How We Built a New Category and Turned It Into 2,000+ Customers
The Problem
Under5ft7 was not losing clients to the competition, but rather to apathy. The market had normalized the injustice that short men had to endure for decades, and Under5ft7 was not doing enough to convince these men that they are not alone.
The demand was already there, but there was no awareness, and driving traffic to a website will not convince someone to buy from a brand if they do not understand what the brand is trying to sell.
The Bottleneck
Not a traffic issue. Not an offer issue. Not a pricing issue.
It was a conversion issue at the top of the sales funnel, stemming from a lack of a reference point for customers to base their buying decision on.
Unless the buyer can relate to what the seller is saying, every acquisition channel utilized will be operating with an unnecessarily high level of complexity, and the effort put into these channels will be wasted on people who are not interested.
What Changed
We changed everything with the recognition that friction should be reduced at every step, with emphasis on the biggest block to purchase – understanding what the business offers.
Instead of trying to sell clothes to short men, we positioned Under5’7 as a company that understood the problems short men had with off-the-rack clothing, and could offer solutions specific to their needs.
Instead of battling against every other clothing retailer in the space, we helped the company focus its efforts on becoming the go-to label for men under 5’7”.
The website, which previously focused on the offer, now acknowledged the buyer’s dilemma and assured him that he was not alone.
Every marketing asset, from the ad copy to the website’s landing page, and every acquisition channel, from influencer marketing to direct advertising, were built with this positioning in mind, to reduce friction as much as possible before the moment of purchase. The change did not come as a sudden spike in sales, but as a gradual increase in purchase intent from customers who felt as though they had found a kindred spirit.
What Was Implemented
- Established a new positioning around short men’s clothing
- Reframed the marketing message to focus on fitting clothes rather than fashion
- Rebuilt the website to address the customer’s concerns rather than the company’s features
- Came up with multiple marketing concepts before launch
- Used a mix of creator and user generated content to drive category awareness and demand
- Iterated on the marketing message based on consumer feedback
Results
2,000+ Customers Acquired — Having addressed their biggest barrier to entry, the team at Under5ft7 was able to turn demand into a sustainable customer acquisition model, starting with almost no brand awareness.
Product/Market Fit Established — Repeat purchases from satisfied customers served as proof that the company had done more than address a pain point – it had understood its audience.
Efficient Customer Acquisition — With greater demand, acquisition became more efficient, as customers began to recognize the value in what Under5ft7 had to offer long before they engaged with an ad.
Established a Defensible Position — Rather than competing on price and style against much bigger competitors, Under5ft7 carved a niche for itself by focusing on a segment that was largely overlooked by the bigger players in the industry.