In this post, we’re going to analyze one of my favorite up-and-coming athleisure brands called Slunks and ponder, “what’s next?”

We’ll start with Company first…

Slunks was originally created by Chris Reames and Marcus Hairston and introduced at the Manhattan Beach Six-Man volleyball tournament in 2017. Slunks is a unique clothing brand because the clothing is made from recycled plastic water bottles. What really makes this company, this brand, this lifestyle, stand above the rest of its competitors? The community that followed. Their word-of-mouth marketing has created a deep sense of community. 

Customer

Slunks is a clothing line for the laid-back athlete who wants to feel good in what they’re wearing and about saving the planet. Slunks’ current segment is hip, active people who are a mix of edgy and easy-going and love 80’s patterns. Ages range from 14-40 men and (recently added) women. They partnered with our olympic volleyball team to sponsor their uniform. Slunks has also been worn by influencers like Justin Bieber, The Chainsmokers, and multiple NFL players. They’re specifally targeting athletes, such as volleyball players and surfers, but looking to expand to soccer and basketball players and snowboarders.  

Collaborator

Slunks is working with one of the most innovative recycling companies in the world. They partnered with Repreve – the world’s leading provider of recycled fiber. Repreve does the work of providing Slunks with the needed materials so Slunks can focus on their brand and business models. 

Competitor

The most obvious competitors would be athleisure and swimwear companies like lululemon, JOLYN, Ripcurl, Athleta, billabong, Volcom, Nike, Adidas, etc. However, as mentioned before, Slunks has a very loyal following compared to some of their competitors. This is something huge that sets them apart. Their notoriously flashy designs are spotted a mile away.

Context

Slunks entered the retail market at a prime time for sustainably conscious shopping. They made a niche market for themselves targeting younger, active people who didn’t live or die by sustainable clothing, but ended up valuing the product more because of how it’s made.

Future…

What would an E-Portfolio post be if I didn’t talk about the next steps? There are multiple routes Slunks could go. They just started to create a line of collared shirts to be comfortable, yet still Slunky. So, we see them starting to branch out from their original comfort zone. There is a segment I think they could really grab hold of: The environmentally-conscious, athletic consumer. Right now, Slunks has such innovative technology with how they create their product. However, that is not on the main stage in their advertising. Do you think Slunks has the capacity and positioning to be able to reach outside of their current segment?

Sources

https://getslunks.com/pages/about-us

https://www.campaignlive.com/article/slunks-80s-inspired-swim-brand-taking-california/1666739