By lalfred@hubspot.com (Lestraundra Alfred)

Earlier this month, Kim Kardashian’s apparel company Skims made headlines after closing a $270 million fundraising round, reaching a valuation of $4 billion. In a business climate where VCs are pulling back investment from direct-to-consumer brands, this accomplishment is quite the feat for a four-year-old business.

Skims initially launched in 2019, offering shapewear and intimates. The company has since expanded its product line to include clothing, loungewear, swimwear, and kid’s items. This year, Skims is on track to bring in $750 million in sales, up 50% from 2022.

The brand experienced mega-growth through smart positioning in front of its ideal customers, 70% of whom are millennials and Gen Z. Continue reading to learn the marketing moves that helped Skims reach unicorn status four times over.

Skims Marketing Strategies

Winning on Social

Instagram is Skims’ top social media channel. With over 5.2 million followers, the brand often takes to Instagram to announce new product launches and social campaigns.

Looking through the comments on the Skims Instagram account, it also appears to be a customer service channel where buyers give feedback about what products they’d like to see and inquire about when products will be back in stock.

It’s also worth noting the popularity of Skims products on TikTok. Though the official Skims account on TikTok has 1.1 million followers, the brand’s main marketing power on the platform is seen through word of mouth and user-generated content.

Each day users post their hauls and reviews of Skims products on TikTok, generating buzz for the brand. Users sharing Skims “dupes” is another popular niche on TikTok, which still drives notoriety and demand for the original products.

Email Marketing That Converts

In addition to social, Skims also uses email marketing to drive sales. On average, the brand sends five emails per week to its list announcing new product drops, restocks of popular products, retail collaborations, and direct CTAs to purchase.

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Scarcity Marketing

The more rare an item is, the higher its perceived value. This is the law of supply and demand from your Econ 101 class — a key factor in scarcity marketing that Skims has leveraged to drive sales.

The brand has been known to drop new and popular items in limited quantities making coveted items sell out quickly. This drives those who missed out on the initial run to begin following the brand more closely so they can be alerted when the product is back in stock, encouraging …read more

Source:: HubSpot Blog

Author: Aaron