How Melonz Eyewear Uses Influencer Gifting to Build Word-of-Mouth on Shopify

How Melonz Eyewear Uses Influencer Gifting to Build Word-of-Mouth on Shopify

Jarrod, founder of Melonz Eyewear, is building something different: sunglasses that actually fit your face. With three sizes for every style, a virtual try-on tool, and a killer brand name, Melonz is growing fast.

But with a small team and zero paid influencer deals, Jarrod needed a better way to get his frames on faces.

Why Influencer Gifting Made Sense

"We’re still in the awareness phase," Jarrod explains. "The goal is to get people talking about Melonz and trying the fit. Gifting is how we do that."

Every month, Jarrod gifts about 5 influencers—usually micro-influencers with 5K–10K followers—with a custom experience:

• One style of sunglasses

• In three sizes, so creators can show the fit difference

• A note or small brand touch inside the box

He’s not paying for posts. He’s seeding product to creators who align with the brand, and hoping some will share organically.

The Challenge: Endless Back-and-Forth

Before using a tool, influencer gifting was painfully manual:

• DM/email to ask for sizing, style, and address

• 10–15 messages per creator

• Risk of getting the wrong fit, delays, and ghosting

It was slowing things down, and Jarrod was spending too much time just coordinating logistics.

The Fix: Influencer Gift Form for Shopify

Jarrod switched to using Influencer Gift Form, a simple app that lets creators submit their shipping info and pick their product via a branded link.

"Now I just send one link," he says. "They choose their sunglasses and sizes. I get their email, it goes into Shopify, and it’s ready to ship."

Benefits for Jarrod:

• Saves hours per week

• Reduces miscommunication

• Looks more professional

• Gives him creator data to reuse later

Bonus Use Case: Corporate Gifting

During the holidays, Jarrod used the same flow for a corporate gifting program. A client paid to gift Melonz sunglasses to 50 employees. Jarrod created a custom link, sent it out, and tracked redemptions directly through Shopify.

"Next time I’ll pair it with a card and QR code, but the whole thing worked great," he says.

Influencer Gifting as a Long-Term Play

Jarrod doesn’t expect every gifting campaign to go viral—he just wants to:

• Get real customers wearing the product

• Build authentic content

• Turn organic creators into future collab partners

"We’re just trying to move mountains one stone at a time," he says. "Influencer gifting helps us build that base."

Tips from Jarrod:

• Keep it scrappy: 5 creators a month is still progress

• Simplify the flow: One link > 15 DMs

• Don’t push for posts: Focus on product love

• Use gifting data: Emails and redemptions can build your CRM

Want to Try Jarrod’s Approach?

Whether you're gifting creators or sending corporate gifts, Influencer Gift Form makes it easy to:

• Let recipients pick their product

• Collect addresses without DMs

• Create draft orders in Shopify, ready to fulfill

It’s how Melonz is scaling word-of-mouth—one face at a time.

More Shopify Founder Interviews Coming

Want to see how more brands are scaling influencer gifting? Subscribe to Influencer Gifting w/ Neil Magnuson on YouTube for real playbooks from real founders.