Building a brand is like piecing together a puzzle with a million little pieces! You need the perfect packaging, a kickass way of showcasing it, and a strategy to get the word out. Spanx is the perfect example. They were all word-of-mouth for 16 whole years before they started advertising. That’s how you know they were doing something right!
When it comes to getting your brand out there, you have two options: organic and paid advertising. Aim for as much organic press as possible and be creative about it! Spanx chose to keep their PR in-house, and that was one of the first hires the founder, Sara, made. The reason? She always put herself in the shoes of others when making decisions.
Sara got the chance to be on camera and talk about her products because she was a storyteller and didn’t shy away from vulnerability. She showed the world her own Spanx, and it became a trend! Women everywhere were flashing their Spanx and telling their own stories. It was like Spanx brought women together and made them proud of their undergarments.
And that’s the key: storytelling. Lead with a story, even if it’s just your own. Why did you start this business? What’s your story? The more vulnerable and open you are, the deeper the connection you’ll make with your customers. They’ll be rooting for you, and that’s a feeling that can’t be beat. So go ahead, share your story and let the world fall in love with your brand!
Appreciate Customers and Speak To Your Customer
When the founder of Spanx started her brand, she knew she wanted to do things differently. Instead of talking “at” her customers, she wanted to talk to them like they were old friends over dinner. No marketing jargon, just real talk.
She noticed that other brands acted like they were better than their customers, that they were the experts and the customers needed them. But she wanted to turn that around and say, “Hey, I’m just like you. I have the same struggles with panty lines in white pants. But I found a solution that’s more comfortable.”
With that in mind, she created the tagline, “Don’t worry, we’ve got your butt covered” – a playful and direct way of speaking to customers that was ahead of its time. And the result was impactful!
So the founder’s advice to you: speak to your customers like you would talk to your friends. Be real and vulnerable, and don’t try to sound like a fancy expert. Connect with your customers and see what happens!
Stand Out and Be Unique
When building your brand, pick elements that either resonate with you or are different from the rest. Sara wanted her hosiery brand to stand out in a sea of beige, white, and gray packaging. So, she chose bright red, her favorite color, as the packaging color. Red was bold, unapologetic and would scream for attention on the shelves, especially since Sara had no money to advertise.
Sara also decided to put animated cartoon women on the packaging, which was a first in the hosiery industry. Everyone else was using the same half-naked model, but Sara wanted to show diversity and that the product was for all types of women. So, she created three diverse cartoon characters and put them front and center on the packaging. The name Spanx was also different and meant to make people pause, laugh, or be shocked.
Don’t Fear Humor
Humor played a big role in building the brand, not only in sales but also in marketing. From her stand-up comedy days, Sara learned how to write in a way that would make an impact. One word can make all the difference, just like Mark Twain said.
In the original packaging, there was a white card inside with product information. Traditionally, the white card would be discarded and the marketing language was boring and uninspiring. But Sara wanted to make people laugh or smile, so she turned the white card into a cartoon that would fall out of the package. The cartoons were purposeful and illustrated the product, emphasized its benefits, and took playful jabs at the competition.
Break the Rules
Sara knew she had to create buzz and excitement for her brand. When Neiman Marcus agreed to put her products in seven stores, Sara called her friends in those cities, even if she hadn’t talked to them in a while. She asked them to buy Spanx and even sent them a check. She asked them to go to the store and rave about the product, creating energy and excitement. The first week, Spanx was selling out, and Sara feigned surprise.
Sara continued to break conventions and think outside the box, always asking herself, “How can I make the customer feel good, smile, or laugh while also delivering results?” That’s what made Spanx a huge success, and it all started with unique packaging, humor, and unconventional thinking.
Let’s prioritize PR placements with a fun twist!
Building awareness is key, and one of the ways to do it is by prioritizing your PR placements. Think about where you want the most visibility, is it on a podcast with a large audience that aligns with your customers? Maybe that’s your top priority. Or is it a TV show you’ve always dreamed of appearing on, or a specific print or digital platform? Make a list and tackle them one by one, because the goal is to leverage yourself and your brand as much as possible.
Just like the founder of Spanx did. Her top priority was Oprah Winfrey and she sent her a gift basket with a letter explaining the product. Oprah loved it so much that she held it up in front of millions of people and declared it her favorite thing of the year! That one placement opened doors for Spanx, leading to coverage from People’s Magazine, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times.
Nowadays, you have even more opportunities with the rise of influencer marketing and digital platforms. You can create content and reach out to the right influencers to promote your brand. Just be yourself, be authentic, ask for help, give them free product, and add some humor. Who knows, they might become your brand’s biggest advocates!
Social media is also a huge opportunity to connect with consumers and promote your brand. When the founder of Spanx joined Instagram, she noticed a lot of perfection and high filters, and didn’t feel like she was connecting with anyone. So she decided to be authentic, show her ups and downs as a working mom with four small children, and put her content through three filters before posting: did it make people feel good, laugh or smile, or learn something?
But don’t forget, marketing can only do so much. If your product isn’t good, no amount of marketing will make people come back. That’s why Spanx is obsessed with the product, always under-promising and over-delivering. They want customers to come home, put on the product, and feel amazing, confident, and ready to take on the world. And that’s what makes celebrities naturally want to talk about Spanx, even though they’ve never paid a celebrity to do so. All the love and shoutouts from celebrities are a result of the product’s quality and what it delivers to them.
Summary
Building a brand is like solving a big puzzle with a million pieces! You need the perfect packaging, a killer way to show it off, and a strategy to spread the word.
Two ways to get your brand noticed are through organic and paid advertising. Try to get as much organic press as possible and be creative. For example, Spanx had all word-of-mouth for 16 years before they started advertising.
The key to success is storytelling. Lead with a story and be open and vulnerable. This will help you connect deeper with your customers and they will root for you.
Speak to your customers like friends, be real and don’t try to sound like a fancy expert. Appreciate your customers and connect with them.
To stand out and be unique, pick elements that resonate with you or are different from the rest. For example, Spanx chose bright red packaging and cartoon women on the packaging to show diversity.
Don’t be afraid to use humor, it played a big role in building the Spanx brand. Humor in sales and marketing can make an impact and make customers smile or laugh.
Break conventions and think outside the box. The founder of Spanx always asked herself, “How can I make the customer feel good, smile, or laugh while delivering results?” This unconventional thinking is what made Spanx a huge success.
Prioritize your PR placements to gain visibility. Make a list of where you want the most visibility, like podcasts, TV shows, print or digital platforms, and tackle them one by one. Leverage yourself and your brand as much as possible!
- Be vulnerable
- Lead with story
- Speak to the customer
- Use humor
- Be different
- Prioritize PR
- Leverage each endorsement
- Use social media strategically
- Under-promise, over-deliver
Leave a Comment