By
James Nieman | 12/31/2018 | in
Following last year’s list of behavior change marketers, we’re bringing you a new and updated list of 2018’s most inspiring action brands and people. If there are any brands you think deserve to be added to the list, tweet us here and let us know!
Bird
For using two wheels to reach a $1B valuation at record-breaking speed
Airbnb
For giving the displaced a place to stay
Domino’s
For making technology and innovation its secret sauce
Epic Games
For rewriting gaming history and launching a global craze
UNTUCKit
For being world-class professionals at keeping it casual
Patagonia
For changing the way brands approach a changing world
Cheddar
For striking a chord with cord-cutters
WeWork
For capturing the lion’s share of shared spaces
Spotify
For making sophisticated data science and personalization the soundtrack to success
Marvel
For busting out blockbusters at a record pace
Peloton
For peddling fitness enthusiasts into the future
Square
For reshaping the financial services industry
Hopper
For elevating the way consumers fly
Duolingo
For connecting the globe through language
Ring
For making home-security mobile
Coursera
For making consumers the masters of their own masters degree
The Wing
For shattering glass ceilings
Tough Mudder
For bringing a new definition to running a muck
Netflix
For providing cinematic experiences outside the cinema
Rent The Runway
For extending the red carpet into your closet
Cards Against Humanity
For revealing its cards as being much more than a card company
Slack
For making conversations conversational
BeyondMeat
For being the meat and potatoes of a meatless category
Turo
For paving the road for the peer-to-peer car sharing economy
The New York Times
For putting a modern spin on a timeless publication
Nuts.com
For showing that direct-to-consumer brands can be cooked up in the 1920s
Nike
For taking a stand on taking a knee
The Parkland Activists
For being the voice of a generation
By
Team DIGO | 12/09/2016 | in
By James Nieman
This men’s apparel company was founded to fill the need for button-downed shirts designed to be worn untucked.
It’s an idea so simple and brilliant that they could express it in one word: UNTUCKit!
Why a brilliant idea? Because the world’s gone casual.
Beards are back. Man-buns are popping up from coast to coast. And businesses in nearly every industry are shifting toward more “laid-back” work environments.
But when co-founder Chris Riccombono tried to join the trend and let his button-downs hang loose, he noticed that they were all too long. They would hang like a tail, creating a sloppy, unkempt look that appeared more “clumsy” than “casual.” He hated that he looked as if he were wearing his shirt incorrectly.
(Are you sensing the beginning of a great founding legend?)
Riccombono couldn’t find a solution his problem, so he did what entrepreneurs do best. He recruited a Columbia University classmate, Aaron Sanandres, and together they founded UNTUCKit in 2011.
After consulting with several focus groups, the two began their design, eventually landing on a shirt that was short enough to leave a small portion of the pant pocket exposed but long enough to cover the belt. It was casual but also sharp and sophisticated.
With just a small marketing budget, Riccombono and Sanandres knew they had to advertise wisely. They started with radio advertising, reaching their target audience by appearing on popular podcasts and shows like The Howard Stern Show. They advertised in airline inflight magazines, which helped the company drive online sales.
Turns out Riccombono wasn’t the only one with his shirt problem. The company began to grow and grow fast. People had fallen in love with the concept. It was both totally odd yet completely practical at the same time. It took off.
Since then, the company has transformed from an online-only operation run from a Hoboken apartment to a fancy SoHo office and six brick-and-mortar stores nationwide. (From direct model to direct-led, as we say.) It offers everything from sport coats to socks and recently began selling women’s clothing as well.
But Riccombono’s business is only where it is today because he discovered a customer pain point.
And then set out to solve it brilliantly.
