Before SKIMS, There Was SPANX.
With only $5k in savings, Sara Blakely founded SPANX, a now private, multi-billion dollar intimate apparel company.
Relevant & referenced links: Wilsonluna, Hashtagpaid, Avaansmedia, Sara Bakely’’s Masterclass
Viral Moment
Sara showcased the effectiveness of Spanx by demonstrating the product in person. For example, during her pitch to Neiman Marcus, she took a buyer to the bathroom to show the difference Spanx made under white pants,
Blakely's product was sold in seven Neiman Marcus stores due to the meeting; Bloomingdales, Saks, and Bergdorf Goodman soon followed.
This "show, don’t tell" approach became central to her marketing.
Background: After failing the LSAT twice and giving up her law career, Sarah eventually took a door-to-door job selling fax machines, a challenging role that sharpened her sales skills.
Strategy Story
Sara Blakely’s marketing approach for Spanx was resourceful, impactful branding and PR, especially given her limited initial budget.
Product Demonstrations: Sara showcased the effectiveness of Spanx by demonstrating the product in person.
Celebrity and Influencer Endorsements: Long before social media influencer marketing became widespread, Sara targeted key figures like Oprah Winfrey. This endorsement gave the brand massive exposure. Sara strategically gifted Spanx to celebrities.
Relatable Branding: The Spanx brand and Sara’s personal story were built around relatability. She addressed specific consumer pain points and used a conversational tone in marketing.
Grassroots and Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Sara relied on cold-calling department stores. She also distributed Spanx to friends and asked for feedback.
EXECUTION (HOW-TO)
Find perfect-match creators through a platform like #paid.
Choose 3-4 Instagram creators who might love your product. If your brand is new, send some free products to a shortlist of influencers with influence in your space.
Set up discount codes for each influencer who promotes your product so you can track success.
⚠️ Despite her success in famous retailers, SPANX leverages direct-to-consumer sales contributing to its expansion—making up 70% of its sales, which means Spanx had to develop a deep relationship with its target customers.
Key Takeaway
TELL YOUR STORY RELENTLESSLY
One thing Sara Blakely did immediately was take control of her narrative. Sara knew: that if you don’t tell your story, someone else would.
Wiki summary
In 2000, Blakely launched the Spanx brand from her apartment, undertaking all initial calls and marketing herself. Her boyfriend at the time, a healthcare consultant, later resigned from his job and joined Blakely in the running of the nascent business.
Blakely moved to Atlanta, where she continued working for Danka from 9-5, set aside her $5000 in savings, and spent two years creating her product.
Winfrey's production team traveled to Blakely's Atlanta apartment for a home interview, as Winfrey was intrigued by her entrepreneurial journey. At that time, Blakely was a fax machine salesperson and relied on friends to assist her during the filming.
In 2021, the asset manager firm Blackstone bought a majority stake in Spanx, valuing the company at $1.2 billion.
Quirks
Blakely explained that she chose the name “Spanks” because of the “k” sound in the internationally recognized “Coca-Cola” and “Kodak.” After reading that made-up names sold better, she changed the spelling to “Spanx” at the last minute.
Her background in Law helped her write her patent for Spanx because she couldn’t afford a lawyer then.
QOTD
Spanx CEO Laurie Ann Goldman crafted a business model for the company based on lessons she learned during her 10-year stint at Coke:
‘‘thinking big, starting small, and scaling fast’’
GIMMICKS ARE MISUNDERSTOOD. SUBSCRIBE AND GET THE ONES THAT PAID OFF FOR FREE.
Ignore if you’re already subscribed.
