This month, US-based women’s bodysuit company Tuxe began offering customers free coaching sessions after they purchase an item. Women can gain access to online sessions (there are ten so far) from business and life coach Ianna Raim that focus on career issues. The initiative came after the company learned that many customers were wearing Tuxe bodysuits during key moments in their professional lives.

Transactions are no longer ‘one (maybe two?) and done’. Tuxe’s move is part of the wider trend towards turning products into services, keeping consumers engaged long after they make a purchase. Just in the fashion industry, we recently featured the Adidas x BVG partnership which turned a pair of sneakers into passes for the Berlin metro, while Nike’s NBA Connected Jersey delivers exclusive digital content on the wearer’s favorite teams and players.  

But let’s go a bit deeper. This initiative brilliantly gets to the heart of what it means to be a modern lifestyle brand, where success is less about the superficial quality of your product but about what that product does for your customers’ higher order needs. By providing coaching Tuxe moves up Maslow’s hierarchy, satisfying its customers’ need for self-esteem and self-actualization.

So, if you’re in the business of selling products, take this innovation to your team and discuss: which bundled services could you offer that would demonstrate genuine empathy for your customers’ higher order needs?

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