When Ourside’s bestselling fragrance Dusk was challenged on trademark grounds last year, instead of fighting a legal battle that could cost thousands of dollars, founder Keta Burke-Williams turned the setback into a community-building exercise by asking the brand’s 11,500 Instagram followers for suggestions on new names.
Ultimately, the new name for Dusk, Of Our Own, wasn’t actually recommended by Ourside’s followers because the top four recommended names—Afterglow was the leader of the top four—would’ve gotten Ourside into trademark trouble again. Still, the brand’s naming contest, which started in November and ended in February, was a big hit with followers, and more than 200 submitted over 600 possibilities. Ourside handed out a $500 Visa gift card and four $125 Visa gift cards as part of the contest.
“It was an opportunity to get buy-in, feedback and participation from our community. What has been stressful also turned into a really beautiful moment of our community being creative, coming to the table and sharing their ideas with us,” says Burke-Williams. “Some of the names had to do with the community that Ourside is building or the way that Ourside makes them feel rather than just how the scent smells, and so for me as a founder, it was a really cool moment of seeing what the brand means to people in a new way.”
To avoid another trademark snafu, Ourside has applied to trademark the fragrance name Of Our Own as well as its brand name. It’s considering applying for trademarks for its other fragrance names, too. Previously, brand founders informed Beauty Independent that the trademarking process can run anywhere from in the hundreds to the thousands of dollars.
“What I learned about trademark law is sometimes it’s a little bit of luck of the draw,” says Burke-Williams. “A name that’s not super unique can get a trademark and vice versa. There’s not always a very clear rule of thumb, so it’s a bit of a dance, and it’s an investment.”
Burke-Williams has previous renaming experience. She originally launched Ourside as Aspen Apothecary in 2020 with her co-founder and sister Keja. The brand was inspired by their mother and a recurring story she told of walking in a garden in Tunisia surrounded by night-blooming jasmine. Jasmine is a top note in its debut fragrance, Moon Dust. Aspen Apothecary rebranded as Ourside in 2022 and expanded its fragrance lineup to include Nostalgia and Dusk, now Of Our Own. Prices range from $79 for 10-ml. rollerballs to $196 for 50-ml. sprays.
In the year after its rebrand, Ourside sold through the initial quantity it had manufactured much faster than anticipated, resulting in a three-month stockout. To the disappointment of some customers, Burke-Williams didn’t explain the reasons for the stockout, leading to a powerful lesson that motivated the Dusk renaming contest: People want to be brought along on the journeys of the brands they love. Speaking of the Dusk renaming, Burke-Williams says, “If I’m saying that we’re a community-oriented brand and we care about our community, this is a pretty big deal for us, so they should be involved.”
Another way Ourside is bringing its community into the fold is an R&D Insiders program comprised of over 50 frequent customers willing to get on Zoom calls with the brand to express their thoughts about it. Going forward, it plans to excite its community with events and collaborations, notably one in the works with alarm clock company Loftie on a product at the intersection of scent and wellness that facilitates a bedtime ritual. Mentioning that she has ADHD, Burke-Williams has struggled with establishing a bedtime ritual and is thrilled to have the product to help her.
Ourside launched at Credo in April 2023 and is stocked in the clean beauty retailer’s 15 doors. In March 2024, it extended its retail reach to Bergdorf Goodman, where it became the first Black woman-owned fragrance brand on shelves. Ourside has been supported by numerous grants. Last year, it took home a $25,000 grant from Botox Cosmetic x IFundWomen and a $10,000 grant from a Life Beauty Accelerator, a program by Rare Beauty Brands and JCPenney. In 2022, Ourside received $50,000 for participating in Ulta Beauty’s MUSE Accelerator and raised $500,000 from investors SKU’d Ventures, The Graduate Syndicate and Techstars.
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