Introduction
The term Integrated marketing communication (IMC) has been defined in several ways to suit a general purpose within which it describes the use of various forms of media to convey a message about a product that would ultimately promote the product. Whether working as complementary or supplementary forms; the various forms of communication media work in tandem with a central aim of promoting the product. Hence, the common factor in all definitions of IMC is that IMC puts into consideration various forms of communication disciplines to provide clarity and consistency that develops impact on the consumer of the product (Clow & Baack, 2006: Duncan and Clark, 2007).
Spanx is a company that was formed in the year 2000 by Sara Blakely based in Atlanta, Georgia. The company manufactures undergarments and specifically pantyhose. The hosiery company specializes in the production of foundation garments such as undergarments and body suit shape wear that give the wearer a slim and shapely appearance. The company has an estimated total of 100 employees working under its founder Sara Blakely. Forbes magazine estimates that Spanx’s annual sales net in a whopping US $ 800 million with a company net worth of $ 1 billion.
This paper focuses on the IMC strategies that Spanx Inc. has employed in the past to promote its products. More significantly, it analyses the company’s IMC to develop an understanding on how the management of Spanx has been able to realize success through integrated marketing communications.
Spanx Inc. Communication Channels
IMC as mentioned earlier, is a mix of communication strategies that can be used together to send promotional messages to consumers. Whether it is through Public Relations, Advertising, and messages on billboards or otherwise; the use of IMC in product promotion ensures that the strength of one communication media offsets the weaknesses of another. Similarly, two communication media can as well be complimentary to one another as they assist each other in passing the message across. Ultimately, they all work together in delivering the message to the consumer hence promoting the product in the process (Clow & Baack, 2006: Duncan and Clark, 1996).
According to (Wasilewski 2012) the success of Spanx is attributable to contemporary communication media. Traditional media such as billboards television and newspapers served very little in any role in steering the young entrepreneur Sara Blakely to success. He continues to add that the use of traditional media in product promotion is not the typical rise to success.
However, (Wasilewiski 2012) believes that the essential communication media that is responsible for the success of Spanx is twofold. Firstly, Wasilewiski believes that through word of mouth customers spread the word on the quality of Spanx products which led to the eventual popularization of the product in the market. Secondly, he explains that Public relations is the other means through which Spanx was able to reach out to its customers and ultimately grow its customer base.
(Wasilewiski 2012) notes that word of mouth is the most essential aspect in influencing purchasing decisions observing that 76% of consumers are those who are persuaded by their friends and relatives or through people they know to purchase a particular product.
For a word of mouth campaign to be successful the campaign team creates products, services, and experiences that inspire emotions. By appealing to the emotions of the consumer, the promotional message is likely to persuade the potential customer to purchase the product.
Another communication medium that proves successful for Spanx is the appeal that Spanx as a brand has regarding its story from its establishment to its success. The mere fact that people love a good story is the premise on which Spanx founder; Sara Blakely built the foundations for the success of the company. Her story about her humble beginnings when she launched the company with all her life savings of about $ 5000 back in the year 2000 that eventually grew into a company that is now worth at least $ 800 million worth of sales (Kurtz, 2010). Further, Sara shares her story of the idea for the undergarments by inferring to her desire to look shapely yet comfortable which she says served as sufficient motivation for her to start up the company. She also mentions that it is worth having fun than being sexy. In general, good stories about the experiences that the founder as well as other users of Spanx products share with fellows, colleagues and family is a precisely efficient mouth to mouth communication media that the company was able to persuade customers to purchase Spanx products.
The story telling module of communication adopted by Sara has taken many forms not just through interviews and testimonials. She has taken her success story to social media and in new media. For instance, she has developed a You-tube channel with a 13 min and 34 seconds long video that is titled ‘How Sara Blakely got Spanx Started.’ (How Sarah Blakely got Spanx started, 2012). The communication on this dedicated You-tube channel also incorporates other links that provide videos that are user friendly, that is, the channel provides videos that explain how several products of Spanx Inc. Most of these videos are between a minute and a minute and a half long. They assist customers on how to wear some of the products produced by Spanx. In addition the Official Spanx, Inc. Channel on You-tube keeps dedicated customers of Spanx products up to date with trending uploads of videos on matters pertaining to Spanx wear products. For, instance the latest video was uploaded a week ago dubbed ‘Behind the seams with Sara-Holiday 2013 Edition’ is a clip detailing Spanx products that customers can look to shop for the Christmas holidays(How Sarah Blakely got Spanx started, 2012).
The internet is another platform that Spanx Inc. has taken advantage of to communicate information about its’ products to customers and potential customers. Through the company website Spanx Inc. has photographs of models wearing pantyhose, shape wear and other popular products produced by the firm. Further, the firm has invested heavily in online marketing by ensuring that all categories of their products have sections and links on the company’s website where individuals seeking information about them can simply click and get instant feedback on either products such as; shape wear, panties, legwear, swim suits etc. More essentially, the website also supports online purchasing or orders which help many retail stores serve customers better by offering or availing delivery services through the internet. All this information available on the company’s website is a convenient way of communication to its customers that works hand in hand with other communication media discussed earlier such as word of mouth to popularize or to promote Spanx products .
The internet communication media employed by the company does not stop with the company’s website. Spanx Inc. has also developed links in social media. The company has dedicated Face book and Twitter pages where customers can interact with the firm in a social forum. Currently, its Twitter handle Spanx @SPANXinc has 116 followers while its more recently branded Twitter handle SPANX@SPANX has 21, 997 followers.
Spanx Inc. Promotion mix
According to Spanx CEO, Spanx`s most significant success rides on word of mouth that it is the most efficient marketing strategy there is as it is through testimonials from relatives and friends about the quality and value of the products that word spread around and thus improved the popularity of the product. The communication among satisfied customers spread even through social media popularizing Spanx products in a buzz .
Secondly, the packaging of the company’s products as well played a central role in promotion. In this strategy, founder Sara Blakely notes that she branded her products with catchy phrases that depict normal day to day conversations between women. Examples include; ‘it makes your butt look better’ ‘when you think everyone is looking at your train but they’re really looking at your caboose’ and ‘like a bazooka bubblegum’. These catchy phrases served to brand the company’s products positioning them competitively on the market.
Thirdly, celebrity endorsements were particularly central in developing the market for the product. According to company CEO and founder Lauren Ann Goldman and Sara Blakely respectively the endorsement particularly by Oprah Winfrey open a door for their products to hit the ground running and claim a considerable market share. By targeting celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Brook Shields, Kate Winslet and Julia Roberts, the company`s CEO Lauren Ann Goldman notes that the firm employed Public relations strategies and grass root marketing that involved sampling the product to celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and others mentioned above which led to their endorsement by such celebrities. The effect of these endorsements was an immediate increase in sales of Spanx products that eventually turned the company into a billion dollar firm.
Finally, the company’s founder also played a vital role in the success of Spanx products especially in the early stages. Sara Blakely has been described as the backbone that holds Spanx Inc. together. To most people familiar with Spanx products, she is Spanx and Spanx is Sara Blakely implying that her name on the label of the company is a brand in its self. This image branding is attributable to the fact that Sara Blakely has a testimony of starting small and making it big in the pantyhose business. Riding on this, she has become an icon in society who people look up to. The overall effect of this admiration rubs on the popularity of her company and product hence in a sense promoting the products.
Conclusion
The Integrated marketing communication strategy of Spanx Inc. has majorly been centered on word of mouth. This is evident from the increase in company sales that is prompted by the testimonials of customers who spread the word to family and friends. In support to word of mouth, the company also has made strategic steps to facilitate the promotion of the products through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Further, the most influential promotional mechanism adopted by the company to popularize its products was geared towards celebrity endorsements of the company’s products. Notwithstanding, the use of Public relations expertise in offering samples to celebrities also played an essential role in facilitating product endorsements by celebrities (O’Connor, 2012;Wasilewiski, 2012).
Similarly, the branding and packaging of the product is also central to the success of the product in the market. The company founder Sara Blakely serves as a trade mark for her company with her success story from humble beginnings to becoming one of the wealthiest people on earth. Likewise, the packaging of the company’s products was also well positioned through catchy phrases that customers are more accustomed to brewing a warm feeling and reception of Spanx products in the pantyhose products market . All these integrated communication marketing techniques served to position Spanx Inc. products competitive in the market hence its success in the industry.
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