Heretic, an indie perfume brand founded by Douglas Little, is using collaborations with figures from the margins of pop culture — what Little calls the 'B-side' — to build brand identity without competing for the same mainstream influencer placements as larger fragrance houses, according to Glossy. The strategy positions the brand as a deliberate alternative in a market where celebrity and mega-influencer partnerships dominate.

The approach is structural, not tactical. Little selects partners who occupy niche cultural spaces rather than mainstream ones. These collaborations signal to a specific customer: someone who identifies with counter-culture, independence, or artistic edge. The partnerships function as brand messaging, not just product launches. Each collaboration communicates the same underlying idea — that Heretic is for people who define themselves in opposition to mass taste.

This works because it solves the awareness problem for a small brand without requiring the budget of a major house. A mainstream influencer partnership puts you in the same consideration set as Chanel and Dior. A B-side collaboration — with a cult musician, an underground artist, a niche podcast — signals difference first and fragrance second. The customer who follows that cultural figure already self-selects for non-mainstream preference. The collaboration is proof of alignment, not just paid promotion.

The mechanism is borrowed from independent record labels: build identity through association with a curated roster. Each collaboration is a statement of taste. The customer buys into the curation, not just the product. Over time, the pattern of collaborations becomes the brand. You know what Heretic stands for because you know who they work with. The fragrance itself becomes shorthand for that cultural position.

For a small physical-product brand, the play is replicable across categories. First, identify the cultural 'B-side' of your market — the figures, publications, or movements that sit adjacent to the mainstream but command deep loyalty from a specific audience. In coffee, that might be a Substack writer on degrowth economics. In outdoor gear, a filmmaker documenting trail restoration. In kitchen tools, a food historian with a cult newsletter.

Second, approach these figures with a collaboration that serves their audience, not just yours. Offer a co-created product variant, a limited batch, or a storytelling partnership where they design the experience. The goal is not to borrow their audience. The goal is to signal shared values to the people already watching both of you. The collaboration should feel inevitable to someone who knows both brands.

Third, document the collaboration in a way that makes the alignment explicit. Publish the conversation. Show the design process. Let the partner explain why they chose to work with you. The content should communicate your shared worldview, not just announce a product drop. This is brand-building through curation, not through reach.

Budget this as brand investment, not performance marketing. A B-side collaboration will not deliver immediate ROI in the way a paid influencer post might. It builds permission to charge a premium and attracts customers who value differentiation. The math works when those customers have higher lifetime value because they identify with your positioning, not just your product features.

The broader pattern is this: in a market where everyone competes on the same channels with the same voices, adjacency becomes differentiation. The brands that win are the ones that define themselves through who they stand next to, not just what they sell.