Technology probably isn't the first
thing most people think of when they think of underwear.
Joanna Griffiths is not most people.
While studying at INSEAD, one of the world's largest graduate
business schools, Griffiths saw an opportunity to create a product that did
more than the existing options on the market. "Thanks to technology,
almost everything has evolved, everything but our underwear," she says.
"We created a product truly designed with women's needs in mind: underwear
that looks great, fits great, and has technology built in to eradicate odor and
wick away and absorb moisture."
I knew that it would also give us
the opportunity to gain invaluable customer feedback--before the product had
been made.
Griffiths needed a way to fund her
new venture, Knix Wear. She had
interviewed hundreds of women about the idea while doing her MBA, identifying
demand for a stylish lingerie line for women who exercised intensely or
experienced light incontinence, and she decided that crowdfunding would be the
ultimate test. "People had liked the idea, but would they actually pay for
it?" says Griffiths. "I knew that it would also give us the
opportunity to gain invaluable customer feedback--before the product had been
made."
The campaign was a success,
surpassing the $40,000 goal (by an extra $20,000). During the Indiegogo
experience, Griffiths also learned some crucial crowdfunding lessons.
1. Seek out best practices
Before you start your crowdfunding
campaign, Griffiths suggests that it's important to study others who have done
it well. For her, there were a handful of examples of how to do things right.
She drew inspiration from how the Ministry of Supply men's shirt campaign described their
technology; she looked to the Saint Harridan campaign for its storytelling
abilities; and she liked how the footwear project, Forus, positioned their
wholesale packs.
2.
Be prepared to hustle
No matter how much experience you
have in the crowdfunding space, it requires a strategic approach to reach--and
exceed--your goal. From media lists to ambassadors, Griffiths recommends that
you plan ahead as much as possible. This means contacting your supporters
before you launch to firm up their promotion and participation, and also
developing a thorough marketing plan.
3. Adapt quickly to survive
For many in the crowdfunding world,
there are no second chances. Griffiths shares how at just two weeks into their
campaign they realized things weren't going as planned and they needed to
adapt, quickly. "It was extremely difficult to let go of our preconceived
notions and admit that we had launched incorrectly," she says. "But
that is part of the beauty of crowdfunding," she explains. "Listen to
your customers, as it could prevent you from making costly mistakes later
on." Thanks to listening closely to feedback, they re-shot their promo
video and repositioned their product to get better results.
4.
Make your own rules
While it's key to study best
practices, it's also important to seek out your own rules, as crowdfunding is a
relatively new space and many best practices are still being defined. During
the Knix Wear campaign, Griffiths received an email from a major retailer, HBC,
saying they wanted to be her first retail partner and were going to
pre-purchase product via the Indiegogo campaign. "We were the first
campaign to have a major retailer pre-order through crowdfunding and we got
them by thinking outside of the box. If we had only looked to what had been
done before, we never would have reached that milestone." One of the perks
that helped to seal this deal was the $800 retailer multi-pack featured as part
of the campaign, which includes 48 pairs of Knix Wear high-tech knickers
(retail value $1,600).
5.
Get tactical and practical
Start your campaign on Monday and
end your campaign on a Friday, says Griffiths. It will help you to maintain
your momentum. She also recommends that you set your goal below the actual
amount you want to reach. "It sounds counterintuitive but people like to
contribute to winning campaigns, so if your goal is achievable and you hit it
early on, you’ll be more likely to hit your stretch target."
KnixWear is now shipping product to
its 518 pre-order supporters and planning for a future in stores around the
world.
Amber Mac is a bestselling author,
TV host, speaker, and strategist. She has worked as a technology TV host with
tech guru Leo Laporte on G4TechTV and currently co-hosts a popular show on
Laporte's TWiT.tv network. In June 2010, Amber wrote a book about how to use
social media to build your brand. Power Friending was published by
Portfolio/Penguin in New York.
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