Why Blenders Eyewear Is Targeting Brandie Wilkerson To Crack The Beach Volleyball Market

Blenders Eyewear has its sights set on penetrating a emerging market by taking a laser focused approach on beach volleyball. Blenders CEO and founder Chase Fisher wants to tap into the tremendous following surrounding the fastest growing NCAA Division 1 sport.

Fisher started Blenders in 2011 after graduating San Diego State University with a $2,000 loan from his roommate, selling hand-to-hand while working as a surf coach. Through aggressive social media campaigns, product line expansion and co-signs from luminaries like Snoop Dogg, the brand grew. Fast forward to 2019, the Safilo Group acquired 70% of the company at a $90 million valuation while retaining Fisher as the CEO.

Since the 2019 acquisition, Blenders has more than doubled its revenue from $41 million to $85 million in 2021. While there is a big climb to catch up with heavyweights like Oakley (whose parent company EssilorLuxottica posted $5.6 million euros in revenue during Q1 2022), Fisher is committed to expanding the business as they penetrate more markets.

“We want to be a top five brand,” Fisher said. “That’s our goal. We want to be top five in the world, and we’re on the way to doing it.”

One way Fisher is moving Blenders towards his grand goals is by partnering with Canadian beach volleyball Olympian, Brandie Wilkerson. The beach volleyball star enjoys a dedicated following of 83,000 followers on Instagram, while making waves on both the FIVB and AVP tours.

Fisher believes Wilkerson’s impact on both the sport and the community makes her the ideal representative to push their brand deeper into the beach volleyball scene.

“Blenders is about an active lifestyle and embodies the beach culture,” he said. “Beach volleyball is a natural fit. Geena Urango was our first pro beach volleyball player and adding Brandie gives us more of a presence in this world. Both women are tremendous athletes and even better human beings.”

Sunglasses remain an essential part of a beach volleyball player’s arsenal in their sand battles. Most brands aimed at the sport often surpass $100; however, with most of Blenders’ products starting at $50, Fisher is confident they are priced to make significant headway into the market as both a lifestyle and activity brand.

“We’ve been able to carve a unique space in the market with this price point,” he said. “We’re doing everything in our power to defend the hell out of it.”

Wilkerson was attracted to Blenders’ affordability, as she views the reasonable price as an attractive way for young athletes across the world to feel inspired while playing.

“I’m big on look good, play good,” Wilkerson said. “If it’s just that one piece—wearing these sunglasses makes you a beach volleyball player, makes you feel like you have access to that or makes you feel like you’re a pro even though you just started, that’s absolutely amazing.”

Rising costs within the sport at the youth level is a cause close to Wilkerson’s heart. She is working with Blenders on behalf of Project Worthy (which she co-founded along with fellow beach volleyball player Julie Gordon) to increase opportunities for the BIPOC community in Canada to participate in volleyball.

“They were really interested in helping me and helping to raise more representation and diversity in the sport, which is something that’s very meaningful to me,” she said. “Right now it’s just a matter of bridging the gap where funding and accessibility is the thing that’s stopping some very talented and diverse stories being told. That obviously is something that’s near and dear for me because I had people paying for my club fees, buying shoes and telling me where the practices or trials were. If they weren’t there, I wouldn’t be playing volleyball today. We just want to do our part to help anyone in that situation.”