COOLMAX® by INVISTA
HISTORY
“Headquartered in the Wichita, Kansas, United States, INVISTA operates in more than 20 countries and manages approximately 10,000 employees. With leading brands including LYCRA®, COOLMAX®, CORDURA®, STAINMASTER® and ANTRON®, INVISTA is one of the world’s largest integrated producers of chemical intermediates, polymers and fibers. The company’s advantaged technologies for nylon, spandex and polyester are used to produce clothing, carpet, car parts and countless other everyday products.”
Initially known as DuPont Textiles and Interiors of DuPont, Invista was formed in 2003 as a subsidiary of DuPont’s textile fibers division. “In April 2004 Invista was sold to privately owned Koch Industries and was merged with their subsidiary brand KoSa, a Koch affiliate since 1998.”
Invista is committed to creating value which is clearly defined in their vision statement.
PRODUCTS
“COOLMAX® fiber technology, highly innovative offering optimum performance features, was developed in 1986. COOLMAX® features offer cooling and drying performance to fabrics used in active wear, denim, socks, outdoor apparel, and non-apparel items like bedding.” COOLMAX® offers multiple engineering attributes optimizing comfort and performance for the consumer in all types of weather climates. “Performance fabrics with COOLMAX® technology are required to pass rigorous performance and quality tests before they can earn the COOLMAX® brand hangtag.” Additional information about COOLMAX® properties can be seen below.
“COOLMAX® technology, ALL SEASON and CORE, is engineered for everyday comfort and performance:”
▪ “COOLMAX® ALL SEASON technology transports moisture away from the body to keep the wearer cool and dry on hot days, while fiber structures in the fabric provide insulation on colder days.”
▪ “COOLMAX® CORE technology transports moisture away from the body to keep the wearer cool and dry, helping to optimize performance.”
“COOLMAX® PRO technology, AIR and EXTREME, is engineered for advanced performance:”
▪ “COOLMAX® AIR technology uses propeller-shaped yarns to deliver the combined performance of superior moisture management, breathability, and quick dry time.”
▪ “COOLMAX® EXTREME technology effectively moves perspiration away from the body and out through the fabric where it can evaporate quickly. It meets our brand’s most demanding standards for moisture management, breathability, and durability.”
“Additional innovative benefits can be applied to garments made with COOLMAX® technology:”
▪ “freshFX® technology provides long-lasting freshness and confidence.”
▪ “UPF technology offers three different levels of protection from harmful UV rays with Ultraviolet Protection Factor: 15+, 25+, 40+.”
▪ “EcoMade technology adds a fiber to fabrics that is made from 97% recycled resources. Plastic bottles and other recyclable items destined for landfills have been transformed into fibers through a six-step manufacturing process.”
“Visit INVISTA.com or COOLMAX.com to learn more about the available technologies and their benefits.”
MARKETING
Invista does a phenomenal job in educating and promoting the COOLMAX® brand from its own sites. Information can be found on http://www.invista.com/en/brands/coolmax.html and COOLMAX® direct website COOLMAX.com. However, the COOLMAX® brand does not have brand pages available on any social media platform. Invista brand pages are available on both Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/INVISTAglobal/?fref=ts) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/523382?trk=vsrp_companies_hero_photo&trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A1007742331473796182041%2CVSRPtargetId%3A523382%2CVSRPcmpt%3Ahero).
A study conducted by BazaarVoice found that consumers trust peer-to-peer reviews 12 times more often than descriptions provided by the manufacturer (Taken Smith, 2012, p. 87). The advent of the Internet has fostered the growth of social networking platforms further facilitating brands and consumers’ ability to share and exchange advice through social media platforms. According to eMarketer (2008) more than 60 percent of consumers consult online reviews, blogs, etc. for information and advice before purchasing a new product or service. Additionally, 80 percent of online shoppers will evaluate online reviews before making a final decision to purchase (eMarketer, 2008). Social media marketing (SMM) is an interdisciplinary and cross-functional concept of Internet marketing that utilizes social networking websites as a marketing tool (Felix, Rauschnabel, & Hinsch, 2016, p. 6). The goal of SMM is to produce content that will inspire users and brands to interact on social platforms to help a company increase brand exposure, broaden customer reach, and maintain and build customer loyalty (Tuten et al., 2013, p. 21). In 2013 advertisers spent approximately 83 percent more on advertising on tablets and smartphones than they did in years past, an increase to $8.04 billion representing 30 percent of all media ad spending (eMarketer, 2014). By 2018, mobile will account for more than 70 percent of digital ad spending (eMarketer, 2014). In 2016, Google and Facebook will collectively represent a 15 percent share of the $200 billion total media advertising industry (eMarketer, 2014). Mobile ads on Facebook will total 68 percent of its U.S. advertising revenues this year, up from 46.7 percent in 2014(eMarketer, 2014). This data suggests the importance of why having ownership of a brand page and encouraging interactive engagement, on social media is imperative to brand success. In today’s industry, meeting the consumer’s needs and demands has become a complex enterprise. A key issue for brands, resulting from the dramatic rise of social networking is how brand pages can be leveraged to engage customers and enhance their relationships with the brands. It is vital for COOLMAX® by INVISTA to have a proactive presence on social media rather than being absent.
This post was created as part of the Textile Technology and Apparel Management Program at the NC State College of Textiles. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #NCStatetextiles.