HOW IT ALL BEGAN...
Every year, in the 30 days leading up to Christmas, we optimize our schedules like Tetris blocks so we can meet up with relatives, friends, and colleagues and exchange the usual greetings.
A party every night!
To avoid the monotony and ensure we arrive at the last meeting with the same enthusiasm as the first day, we offer everything from a "reinforced" aperitif to a themed dinner!
We binge, we drink, we have fun, but... when finally... the infamous moment of exchanging gifts arrives...
As if by magic, after opening the second package, all the enthusiasm that we had managed to accumulate during the evening it suddenly goes out..
How is it possible that someone who knows me so well would give me such rubbish! We grew up together... he knows my tastes!
You concentrate, let out your best forced-hysterical laugh, hug your friend, and head home, postponing the necessary comments until you get back in the car with your partner.
What I have summarized for you in a few lines is what happens to all of us every year. with about 77% of the gifts we receive! (..the statistics speak clearly!)
So what to do?
Believe it or not, it's been years since This thing deeply disturbs me and I'm trying to give my contribution to humanity by channeling a fair amount of my energy into solving this age-old problem.
Fully aware that it was not a radical solution to the problem but rather a simple soothing action, in 2011, together with my dear friend Gianni, we launched the first online barter site in Italy: soloscambio.it (later renamed spick.com to better suit foreign expansion... but that's another story and I don't want to bore you with my memories of a childhood now gone by)
We wanted to prevent unwanted gifts from rotting in the various cellars and attics of the village. and Soloscambio.it allowed us to give new life to these objects.
Starting from the sacrosanct assumption that it is quite rare for an object to be absolutely terrible... It is instead more realistic to think that there is at least one individual who might appreciate what others find horrifying.
The important thing, as always, is to be able to bring supply and demand together!
I don't want to bore you with the details of the algorithm we'd gradually perfected. However, we managed to ensure that each user was only offered trades that matched their interests, and as a result, most trade offers on our site were accepted! (Just think, some users exceeded 1,000 trades!)
In the following years I had the opportunity to analyze a huge amount of data.
What gets recycled the most (I won't tell you how many unwanted gifts were added every January), what people like, what they don't like, who likes what, etc.
I tried to put all this information together with the ambition of being able to find the recipe for the "perfect gift"
.. And the answer is as obvious as it is banal!
The perfect gift is one that appeals to the recipient.
But then Why, if we know the tastes of our relatives and friends well, on average Are we buying 77% of our gifts wrong?
On the barter site we were able to get most of the offers accepted simply because, Knowing the interests of each individual user, the algorithm prevented them from being "spammed" with offers of objects not in line with their tastes!
So I said to myself... Now that I know exactly the recipe for the "perfect gift"...
All I have left to do is invent the "Perfect Gift"... The Gift That No One Will Recycle...
Hi! I'm Luca Radici, and I founded Individual Socks in 2020! (which actually drew on over 5 years of experience I had with Soxplay, but that's another story..)
WHO WE ARE ADDRESSED TO..
Let's start by clarifying who we are NOT addressing ..
We're not speaking to all those who think of a gift as... "something to do," an "unavoidable hassle." A bit like going to the dentist.
I started this brand to help people find the “Perfect Gift”..
What no one would ever want to recycle!
And so... what are the ingredients for a “Perfect Gift”?
- It must be targeted!
- It must make you live an experience!
There are a lot of people who enjoy doing unexpected gifts..
gifts not necessarily linked to a particular anniversary..
gifts that unfailingly are welcomed with immense joy, amazement and emotion from whoever receives them!
Gifts made "from the heart".
And we turn to exactly to these people! To those who, like you, enjoy giving something special to those close to him!
One of these people is my wife... a respected professional but also a sweet and caring mother and a patient and understanding partner.
Like most women, she has to juggle a thousand priorities.
Too many things to do and... very little time available!
I often see her late at night surfing here and there in search of a “thought” for someone who perhaps did her a kindness or as a demonstration of affection towards a loved one.
Do you know what happens most of the time?
Despite the endless options available online, choosing the "right" gift can be an odyssey... clicking one gift after another without adding anything to the cart because you don't want to settle for a generic or banal gift.
And since there is no one deadline peremptory dictated by a specific anniversary, postpones the search and...
postpone today.. postpone tomorrow.. That laudable thought risks remaining hidden under the list of countless "things to do".
And who knows how many other people, like my wife, meet every day the same difficulties..
This got me thinking..
Because my wife always manages to find amazing restaurants where we can relax with friends, corners of paradise where we can spend our holidays, exhibitions by emerging artists that will leave you speechless...
But can't you find the gift you were looking for as easily?
When I was a child I remember..
We used to go to restaurants to eat well; today you go to restaurants to eat well, but above all... to have an experience.
People used to go on vacation to relax; today, you go on vacation to relax, but above all... to live an experience.
And when do you have to buy a gift? Is there anyone who makes you live an experience?
So I tried to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.
Even though the world is flooded with products of all types and kinds...
There is no object – within everyone's reach – that makes you live an experience...
So I decided to create a new brand that wasn't limited to a simple product like all the others... but...
An object useful and sophisticated Where Every single detail must be studied to ensure a unique and unforgettable purchasing and user experience.
The Best Gift Every Woman or Man Would Like to Receive!
But why not treat yourself to a little treat too?
There's nothing wrong with rewarding yourself for reaching a milestone or simply for the pleasure of indulging.
Treating ourselves to something new every now and then is a gesture of gratitude towards ourselves, a way to celebrate our daily efforts.
AND SO I CREATED INDIVIDUAL SOCKS.
This is not an approved, pre-packaged item.
But a magical combination, to make unforgettable the experience of those who buy and those who receive the socks.
AND TO BE MORE CONCRETE...
Let's start from product..
An object unique and personalized:
- Men's, women's, and children's socks, 100% Made in Italy., individually selectable so you can compose each pair with your initials
- Personalized with the embroidered initials positioned - clearly visible - above the heel
- Embellished with details from the sartorial flavor, handcrafted “like they once were”
AND WHAT ELSE DO WE OFFER?
An integral part of our product is the Packaging ..:
Our socks are Hand-packaged inside transparent recyclable PET jars with aluminum caps to preserve the softness of our socks and protect them from any external elements that could damage them.
To further enhance the experience of “unboxing” and to ensure that it crystallizes in the mind of whoever unpacks the socks, it is possible to further embellish the product by adding a precious Box set in wood and a gift pack.
WE DIFFERENCE OURSELVES FROM ALL THE OTHERS FOR...
- A Custom Product but "Ready To Buy", that is, without the long waits that customizations often involve
- A Exclusive packaging, embellished by hand packaging
- A Total control distribution and prices (our socks are sold only in top-tier boutiques and on our e-commerce site to avoid "out of control" discounts that risk diluting the exclusivity of the product)
You deserve the best! And we're here to give it to you.
OK.. Stop for a second..
What you just read... is what my copywriters wrote...
And basically it's all true and correct.
Indeed..
- I launched this brand because I have a hatred visceral towards everyone the waste;
- The product it is maniacally cared for, handcrafted with excellent materials, personalized and hand-packaged;
- And much appreciated as a gift and by anyone who uses it (this is also confirmed by the reviews and the fact that very often those who receive them as gifts then buy them again).
After all, we have chosen to turn to a extremely sophisticated client and rightly demanding and we cannot afford to disappoint their expectations with a product and service that do not meet their very high standards!
But in reality there is something more... something that I can't grasp by rereading what I read above..
Let me explain myself better and tell you a little more about myself.
I will never stop thanking my mother and father for 2 very precious teachings and.. (it seems incredible..) a Porsche advertisement that I read on "Four wheels" when I was a kid.
My mom always told me, “You’re the best judge of yourself!” and my dad, on the other hand, said, “Doing things well or doing them badly takes about the same amount of time… so you might as well do them well from the start!”
And the Porsche commercial?
A single image and just under 3 lines of text that left an indelible mark on my mind:
A middle-aged man was driving his Porsche Carrera relaxed in the third lane. Suddenly, a Punto flashed its headlights and honked, signaling him to make way. With a smug smile, he moved into the second lane, knowing he still had 4,000 rpm left, while the other man was speeding at 7,000 rpm, risking an engine explosion.
This advertisement and my parents' teachings have engraved in my mind 3 fundamental principles:
- always be critical of ourselves,
- take care of every detail with maniacal precision
- always have available a secret weapon (like the 4000 rpm of the Porsche) that can be used when necessary to excel.
Armed with these teachings, I began my journey.
I have always given my best, both at school and at work, but I often found myself having to submit to the wishes of a boss who was deaf to my arguments. I felt I was worth more than him (or at least that I had devoted more energy to studying that specific problem and consequently, I knew more than he did), but I had to accept his directives even if I didn't agree with them in the slightest.
And this situation it was wearing me outI felt like I was in a gilded cage. How could I give up a salary that many considered "essential" (with a family and two mortgages to pay)? I swallowed bitter pills of compromise and I changed jobs every three years, in the hope that things would improve.
Then, out of the blue, I was offered a position with an even more "unmissable" salary, but with a project that seemed almost unachievable.
Maybe I already knew inside me that that passage would represent the bridge to the realization of my dream to become an entrepreneur.
And so, without thinking twice, I accepted the job. After only six months, however, the project didn't take off, the brand closed, and I was fired.
It was February 14th and the lockdown would start the following week... but I didn't know it yet...
The time had come to prove to myself what my real worth was.
I was working to my new project 17 hours a day, I wasn't earning anything and I was investing all my savings to manage the start-up phase.
Moments of despair were the order of the day.. the lockdown was over but the period of recession it wasn't helpful, on the contrary...
I interfaced with every day shops in extreme difficulty due to the economic and social situation dictated by the recent pandemic and they did not feel like trusting a new project even though they considered it very interesting.
I regretted when I had a secure salary and I had to manage brands with consolidated revenues. The problems that once seemed enormous to me were nothing compared to the situation I was experiencing now.
I had to take care of everything.. strategy, operations, making ends meet but above all.. finding customers at a time when no one wanted to buy..
The temptation to give up everything and go back to work for someone was very strong. I couldn't afford to "play at being an entrepreneur" without results. My self-esteem had sunk to the ground.. I felt like a good-for-nothing!
Until..
The first store agreed to buy my brand! Even though it was a modest order, I had never felt such joy in my life (except when my son was born!) I had finally managed to bring something concrete to life and convince someone to buy it. All the efforts, disappointments, and sacrifices had faded into the background. I was so proud that I couldn't wait to show it to the whole world..
I wore my custom socks every day and I was proud to show my initialsAs if those initials were a declaration of success, of having finally reached an important milestone.
It's hard to explain..
A strange mechanism had been triggered in my mind...
that is... if before I was always looking for a prestigious brand to confirm my status, now I had found an object that put ME first and it allowed me to combine my "personal brand" with prestigious brands. A bit like putting my signature on a beautiful painting!
Now you understand why I've never wanted to embroider the Individual Socks logo on socks?
Because it would have taken away the "personal brand" of those who wear them.
A choice that is certainly bold and courageous... but extremely consistent with the our brand values which has the sole purpose of being a vehicle for highlight those who wear our socks and offer them a distinctive element that, with extreme grace and refinement, can help highlight your style.
Many people think I'm crazyThey absolutely disagree with the fact that he decided not to put a logo on the product but only to embroider the initials of the person who will wear it.
They'll copy you! They keep telling me.
They're probably right.. it's true.. they'll copy me.. in fact.. someone has already tried to do it.. but what they don't understand is that this thing It's absolutely not a problem!
No one wants to stand out by wearing a copy.. Nobody wants to convey their personal brand through a fake and no one wants to give a fake to a loved one.
..and if anyone wants to do it..
It certainly does not reflect the mentality and status of those who proudly wear Individual Socks and it is much more consistent that they turn to a copy.