializes in producing hoodies, T-shirts, and other merchandise for major acts and media personalities, and with Kent’s quick decision-making, the company had the shirts designed and available for sale within four hours. The company took online orders for shirts that didn’t yet exist, then produced them at top speed to fill the orders. By morning, they had sold so many they were unable to make more as quickly.