The #1 Mistake That's Killing New Clothing Brands

I promised you the #1 mistake - so let's jump straight in.

I'll start with an example scenario.

Let's say I wanted to start a Running Apparel line.

The general thought process — how I would think, or how I've seen new brand owners think — is to check out the existing products, look at their price, look at the features, fabrics, look and feel of the product and then go about trying to better all these and offer them at a lower price point.

Hmm. The logic is sound so they go build that product.

They talk to a designer, develop the tech pack for the first running t-shirt and shorts line with excellent detailing and then approach a manufacturer like us.

We're impressed by the effort they've put into it, make the sample to specifications, they are impressed, we make and supply the bulk order while they get the Shopify website ready and once everything is set, they launch!

Woot! That's awesome!

The Meta ads are running, Instagram reels are gaining traction but... sales are few and far between.

Marketing spend increases, profitability decreases and eventually they simply can't afford to keep the marketing machine running and the dream slowly starts fizzling away.

So Where Did Things Go Wrong?

Well, the answer isn't about the product at all — it's about who they built it for.

As soon as you conceive the idea of the clothing brand, before you do anything else, I would point you in the direction of Seth Godin's words where he says:

"1) Identify the smallest possible group of people first
2) Satisfy them
3) Expand one level out
4) Satisfy them
5) Repeat"

What Is "the Smallest Possible Group"?

Now, what is this smallest group of people? We are an Indian Running apparel brand so the smallest group of people would be Runners in India, right?

Nope.

Male Runners in India?

Nope.

Serious Marathon Male Runners in India?

On track but not quite there yet.

Serious Ultra-marathon Male Runners in India?

Their needs when it comes to running apparel are probably different from those of regular runners to whom the bigger brands like Nike and Adidas cater to.

Their needs are the features you build into your product.

Basically, they're going to be like "Shut up and take my money!" when you give them your product.

Why Niche Targeting Wins

When that is the case, your price point can be higher — in fact, much higher than what brands like Nike and Adidas charge. Because the target audience knows that your product addresses their specific needs.

When you build the product this way, your marketing is easier, your profits are better and you give yourself the best chance to expand to the next level — which might be something like female ultra-marathon runners in India.

More sales → more profits to reinvest into marketing → drive more sales → and so on.

It's that first initial phase that's the hardest when it comes to getting your clothing brand off the ground. Once that is done, you will have cash flow that you can deploy to drive better results and start growing quicker.

Keep this post in the back of your mind if you have thoughts of starting a brand.