As we seek out originals, Kickstarter is a place we regularly look.  A recent campaign I saw was the incredibly successful Ace Marks campaign.  It’s a stunningly executed campaign.

Ace Marks is a new dress shoe business.  They are creating stunning hand-made Italian leather dress-shoes for less than $200.  They’ve sourced a fourth generation factory in Italy and the shoes look amazing.  To date, with 11 days to go they’ve raised $323k from over 1,200 backers and are pretty much completely sold out – I know, I tried to buy a pair.

There are a few things I love about the campaign.  First up, the pictures and video are amazing.  Stunning, incredibly clear reflecting the quality of the product.  Second, the story is clear and credible – guy has travelled Italy looking for a partner to make his shoes and has found the best.  Third, the sale is clear – these shoes should cost $600 but because you’re buying them direct they’re less than $200.  There is a charity element but, for me, that was just an extra bonus.

Watching the video and reading the details I was sold.  Not just on the product but on the brand.  The story is clear and concise.  The internet has facilitated the “buy direct” model allowing more sophisticated customers to feel closer to the product.  Companies who’ve been able to tell the brand story in an interesting way have been able to build the “1,000 true fans” model with remarkable success. I know I’ll be back to Ace Marks for a pair of shoes in the not too distant…

#entrepreneur #successstories #marketing #kickstarter