BRIC's 6'7" Founder Offers his Perspective on Brand Building and Elevating Customer Experience

Kemdi Anosike founded BRIC Menswear because at 6’7” he knows the frustration of trying to find a sweater that fits. In his pursuit of making fashionable clothes available to big and/or tall men, Anosike has given himself to learning how to create excellent clothes — from design and fit to oversea manufacturing and supply chain logistics. His passion to rewrite the customer experience for the big and tall demographic is reflected in his above and beyond customer service. Here’s the story of how he found his niche. 

Anosike moved from Lagos, Nigeria to the U.S. for college. After graduating, Anosike was working in real estate, often wearing suits or business wear, and he found it nearly impossible to find clothes that fit him well and looked chic. In his opinion, most big and tall clothiers carried dated fashions. “They didn't have the 21st century man in mind,” said Anosike.

For Anosike, this was not acceptable. Anosike hails from a fashion-forward family. Not only was his father stylish himself, he required Anosike and his siblings to dress and present themselves well before leaving home. Today, Anosike is not the only member of his family in the fashion industry.  

His first idea to help shoppers like himself was to build a technology platform where he could integrate all the big and tall brands in one convenient online store. As he spoke with friends and colleagues, he realized that a platform wouldn’t solve the problem. He wasn’t finding any brands he felt comfortable recommending due to poor fit or quality. Plus, he wouldn’t be able to control the customer service if he was just referring them to other brands. “I wanted to be in control of the customer's experience from when they come on the website to how it fits when clothes arrive,” Anosike said. 

Perfecting The Product

The process of finding the materials and design for his current line of sweaters and tees has been cyclical. Trial and error. “I test everything on myself,” said Anosike. “I wear them and wash them. See how it shrinks. If the color goes off. I dry clean them.” Before he launches a new item, you will find him wearing it for months in advance. “I want to understand what wear and tear looks like on this product. Does it look classic? Does it start to look tired?” he said. 

Because he has the products manufactured in China he’s learned to navigate product launches around Chinese New Year where no production or manufacturing will occur for a month. He’s used these slower time tables to prioritize fit and design. “I'm learning to just not be in a rush. As long as I perfect the fit,” reflected Anosike.

Working with quality fabrics like Merino wool and cashmere necessitates that BRIC educate its customers on how to care for clothes. “I think a lot of people just put everything they have in a dryer, which is not good for your clothes.” Through labeling on the clothes and information on the website, he educates customers on how to care for these fabrics.

Why Customer Experience Is Paramount and How It Impacts Their Marketing Strategy

“I'm focusing on a very underserved part of fashion,” said Anosike. “I think you have to do it right because these guys are very jaded shoppers. They've been burnt so many times. So I don’t want to burn them again.” 

His commitment to providing good experiences goes above and beyond. He reaches out to customers personally when customers return his products to get their feedback. He often offers the unsatisfied customers another item on the house in hopes of finding something that fits. He wants to win back their loyalty and learn from their feedback. Anosike recommends the app Rich Returns to facilitate returns. 

Anosike’s demonstrated commitment to designing a truly great customer experience also plays into his scaling-up strategy. For the moment, while he’s learning about his customers’ needs and how to meet them he has chosen not to sell on Amazon. On Amazon, he’d lose access to customer data and he doesn’t feel he can be as targeted as going direct to consumers. 

He doesn’t believe the world's largest online shopping platform provides the experience wants to create for his customers. “It wouldn't be a good use of our time,” Anosike said. “I think people go to Amazon to find the cheapest products.” 

As a mid-range brand, Anosike is interested in offering quality products for a fair price and building a loyal customer base. BRIC’s sweaters run from $135 - $200. “A lot of my customers come back and buy pretty much everything. Men are creatures of habits. We like to find the thing that works,” said Anosike.

BRIC’s main outlet is currently their online store, where Anosike can help his customers enjoy their shopping experience. He shares his brand’s story, works with specific models to showcase the products, and curates the customer’s journey. 

He’s invested in learning how to best find customers through digital ads. He’s learned it's not only big / tall men he needs to attract to his store, it’s the people in their lives. 

“We don't only target men,” Anosike said. “We target women because we understand that sometimes women buy clothes for men. How do you create an ad that is women-focused? It tells the story from the POV of a woman who is excited to try something for a partner, making our site more inclusive.”

A Year of Growth

This year Anosike is doubling his product line so he can approach retailers like Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and Sachs. Retailers like these expect brands to have a full line to offer their customers — a shirt, a sweater and pants. He’s currently working on joggers, polos, shorts and pants. “2024 is our year of multiplying different products,” said Anosike, “which I'm very excited about…excited about all the new partnerships I'm making with different factories and seeing how it all pans out.” 

He wants to break into retailers so that big and tall men are able to find products in stores just like everyone else. “They want to feel seen and included,” said Anosike. “When you can't find something that fits, it’s like you’re not included or not normal. Even though you want to give them the money, there’s nothing there to buy.” With BRIC, Kemdi Anosike is showing his customers and retailers that it’s possible to provide exceptional fashion for all sizes. 

The Takeaways From Kemdi Anosike

• Understand your customer and allow that understanding to inform your marketing and branding. 

• Develop a quality product you believe and would use yourself. 

• Advocate for your customers.

• Don’t be afraid to let your growth strategy reflect your core values.