It's The Curve Of Course!
Curved Belts, Why Didn't I Think Of That?
It's amazing that after more than 200 years of the "industrial age" people are still coming up with relatively low tech simple solutions that add a ton of value to our everyday lives. Inventions like multi-bladed razors, wooden back scratchers, and always tied tennis shoes make one wonder, "why didn't I think of that?" The same is true with Embrazio's patented curved belts shaped to form with the natural curves of the human body. More comfortable, more stylish, and no gapping in the back of your jeans/pants. So simple yet really so different and better than the straight belts that have ruled the roost for literally centuries.
Curved Belts Make Straight Belts Obsolete
Almost everyday, someone who owns one of our curved belts will tell us "by the way, this is the best belt I've ever worn!" We heard it again this morning at our local coffee shop. A good friend who had recently purchased one for his wife said, "by the way, Gail loves your belt, she wears it almost everyday, and she told me she'll never wear a straight belt again." Of course, we love these sort of comments but they still surprise us simply because of the many times we hear them each week. We never knew how many people hate wearing uncomfortable straight belts or how many people were even aware of the gapping and ugly loop mark you get in the back of your pants with traditional belts.
Not Just Curved, Carefully Designed
Creator, Stephanie Boyles, worked for months at our kitchen island calculating exactly the right amount of curve at each belt size. It didn't hurt that she has a Phd in topology, "the study of geometric properties and spatial relations." Once the exact curve was determined at each size, we had to get our cut and sew factories to adopt the AI files for specific cutting. That took a few "go rounds" as they say because the factories often tried to simply "stretch" the curve created for the shortest belt. Ultimately, we worked together with these craftsmen to get the curved belt just right at each specific size.
Creating Awareness For Curved Belts
Now the challenge for Embrazio is getting the word out. We know that if we can get a person to try on our curved belt, they'll immediately feel the difference and "have to have one." For a small start-up with a limited marketing budget, we've got to be creative, diligent, and energetic to build the awareness we need to hit the "inflection point" for mass adoption. We're doing this by selling to small boutiques who are typically the source for bringing new and different fashion elements to early adopters (we're now in over 130 boutiques nationwide). We're also working hard on social media to build www.embrazio.com with blog posts and pics and we're participating in selective industry trade shows. We really have no idea when enough word of mouth referrals will occur to create the geometric network effect (sorry, we used to be in the tech industry) to make curved belts the new standard. Our hope is that those reading blogs like this one and customers who've actually experienced an Embrazio curved belt will take us over the top. After all, curving a belt to fit with your natural form is just a simple idea that adds a tremendous amount of value to one's everyday life!