Permission to Get Dirty

Imagine finding underwear in the dryer at a New York City Laundromat-with a Web address and company slogan printed right on it. That's the creativity behind an advertising campaign called "Permission to Get Dirty" that Miguel Zabludovsky developed for his "eco-luxury" laundry and dry-cleaning business, Slate NYC.

Zabludovsky, a 26-year-old budding entrepreneur, introduced his target market to Slate's services right inside the "do-it-yourself" competition. The campaign was cheap and potent, he says, realizing a nearly 10 percent response rate.

Zabludovsky is turning the 50-year-old laundry service industry upside down with his innovative approach and environmentally friendly perchloroethylene-free solvents. His eco-friendly cleaning business targets the busy, fashion-conscious professionals who want their clothes taken care of with perfection-and are willing to pay for it.

Customers in the New York City area schedule pickup online, cram as many clothes as they can into a Slate hamper, and pay a flat weekly fee for unlimited laundry service and a monthly quote of dry-cleaned items. Slate returns laundry folded and wrapped in a fashionable shopping bag.

Zabludovsky manages the 3,000 customer names in his database and scheduling system with Microsoft SQL Server. He captures contact information, scheduling requests, and any specific instructions, such as hang versus fold.

Despite a sagging economy that might prompt less luxury spending, Zabludovsky is not seeing this effect with his clients. In fact, he's seeing growth.

"I think the people who pay for convenience offerings are cutting back in other expense categories or are not feeling the impact in their wallets," Zabludovsky says. Slate NYC is diversifying its customer profile and adding new products to the mix over the next few months, he says, including partnering with area hotels, restaurants, and high-end residential units as their dry cleaner of choice.

Growth also has required Zabludovsky to find alternative delivery methods within the city. His one van is reaching capacity with current deliveries. In the next few months, he will finalize a strategic alliance with FedEx for delivery service.

"We are working with the packaging engineers on how to deliver clothes without being wrinkled," Zabludovsky says. "This not only will provide reliability and tracking but also increase our reach and capacity in the region."

By Vicki Powers / Microsoft / Perfect CEM