Don't be such a wet Slanket

By now, over 4 million people have become enamored enough with a nifty new product called “The Snuggie” to purchase one for their very own.

Snuggie

(For the yet uninitiated, “The Snuggie” is essentially a blanket with sleeves. Imagine putting a very large fleece robe on backwards and you pretty much have the design concept here.)

What intrigues me the most about the runaway success of “The Snuggie” (Over 4 million sold!) is that this is NOT a new product.

On the contrary.

A similar product has existed since 1998. It is called (rather unfortunately) a “Slanket”.

Let’s review:

1998: The inventor of the “Slanket” (Gary Clegg) commissions his mother to make him the world’s first blanket with sleeves. The product is featured on QVC and gets good press from the likes of The Today Show and Forbes. Some people buy it.

Flash forward 10 years.

2008: A nearly identical product called the “Snuggie” is featured in a cheesy TV commercial. Within months, the commercial becomes a viral hit and millions upon millions of orders pour in from people who (despite a recession) discover that they simply cannot live without “The Snuggie”.

Let’s look at some of the factors which are at work behind the success of Snuggies' marketing campaign:

1) Price: The "Slanket" costs $37.99. The "Snuggie" is currently $19.95. (Plus, if you act now, you can get a second Snuggie absolutely free! But that's not all! You also get this amazing folding book light...)

2) Timing: The country is in the midst of a recession. People are scared and in need of reassurance and comfort. Enter "The Snuggie". For less than $20, you can save on heating costs, wrap yourself in warmth while you leave your hands free to work the remote or surf the Internet while you're job hunting, plus have an extra "Snuggie" to give away as an inexpensive gift!

3) Social Media: This is really where "The Snuggie" blew the sleeves off of "The Slanket".

It's anyone's guess if the creators of the commercial intended for the ad to be taken as a joke but the fact is, people find it hilarious. So hilarious, in fact, that the YouTube version has been viewed over 700,000 times and viewers have forwarded it to other viewers countless more times. Could you duplicate this? Would you want to? Are you willing to be mocked in order to become the next big thing? Remember "The Clapper"? How about, "I've fallen and I can't get up"? You don't have to be annoying or ridiculous to get attention but you DO have to be creative and different. To stand in the corner waiting for you customer to ask you to dance instead of initiating conversation in the social media outlets of today makes you the equivalent of a wet blanket.

4) The name: "Slanket" believe it or not, was not the first name suggested for the product. That dubious honor goes to "The Sleevey". Neither name creates the same sense of warmth and comfort that "The Snuggie" does. Take your time when naming your product.

Gary Clegg is by no means a failure. He continues to successfully market and sell a product that has a loyal following. (Slanketeers he calls them.) Furthermore, you can feel good about ordering from him since his website states, "The Slanket cares about humans. We can't help it! It is how our moms raised us. From our own neighborhood to across the world, we have seen people of all kinds who have encountered adversity. We now want to begin what we hope will be a lifetime of giving, starting with TheSlanket.com. We have decided to donate a portion of sales to three different organizations, which we believe are worthy. As a part of this, we have coupled different color Slankets with different charities. All blue Slankets will raise money for H2O AFRICA. Green, brown, and grey Slankets will help contribute to the NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL. The lavender, ruby wine, and apricot will accumulate funds for the BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION."

As far as this Blogger is concerned, that may be the best lesson of all. Whether your product has a small following or is a worldwide sensation, giving back is always a win-win proposition.