How The Tie Society Used the Subscription Model to Become the Netflix of Ties

Have you noticed how more and more businesses are adopting the subscription model that Netflix made famous? It’s pretty cool, right? Instead of buying a car, you can pay a monthly fee to ZipCar and use one whenever you need it. And what’s even cooler is that this trend is opening up new possibilities for startups and entrepreneurs to create unique businesses that cater to the needs of today’s customers.

That’s where The Tie Society comes in. They’re a startup that’s using the subscription model to revolutionize the way people get ties. I had the pleasure of talking to Zac Gittins, the co-founder and CEO, and Jake Kuczeruk, the CMO, who shared their experiences in convincing people to ditch buying ties and join a tie-sharing service/community instead.

Zac Gittins: Let me share a little about where I come from. I grew up in Washington, D.C. and attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. It was there that I developed a passion for economics and computer science, which eventually led me to a career at IBM.

When I first started at IBM, I remember borrowing a couple of ties from my dad to look professional. But once I received my first paycheck and bonus, I decided to invest in my wardrobe. I bought a bunch of ties and suits, thinking it would give me a varied and polished look.

However, after some time, I realized that all my colleagues had seen every tie I owned. If I wanted to keep expanding my professional wardrobe, I needed to buy more ties and shirts.

Jake Kuczeruk (pictured right): I went to Indiana University. Then, I worked in commercial real estate for a bit, wearing suits and ties every Monday through Friday. Later on, I had the chance to move to the San Francisco Bay Area and join a startup company. Once that was done, I became an account manager for a while. So, I found myself back in those suit and tie days, Monday through Friday, until I met Zack in an elevator at the 500 Startups. That’s when I got into ties and started talking with him about the Tie Society.

USamerica.US: I remember reading somewhere that you guys call yourselves the Netflix For Ties?

Zac Gittins: Yep, that’s exactly what we’re going for. We’re imagining it like an online closet. Picture this: you visit a website, choose the clothes you want, and a few days later they show up at your doorstep. That’s what we’re creating.

USamerica.US: What makes this approach better than the traditional way of selling ties?

Jake Kuczeruk: Honestly, it’s similar to what happened with Blockbuster. People aren’t buying DVDs anymore because it doesn’t make financial sense. Ties have a huge markup compared to other men’s clothing items. Some ties cost hundreds of dollars, but the manufacturers only spend a small fraction of that to make them.

Let me tell you something that just doesn’t make any financial sense – buying ties. Ever again. Nope, not necessary.

USamerica.US: Did customers adapt to this new way of doing things quickly?

Zac Gittins: It took a little getting used to, I must admit. At first, when you hear about it, you’re like, ‘Hmm, interesting.’ But then, a day or so later, you’re like, ‘Wait, what? Really?’ And when you actually try it, you’re blown away. It’s like, ‘Whoa, this is amazing!’

So, for many of our customers, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher at first. They’re like, ‘Hang on, can I really wear a tie, send it back, and get a different one without paying anything for returns or shipping? How is this even possible?’

Jake Kuczeruk: We go above and beyond to make sure we can offer a level of help online that you won’t find in a physical store, like Nordstrom’s, for example. We give 100% free style advice to all our customers.

I talk to guys every week who actually send me pictures from the store and ask, ‘Hey, I’m gonna buy this suit. Can you suggest a few ties for it so I can add them to my list when I get home?’

We strive to take that extra step and recreate some of the experiences you’d have in a store. In fact, we’ll soon be introducing a virtual try-on feature on our website, so you can try things on for free.

USamerica.US: We understand that customer satisfaction is important, but how do you measure the success of this approach?

Zac Gittins: We have a few ways to measure how satisfied our customers are. One of the main ways is by looking at how many packages we send out each month and week. If we see that customers are using our system a lot, that’s a good sign that they are happy and involved with what we’re doing.

We also keep track of how long people spend on our website and what they are interested in. We collect a bunch of data on our customers to help us understand how our system is doing. But for me and Jake, the most important thing is hearing from customers directly and seeing how engaged they are.

When it comes to our company, Ties Society, the Society part was not accidental. That’s truly what we’re aiming to create. We’re going after that idea of an online closet, but we’re also trying to establish a community for guys who truly value their appearance.

USamerica.US: It sounds like the key to your business is attracting traffic to the site; getting people to see what you offer and then getting them to sign up. How do you drive that kind of interest from a marketing perspective? And what role does social media play in helping you with that?

Jake Kuczeruk: Social media is a big part of what we do. We support and promote a soccer player in the MLS, specifically a Houston Dynamo player named Mike Chabala. He’s a member of our team of athletes and speakers who come from various backgrounds and careers but all wear ties every day. We actually connected with him on Twitter, so it’s definitely a social experience. It’s really valuable to us.

We also use social media to communicate with our members directly and listen to their needs and concerns. We even have members sharing pictures of themselves in different outfits with our ties to help others decide which ones look best.

USamerica.US: I’m curious about the 3D aspect you mentioned. Can you tell me more about that?

USamerica.US: Hey Zac, where can you find out more about what we’re up to and where can you go to subscribe?

Zac Gittins: You can head over to Tie Society. We’re also active on all the social platforms you can think of, thanks to Jake. If you want to chat with Jake directly, Facebook and Twitter are the places to be. We’re both there and ready to connect. And if you’re looking for style inspo, you can find us on Pinterest, Instagram, and plenty of other sites.

Jake Kuczeruk: If you want to reach out to me via email, shoot me a message at [email protected]. I’ll make sure to set you up with a discount or a free one-month trial of our service.

USamerica.US: That’s awesome, and I’m glad you mentioned Pinterest and Instagram. I bet those platforms are a big deal in your line of work, right?

Jake Kuczeruk: Oh, absolutely! Being active on Pinterest is incredibly important for menswear. We make it a point to update our content every day, and the results have been amazing. We’ve received over twenty million views just from that platform alone.

This interview is a part of the One on One interview series, where we chat with entrepreneurs, authors, and business experts who make us think. We’ve edited this transcript for publication.

This is part of the One-on-One Interview series with thought leaders. We’ve edited the transcript for publication. If you prefer audio or video interviews, just click the embedded player above or subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher.