UNDONE, a DTC watch brand, thrived in a mature industry by prioritizing high-level customization and customer empowerment. This episode explores how they leverage a direct-to-consumer model, crowdfunding, and operational excellence to deliver quality and value, achieving millions in revenue by allowing customers to design their own unique watches.
Key takeaways
Differentiate in crowded markets by offering unique value propositions traditional players can't easily replicate, like UNDONE's extensive watch customization.
Empower customers by involving them in the product design process to foster deeper connections and build brand authenticity.
Utilize crowdfunding not just for capital, but for market validation and to build an early community and gather feedback.
Implement lean operations and robust supply chain management to efficiently handle the complexities of producing highly customized products at scale.
Leverage a DTC model to gain control over the customer experience, gather direct feedback, and potentially achieve better profit margins by cutting out intermediaries.
Building your own brand in a mature and established vertical can be somewhat likened to being in a David and Goliath story, going against giants who have long gained and cemented their foothold in the industry. And it certainly is no easy feat to set up your own brand, not to mention distinguishing yourself from other big names out there in the market. But as our guest, Michael Young, would say, “If you follow the same paradigm, you cannot run because people have been doing it for more than 50 years and doing it better than people that do it the same way for 50 years is very difficult. The only way to win is to be different.” And this is exactly how they managed to bring UNDONE into the direct-to-consumer eCommerce space that is earning millions of dollars each year in creating personalised watches for their end users. UNDONE is a Hong Kong-based watch company that creates uniquely customised designs for its users. They take pride in empowering the consumer by giving back the design-making process into the consumer’s hands and bringing in the authenticity of the brand with each highly customisable watch. Join Kunle and Michael in today’s episode as they talk about entrepreneurship, crowdfunding, operations management, and building a brand in a highly-competitive space.
Differentiate in crowded markets by offering unique value propositions traditional players can't easily replicate, like UNDONE's extensive watch customization.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Empower customers by involving them in the product design process to foster deeper connections and build brand authenticity.
What does this episode say about product & merchandising?
Utilize crowdfunding not just for capital, but for market validation and to build an early community and gather feedback.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Implement lean operations and robust supply chain management to efficiently handle the complexities of producing highly customized products at scale.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Leverage a DTC model to gain control over the customer experience, gather direct feedback, and potentially achieve better profit margins by cutting out intermediaries.
