Wearing a fancy pair of bra and undies, and wandering up and down the catwalk at a Calvin Klein fashion parade, the idea for a luxury collection of personalised sleepwear came to today’s guest. Ten years on and it’s a global success, selling in some of the world’s biggest and best department stores. It’s time to slip into something more comfortable on episode 546 of The (12 year-old, award-winning) Small Business Big Marketing podcast.
A Little More About Homebodii founder Ingrid Bonnor …
Righto, let’s meet Ingrid Bonnor, a former model for the likes of Calvin Klein and Triumph (not the car brand!). In fact, Ingrid modelled for Calvin Klein’s first lingerie line in Australia, where her inspiration to create a range of luxury sleepwear and bridal robes called Homebodii came to life. Little did Ingrid know her business idea (developed in her living room) would one day take on Calvin Klein in global sales!
Homebodii now employs 23 staff, has a flagship store in Pacific Fair on the Gold Coast (one of Australia’s most expensive shopping centres), and the brand gets 1.2 million views on Pinterest every month. Ingrid also distributes globally through high-end retailers like Bloomingdales and Nordstrom.
So let’s go and hear how she’s done it, and what she’s doing right.
I started off asking Ingrid what being a lingerie model for Calvin Klein has taught her about running her own fashion label.
Timbo’s Top 3 Attention Grabbers
- I love the fact that she’s created a virtual marketing team by identifying specialists in each of the marketing disciplines she wants to pursue. The idea that one person can effectively manage your various social media channels seems a bit of a nonsense. Having a Facebook specialist, a Pinterest specialist etc is a much smarter way of doing it.
- I love the fact that Ingrid’s got a Boyfriend chair in her store. Whilst it’s a fun idea, more importantly it shows that she and her team are always on the look-out for those one-percenters that make the customer experience memorable and shareable.
- I love the in-store Bridal Sessions she runs, where brides get served high tea and made to feel very special. These experiences make such a difference … and the fact that Ingrid charges $50 for them (as opposed to giving them away for free) makes them that little bit more valuable.
Other episodes related to fashion entrepreneurs
Episode 453 – How to get the Kardashians to endorse your product with Sant and Abel’s Sophie Lovejoy
Episode 502 – How to successfully rebrand without alienating your customers with bikini connoisseur Rebecca Klodinsky
Episode 507 – How to create an iconic brand, product or service
Last Week’s Episode of The Small Business Big Marketing Podcast
Episode 545 – How to find your purpose with Car Next Door’s Will Davies.
Thanks for tuning in. May your marketing be the best marketing.
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