The 5 Marketing Musts Frankies Bikinis Is Using In Uncertain Times To Propel Wait Lists And Sell Out Its Sexy Swimwear Line

Even if summer is just around the corner, it’s the last thing you would expect in the middle of the COVID-19 retail upheaval. Record breaking swimsuit sales. Defying the odds, Frankies Bikinis 25 year-old Founder and Creative Director, Francesca Aiello has charted a decidedly unique marketing strategy resulting in wait lists and sold-out styles for her sexy swimsuit line.

The foundation of the brand’s current success is a continuing initiative to push forward and not only build sales but their social media. As a result, in the last month Frankies Bikinis online sales have increased by 50% along with a steady increase in their Instagram following accompanied by a 30% increase in social engagement.

These results are impressive in light of the current negative swimwear trends as cited by Edited with their data reporting, as the virus took hold, monthly drops between February and March 2020, which are normally peak months.

The current climate has also given brands the opportunity to reevaluate how they communicate with their customers. Aiello has embraced this approach by mobilizing five key initiatives in the past month that other brands might want to follow to create greater direct to consumer demand.

1. Maintain Consumer Engagement. Aiello explained that one of the main reasons for their “drastic growth has been our approach to social media. We strategically chose to continue posting content to our social media rather than pause in the midst of this crisis.”

The response was positive. Apparently customers were sending messages that the content Frankies Bikinis had been showcasing gave them a sense of normalcy, while there is so much uncertainty in the world, along with a sense of excitement for what was yet to come. Aiello observed, “There is so much negativity on the internet, and seeing dreamy images of the summer (we all hope to still have ) has been a breath of fresh air to our consumer base.”

2. Stay Creative And Fresh. While other retailers are canceling shipments, Aiello reinforced that “something that has always set Frankies Bikinis apart from others in their category is the consistent capsule collections that are released between their two major seasons - Resort and Spring/Summer.” This approach seemed particularly apropos right now.

Finding new inspiration and new fabrics, Aiello didn’t want to wait to share that with her customers. As a frequent shopper herself, especially for new arrivals, Aiello “always wants the latest and greatest.” As a result, Aiello, because she shared so many similarities with her target audience, implemented it into her current brand strategy to deliver the excitement of newness along with the knowledge that the brand’s capsule collections tend to sell out quickly.

3. Build Anticipation And Demand. Because Frankies Bikini’s capsule collections are in high demand, the brand posts “sneak peaks” to their social channels to build hype and excitement around the launch eliciting hundreds of comments from followers who want to plan what color or style they plan to go after as soon as it is released. For their latest collection launching today, the approach generated a 3,000 person wait list.

4. Build Relationships and Authenticity. Another marketing tool that Aiello has started implementing is putting herself in front of her customers more. Since founding the brand over seven years ago, Aiello has maintained a strong relationship with her customers which is something she attributes to the brand’s success.

Now more than ever Aiello is making an effort to put herself at the forefront of the brand and interact even more with its consumers. Whether that is doing Instagram live’s with other brands, sharing the brand story, continuously responding to comments and inquiries on social posts and messages, creating content to show how she is working from home and what she is doing to stay inspired during this time - Aiello is putting herself at the forefront to inspire followers and consumers - building an even stronger relationship with her and the brand. 

5. Inclusivity. Finally, Frankies Bikinis is growing significantly in regards to awareness of their message of inclusivity. It has become a staple in the brand as Aiello has created more pieces that will fit and flatter as many body types as possible wiht a new size range from XS to XL. Every style offered includes a range of coverage options and silhouettes so that every customer can find something that makes them feel confident when wearing it. 

Although rumors abound that consumers are not buying swimwear right now, Frankies Bikinis is beating the odds with a hyper-focused strategy on product, marketing and social outreach. As a result, they may actually be instinctively following what Dan Misener from Pacific Content advises, “Don't be the person at the party who only wants to talk about themselves. Talk about what you have in common with the audience, those shared values.”

The recent sneak peak release of their terry swim club collection, where specific styles of the swim, apparel and bucket hats sold out within a matter of days, garnered tremendous feedback on the sneak peak photos prior to launch. The brand also uses responses to sneak peak photos as a strong indicator of how collections will fare once launched.

This article originally appeared in Forbes, written by NJ Falk

Frankies Bikinis Expands Into Beauty

What do Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Jenner, and Gigi Hadid have in common? A mutual love for Frankies Bikinis! The Instagram-famous swimwear brand just expanded into beauty so you can achieve an “effortless Californian glow,” while sporting the same bikini as your favorite star.

Founder Francesca Aiello launched Frankies Bikinis Beauty, with a lineup of three beach-friendly beauty essentials. The collection includes Glow Mist. ($36), Glow Moisturizer .($40) and Glow Tint. ($28) — all clearly designed to help you look naturally radiant.

There’s also a value kit called the Essentials Collections Set. ($90) that comes with all three of the new products. Fun bonus: They come housed inside of a stylish blue terry cloth travel bag.

Take note: The beauty brand is cruelty free, sulfate free, gluten free, alcohol free and paraben-free. They’re also devoid of artificial coloring and fragrance so you don’t have to worry about what you’re putting on your face.

Frankies Bikinis Beauty is available online now at www.frankiesbikinis.com