Influx Insights Tag Feed: threadless

threadless in inc magazine

Influx Insights — 2008-06-14T17:41:41Z

Great profile piece on Threadless, a 2.0 brand, in this month's Inc magazine.

"Nickell started talking about his company. Threadless, he explained, ran design competitions on an online social network. Members of the network submitted their ideas for T-shirts -- hundreds each week -- and then voted on which ones they liked best. Hundreds of thousands of people were using the site as a kind of community center, where they blogged, chatted about designs, socialized with their fellow enthusiasts -- and bought a ton of shirts at $15 each. Revenue was growing 500 percent a year, despite the fact that the company had never advertised, employed no professional designers, used no modeling agency or fashion photographers, had no sales force, and enjoyed no retail distribution. As result, costs were low, margins were above 30 percent, and -- because community members told them precisely which shirts to make -- every product eventually sold out. Nickell's company had never produced a flop."

Posted by Ed Cotton

knowledge is power

Influx Insights — 2007-12-17T19:32:15Z

In the relentless quest to be cooler than everyone else, the world of the urban hipster has been slammed for some time and the "slamming" has become an industry in its own right.

This t-shirt, available for sale on Threadless sums up the irony perfectly.

The copy promoting the t-shirt is pretty good as well.

"Is this type tee a badge of honor highlighting the wearer's unique tastes in off-the-beaten-path music and other such awesomeness ignored by mainstream culture, an ironic indictment of others who condemn you for listening to a band once they sell fifty copies of their first album, or just about having imaginary marching bands cascading through your head at all times of the night and day? YES!"

Posted by Ed Cotton

branding's next wave-consumer created brands

Influx Insights — 2007-08-19T23:39:28Z

We’ve currently going through the first wave of consumer generation; brands have reached out to consumers and ask them to help in their marketing efforts, Heinz’s recent ketchupfest attracted an incredible 4,000 entries, with 5 winners making it onto TV. They company staging a repeat of the contest to run in the Fall.

Sitting across the highway from these efforts, are brands like Threadless, who’ve capitalized on the artistry of creative individuals, allowing them to design product and make some money.

At the fringes there are signs of a new revolution brewing, one that turns the notion of producer and consumer on its head. The idea that the consumers develop, create and control the destiny of the brands they create.

The best example of this is Myfootballclub.co.uk, where 50,000 soccer fans have signed up and paid a fee of $70. This has given the group access to considerable funds, in fact they have enough money to purchase as soccer club and are currently in negotiations to do just that.

Is there a possible future where thousands of consumers get together to form buying clubs and create products and services with no direct involvement from corporations?

Posted by Ed Cotton