Bombas: Brand Positioning Case Study

Until Bombas hit the scene in 2013, socks hadn’t changed in 50 years.

So they spent 2 years on sock research & development. Yes, sock R&D.

Bombas wanted to make the perfect sock. 

Not to build a multi-million dollar company (although they did). They wanted to solve a sock shortage by giving away a pair for every one they sold. 

This also happened to solve what would’ve been a big problem: How do you stand out selling something as simple as socks?

💼 The Brand: Bombas Socks

Bombas is a D2C clothing essentials brand with a buy one, give one model. 

Fun fact: Bombas comes from the Latin word for bumblebee. Bees work together to make their hive a better place, so on the inside of every pair of socks, they stitch the words: Bee Better.

💛 The Heart (Mission & Vision)

What’s the #1, 2, & 3 most requested items at homeless shelters? Socks, shirts, and underwear. That’s why these are the exact items Bombas sells. The reason they exist is to provide thoughtfully designed, essential clothing to those in need. 

👤 The Head (Strategy & Positioning)

Bombas has positioned themselves as a company that cares about its customers and the world around them, and all the research says that’s the best strategy for differentiating themselves.

According to one survey, 62% of Gen Z and millennial customers prefer to buy from sustainable and purpose-driven brands.

And another survey of Gen Z’ers, reported that over 90% believe that companies should take part in alleviating environmental and social problems.

It’s also proven that consumers are willing to pay a 10-30% premium to these brands. That’s how Bombas can get away with selling a 4-pack of socks for $56 🤯

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✋ The Hands (Tactics):

This section is about getting tactical and generating demand using a well thought out strategy. But how do you “generate demand” for something as simple as socks?

One way is to leverage urgency and scarcity. 

Bombas figured out a way to do this with limited edition collaborations.

They’ve partned with other brands with cult-like followings.

Like Disney…

Sesame Street…

And some like Cotopaxi that have sold out.

With these tasteful collaborations, it further positions the Bombas brand as an intentional fashion choice, not something you lose in the dryer.

Another brilliant tactic is how Bombas goes ALL IN when it comes to customer support.

They built a sock finder quiz to help you find the perfect pair of socks.

And probably my favorite tactic is their 100% Happiness Guaranteewhere they offer to replace any pair of socks, underwear, or t-shirt for ANY reason.

How You Can Steal Their Strategy

Here's a few ideas:

• Donate a percentage of profits to a cause related to your brand. Like how Liquid Death donates a percentage of every can of water sold.
• Incorporate purpose driven language into your website copy like Patagonia.
• Create a contrarian movement like REI did with Black Friday and their #OptOutside campaign.

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