Skims 101

Skims 101

How Skims is not only killing it at the product game, but at marketing

If you haven’t heard of Skims, I’ll give you a quick rundown - It’s a brand owned by Kim Kardashian (and run by Emma Grede - who you may recognize from Shark Tank). What do they sell? Basically they started as an upgraded version of Spanx, and have transformed into so much more - from their recent menswear line, bras and undies, and loungewear. The brand only started in 2019 and has grew to fame quickly - but much differently than all other Kardashian brands - it’s a quality brand that can stand on its own without the Kardashian endorsement - and their partnerships prove it.

Before we dive in, let’s quickly speak numbers:

As of January 2024:

  • Total Instagram Followers: 5.6 Million

  • Total TikTok Followers: 1.2 Million

  • Current Valuation: $4 Billion

Just to compare Kendall’s 808 Tequila has 1.1 Million Instagram followers and Khloe’s Good American has 2.4 Million Instagram followers.

Skims seems to have risen to fame across social media for being inclusive in sizing and fabric colors - matching a diverse range of skin tones, unlike competitors. Their fabrics are able to make you look snatched, and other products have some of the softest fabric you will ever feel. This quality and inclusivity with amazing marketing campaigns is what makes this brand continue to grow.

Skims is on track to hit $750 Million in sales this year (2023).

It takes an amazing brand, quality products, and rockstar team to win - but marketing is what we are all about and we want to dive into how Skim’s has continued to grow through their marketing campaigns. Let’s go…

  • Prioritizing Recognizable Faces in Marketing Campaign

    • It’s great to work with celebrities as the face of a campaign (if you can afford it), but what Skim’s does well is pairing recognizable faces in their campaigns that bring out different things from consumers - from sports starts, OG Victoria Secret Models, Actresses, and more.

  • Influencer Approach

    • When they launched men’s it was so cool to see pre-launch influencer content, but what really stood out was we sa\w influencer husbands (and boyfriends) shining. Some of our favorite influencers gave their men the spotlight in this campaign. If you follow any influencers, you know how we (as followers) can get attached to their relationships and journey - so it was really cool to see them get their own PR package for once (vs just sending packages to only men influencers).

  • Strategic Partnerships

    • NBA Official Underwear Line - With the recent menswear line, Skim’s took it a step beyond - to be an. Official partner with the NBA. Again, things like this take big money (and big commitments), but for any brand, there are creative ways to do something similar.

    • Retail Partners and Product Distribution - One thing I love is their choice of retail partners, focusing on higher end department stores. Even better - they offer only the introductory peaches in store and keep the more colorful/fun products on their site only.

  • Collaborations

    • Swarovski- Did y’all see this? The shiny collection gained a lot of press, and was the first clothing line collab (that I have seen from Swarovski) from Swarovski. It’s genius honestly.

  • Diversity

    • This has been the forefront of the brand - a pillar. This shines through on their marketing as well. Honestly, if you aren’t focused on diversity for your brand what are you doing? Not winning.

Anna Sullivan