(c) 2017 neudies LLC. All Rights Reserved.
I recently had the pleasure of working with Inés and Enrique Diaz-Rato, a sibling team who conceived the idea of The neudies.
They launched a Kickstarter campaign in May to crowdfund the creation of Nagavi and Nipes - the first pair of a range of designer toys which resemble human genitals. They carry a message which challenges outdated ideas and taboos by using a playful, curious and conversational approach.
The campaign was successfully funded with a week to spare.
In the following Q&A, co founder Inés shares some of the key factors that contributed to the success of the campaign, as well as the learnings derived from running it.
Nagavi and Nipes 5-inch vinyl toys
(c) 2017 neudies LLC. All Rights Reserved.
What was the inspiration behind The neudies?
At some point in my childhood I remember taking my sister’s Barbie dolls and undressing them, only to realise with disappointment that there was nothing to see. As I grew up, I never understood why toys had no genitals. In time I came to see that the topic of genitals is quickly rejected in society, similar to the way that genitals on toys have always been rejected. Even though sexual themes and messages surround us today, it is still a bit weird and uncomfortable to talk about genitals. Enrique and I wanted to make the topic more approachable with the hope of encouraging open conversations.
Why did you think it would make a good crowdfunding project?
The fact that we had a story, a product and a purpose is what initially made us consider launching The neudies as a crowdfunding project. Our product does not have any use other than displaying it in your home as an ornament or art piece. So we knew that having a story and a purpose were two elements that fit the crowdfunding space very well and could play in our favour.
We were very aware of the topic’s sensitivity, so we chose Kickstarter not only as a source for financing but also because the community is known for embracing new ideas and products before anyone else.
What kind of research did you do in the crowdfunding space?
A lot! After we agreed on doing a crowdfunding campaign I spent at least a month doing some research. I was familiar with crowdfunding but the more I read about it, the more I realised I didn’t know the first thing about how to actually plan a campaign. I read up on past successes and failures, and I found that to be a great starting point.
I’m amazed by the amount of useful information people post online. I really don’t think we could have run the campaign successfully without their learnings.
If I were to choose the one thing I did more research on it would be shipping. It was a bit of a nightmare, but I read many blogs and contacted people who had run successful campaigns. I feel that the lack of this kind of knowledge contributes to delays after a successful campaign which we want to avoid as much as possible. Although I am super happy that we did all this work and research before launching, we are still hoping for a smooth run at fulfilment stage, so we’re keeping fingers crossed.
What would you consider to be three key elements to the success of your campaign?
A VERY well done video
A fairly unique concept and product
Having many friends who were willing to help promote the project
What, if anything, would you do differently?
In my research, I read in every single creator’s testimony that you need to start building a fanbase around your product way before launching your campaign. To be honest, we were not keen on showing the process along the way, so we decided to take the risk and reveal The neudies to the world the day we launched. We did a lot of work researching media outlets and journalists who cover similar topics, but it is very hard to get noticed...VERY. I think if we were to do this again, I would definitely consider being more active about building a community before launching.
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While all campaigns will differ, there are some foundational elements which mean the difference between funding a campaign and having it bomb. It boils down to a good marketing strategy.
Some key steps to increase the success of your crowdfunding campaign include:
Do your research - Who is your target audience? What is involved to fulfill the pledges? Do you understand the mechanics of crowdfunding?
Develop your concept - How do you make your story meaningful to your audience?
Plan, plan, plan - Develop your strategy before launching
Build a community - Focus on the crowd before the funding
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View The neudies Kickstarter campaign here and watch the video. You can also follow their Instagram account which will journal their journey to fulfilment.