I'm not kidding! Check out spanx.com. All those patents, customers,
celeb fans and Oprah can't be wrong. I ordered the Slim Cognito ($65)
for my upcoming wedding. (Yesterday I tried on dresses and it wasn't
pretty; they show EVERYTHING.)
This company is great. They have hose, bras and panties, body
shapers...even maternity. And they claim all their stuff is
comfortable too.
Here's the backstory on these unique designs from owner and creator
Sara Blakely:
Working as a sales trainer by day and performing stand-up comedy at
night, I didn't know the first thing about the pantyhose industry
(except I dreaded wearing most pantyhose). Also, I had never taken a
business class which made the process even more challenging. As a
result, I had only one source to operate from...my gut.
First the Patent
I read several books on trademarks and patents and researched
pantyhose patents at the Georgia Tech Library at night after work. I
then approached several lawyers who thought my idea was so crazy, they
later admitted thinking I had been sent by Candid Camera. To keep
costs down, I wrote the patent myself and later found a lawyer who
helped write the claims. My patent was approved and I successfully
trademarked the name SPANX online!
Finding a Manufacturer
For months I researched hosiery manufacturers on the internet and made
several calls. Taking a week off of work, I drove around North
Carolina begging mill owners to help make my idea. They always asked
the same three questions: "And you are?" "And you are representing?"
"And you are financially backed by?" When I answered Sara Blakely to
all three, most of them sent me away, not to mention they thought the
idea "made no sense, and would never sell." Two weeks later I received
a call from a mill owner who said he "decided to help make my crazy
idea." When asked why he had the change of heart, he said, "I have two
daughters." Turns out they didn't think the idea was crazy at all. The
prototype took a year to perfect because as someone who wanted to wear
the product everyday I was obsessed with comfort.
Naming the Product
I knew that Kodak and Coca-Cola are the two most recognized names in
the world, and they both have a predominant "K" sound in them. Also,
from doing stand-up comedy, it is a known secret that the "K" sound
makes people laugh. So for good luck, I wanted my product's name to
have the "K" sound in it, and SPANKS hit me like a lightning bolt. I
immediately knew it was perfect! At the last minute I changed the KS
to an X after doing research that made-up words do better for products
than real words (and are easier to trademark). Spanx is edgy, fun,
extremely catchy, and for a moment it makes your mind wander (admit
it). Plus it's all about making women's butts look better, so why not?
Packaging
Pantyhose packaging has been the same for years -- boring. It was time
for a change. I took a bold new approach with a red package and three
illustrated women on the front. It's fresh, new, and for ALL women.
Having no idea what legally needed to be on the package, I went to the
store and bought ten different types of pantyhose and spread them
across the floor of my apartment. If the same thing appeared on all of
them, I remember thinking "must be legal" and added it to my package.
Also, last minute after consulting our moms to test the offense factor
(they laughed hysterically) we added our tagline "Don't worry, we've
got your butt covered!"
SPANX in Stores
Once I had a perfected prototype in hand, I called the buyer at Neiman
Marcus and introduced myself over the phone. I said I had invented a
product their customers would not want to live without, and if I could
have ten minutes of her time, I would fly to Dallas. She agreed! I put
the prototype in a ziplock bag from my kitchen, threw it in my good-
luck red backpack, and was on a plane. During the meeting, I had no
shame... I asked her to follow me to the ladies room where I
personally showed her the before/after in my cream pants. Three weeks
later SPANX was on the shelves of Neiman Marcus! I then called all my
friends and begged them to go to Neiman's and make a huge fuss over
the product and buy them up. At just the moment I was running out of
friends, Spanx caught on and the rest is history. I did the same thing
with Saks, Nordstrom, Bloomie's and all my other retailers!
How I Spread the Word
I had no money to advertise, so I hit the road. For the entire first
year, I did in-store rallies about Spanx with the sales associates,
and then stayed all day introducing customers to Spanx. I became
notorious for lifting up my pant leg to every woman walking by. (My
mom always said as long as I lifted my pants up and not down to show
my product then I had her blessing!) My friends and I also called
newspapers/magazines/TV stations and got Spanx significant coverage in
the media.
It has been a dream come true to see my products featured on the Oprah
Winfrey show, Today Show, The View, Tyra Banks Show, CNN, and
countless other television programs and news channels, as well as in
the pages of Forbes, Fortune, People, Entrepreneur, Real Simple, In
Style, The New York Times, USA Today, Glamour, Vogue, Essence, and Self.
From Spanx to ASSETS
Nearly five years after starting Spanx, I was still pinching myself
when I thought about how far we had come! Spanx has become a Hollywood
secret and a red-carpet must for celebrities from Gwyneth Paltrow to
Oprah. We are still a small company of women, obsessed with inventing
and improving comfortable undergarments. Now we have more than 100
styles, and we sell SPANX in fine boutiques and upscale department
stores like Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and
Bloomingdales, and in the U.K. and Canada.
But I couldn't just stop there! I wanted to find a way to share my
slimming secrets with women everywhere.
And that's when Target came knocking at my door. They wanted Spanx to
bring the shapewear revolution to Target. So, we created ASSETS,
because we believe all women deserve the opportunity to make the most
of their assets!
The "Bottom" Line
I created ASSETS to give better undergarment choices to women
everywhere, and to give back. A portion of all ASSETS and SPANX
purchases will go to the Sara Blakely Foundation, which focuses on
supporting and empowering women around the world. I feel very blessed
to have had my "ah-ha" moment in America, where women are free to
start their own business. I want women around the world with their own
"ah-ha" moments to have the same opportunity to follow their dreams!
My energy and inspiration comes from inventing and enhancing products
that all women want and need. Customer feedback is one of the key
drivers of our business. For examples, Spanx Power Panties and Super
SPANX were created in response to suggestions from our customers. And
even more great things are ahead in the future!
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