TALA: US Expansion & AirForm Launch | Founder-Led PR Case Study

TALA, founded by Grace Beverley in 2019, has grown into a leading sustainable activewear brand beloved for its practical, stylish, and eco-conscious designs. Following a £5 million funding round in 2024 (backed by Pembroke VCT, Venrex, Active Partners and others), the brand set ambitious goals: accelerate US market entry and transition into physical retail while launching AirForm, its first major new fabric innovation in two years.

In a hyper-competitive US activewear space dominated by big players, the challenge was clear: cut through noise, reposition TALA from "influencer brand" to investable global player, and drive hype + traffic around AirForm without traditional product fatigue.

We achieved this through founder-led executive profiling, a targeted LA deskside media tour, integrated SEO alignment, reactive trendjacking, and a multi-tiered editorial strategy that delivered high-DA coverage, backlinks, and brand elevation.

The context & challenge

TALA started as a direct-to-consumer sustainable activewear label and, by 2024–2025, had secured significant investment to fuel international scaling, particularly into the US, alongside opening UK flagship stores (starting with Carnaby Street).

—The PR task: Break into the saturated US market while launching AirForm (a breakthrough compression + contouring fabric after nearly a year of development) without the story getting buried in endless "new legging" pitches.

We needed to build long-term relationships, establish E-A-T in sustainable fashion, and generate high-intent traffic, all while shifting perception from Gen Z influencer brand to serious, venture-backed business.

The Founder Deskside Tour Strategy

—Insight: Traditional product pitches were causing fatigue. Grace Beverley’s personal brand, business acumen, and founder story offered a more compelling, relationship-driven entry point.

Tactic:

—Executive profiling + coordinated 'Deskside' media tour

—Positioned Grace as a serious CEO raising venture capital and scaling internationally

—Ran in-person briefings with top-tier US editors in Los Angeles through March

—Built long-term relationships while seeding both US expansion narrative and AirForm launch

Objective:

—Drive dual storytelling, international growth + product innovation, in one high-impact campaign.

Integrated Ecosystem: Aligning PR with Search Demand

PR didn’t operate in isolation. We collaborated closely with SEO agency NOVOS to ensure every placement contributed to domain authority.

—Used high-authority press to solidify expertise in sustainable fashion

—Tied coverage to real search volume (e.g., “Sage Green Gym Leggings” SV ~50–500 spikes)

—Prioritised outlets delivering do-follow links

This created a flywheel: editorial credibility → improved rankings → organic traffic → sales.

The Hook: AirForm & the 'Waitlist' Hype

AirForm was positioned as a milestone: designed by women, for women, delivering the ideal blend of compression, lift, and contouring.

—Launch timing: Thursday, 6 February at 11:30 AM GMT

—Social proof: Organic excitement (“Will be there for it, whatever it is!!” / “*sighs* alright bank account I have some news”) fueled waitlist momentum

We amplified this through founder storytelling and timed editorial seeding.

Corporate & Financial Press

We cemented the £5m raise + physical retail narrative to reposition TALA as an investable asset.

Impact

Perception shift from “influencer brand” to credible, venture-backed business with retail ambition.

Lifestyle & Product Placements + Reactive Trendjacking

Drove PDP traffic via gift guides, “Best Of” lists, and reactive plays.

—Women’s Health (DA 87), Marie Claire (DA 81), Stylist (DA 81), Hypebae (DA 78) - Affiliate features, sustainable round-ups, editor picks

—Reactive 'Sage Green' trendjacking - Monitored TikTok rise → seeded influencers → pitched confirming coverage → secured mass-market links (The Mirror DA 90, Daily Star DA 83)

Strategy blended proactive seeding with cultural pulse monitoring for maximum relevance.

Global Footprint & International Coverage

Supported multi-market scaling:

—Fashion United: Syndicated Commercial Director appointments

—Eu-Startups: “London-based TALA bags €5 million to bring sustainable activewear into the mainstream”

Built awareness in key target regions ahead of retail transformation.

The Role: Campaign Architect

—Positioned founder for US financial + lifestyle press

—Coordinated LA deskside junkets

—Merged SEO data with media relations

—Executed international syndication

—Led reactive trendjacking & pop culture injections

—Delivered executive profiling + integrated digital PR

Impact: By the Numbers

—80+ pieces of coverage in DA 80+ publications

—3 high-quality do-follow backlinks (including Forbes, Telegraph, Refinery29)

—Backed £5m funding + Carnaby Street flagship store narrative

—- Strong positive sentiment: “TALA never misses”

—- Built loyalty and hype during AirForm launch window

High-authority links + founder authority helped support US ambitions (even as external factors later influenced full rollout).

This campaign showcased how strategic founder storytelling, data-aligned pitching, and agile reactivity can drive international growth and product success in a crowded category.