Sometimes, the best inventions start out of a necessity — just like BAKblade did.
After exhausting all options to get rid of his back hair, Matt Dryfhout suddenly realized there was a gap in the male grooming market. From messy and expensive creams to booking appointments for laser or waxing treatments, there just didn’t seem to be a single effective and affordable option available.
Dryfhout decided to take matters into his own hands. Together with his wife, the couple created BAKblade — an easy, innovative, and reliable back and body shaver. Starting with a goal and just $5,000 in savings, the Dryfhout’s started the business and gradually climbed their way to success.
They experienced their fair share of trial and error along the way, but that didn’t stop them from achieving their goal. They made adjustments to their blade technology, obtained intellectual property trademarks and patents, and suddenly went viral.
In 2018, the company gathered $10 million in sales. Today, BAKblade boasts distribution in the US, Europe, and Latin America, and is sold in big-name retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond. In just a matter of three years, BAKblade reached 291% in growth.
Here’s how they did it:
Gaining Attention After a Viral Video
Back in 2016, BAKblade’s team tested out crowdfunding for the up-and-coming release of the BAKblade 2.0 razor. While their initial goal was to raise between $50,000 and $100,000, BAKblade decided to take a step further.
With a Kickstarter campaign and over 6,000 backers, BAKblade brought in $316,581. Soon after, they launch an Indiegogo campaign that raised $1,093,408.
But most of BAKblade’s attention comes from a viral video. In just one night, the video reached 35 million views, catching the attention from establishes sites like Business Insider, Mashable, and Yahoo — allowing them to reach 240 million views.
Seemingly out of nowhere, BAKblade was all the rage, and it took the founders by surprise. Such unprecedented success means they were forced to ship out nearly 30,000 units of products — driving them to look for a third-party logistics (3PL) company.
At the time, BAKblade was not prepared to carry out such a mass of orders, nor were they set up to manage to complexities of doing so. Just as BAKblade was in a cry for help, they found ShipBob, a worldwide 3PL that carries out large e-commerce orders for direct-to-consumer brands.
Even though BAKblade never anticipated reaching such a status, they knew how important a logistics company could be for the future of the business. With ShipBob, they were able to fulfill services, technology, and other necessary tools to stay competitive. This allows BAKblade to focus primarily on the brand itself, refining products, developing content, and expanding product lines.
Behind the Blade
After attacking his back with painful waxes and various razors, Dryfhout knew it was time to create a new alternative that’s safe, less painful, and works effectively. Dryfhout sought to step up with the grooming game by creating his DIY back shaver. With no moving parts and no batteries required, BAKblade’s razors prove to be a new and innovative way to take on shaving.
The BAKblade razor features an ergonomic handle, designed for efficiency and convenience. Additionally, the razors include special blade cartridges made to give men the closest and cleanest shave — all while being safe.
BAKblade also features DRYglide blades, which allows men to shave wet or dry and still get a nice, clean shave. Dryfhout knew there were still other razors on the market, but he also knew that BAKblade was the only razor made specifically for your back.
Going Above and Beyond for Customers
Since its founding, BAKblade has doubled its growth year after year, and a large contribution to the company’s success has been speedy, efficient product deliveries, allowing customers to be satisfied with the purchase experience as a whole.
Finding a reliable logistics company was a crucial aspect of BAKblade’s success. Making sure every aspect of the business is running smoothly and consistently is also important to establishing trust between brand and consumers.
This will encourage more traffic to the site, and thus more sales. Through purchasing, packaging, delivery, BAKblade can tell a story through their shopping experience, giving them more control over our brand as a whole.
BAKblade makes an effort of going above and beyond to meet their customer’s needs. Regardless of the consumer exceptions, BAKblade is continually evolving to make sure their products meet the proper standards and deliver products into customer hands’ faster than ever.
Over the recent years, the company has been able to grow both nationally and internationally. Overall consumer satisfaction has gone up, and the company is now able to manage the flow of business methodically and productively.
The Future of BAKblade
With BAKblade, Dryfhout sought to create a new, innovative product that’s easy and safe to use. He saw a gap in the male grooming market and found an expert way to fill it.
BAKblade works to continue to improve existing products and expand its product lines. The company plans to release a new version of their blade specifically designed for pregnant women and those with back problems or other disabilities that prevent them from applying shaving cream to their legs.
Medical supply companies have even expressed internet in BAKblade’s products, and some have requested to create a subscription service for the blades. BAKblade’s razors offer everyone a customized way to shave in under a few minutes — without painful scrapes and cuts.
Image Credit:
- Featured Image, Pexels