We were lucky to catch up with Melvin Davis, Jr. recently and have shared our conversation below.
Melvin , appreciate you joining us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?
Since the launch of my very first apparel line and subsequently establishing the MDJORIGINAL letterman jacket brand, I’ve learned a ton about the world of merchandising and resale marketing. If I had to choose, one takeaway would be the way Corporate America values start-up/smaller businesses largely based upon their size or tenure in the fashion industry when compared to its larger/ luxury brand counterparts, as opposed to the quality of the merchandise being produced.
Understanding that creative designs alongside the perfect amount of business savvy will help navigate the highs and lows of any aspiring apparel line, the hills remain steeper when pitching your brand to Corporate America while in the room with luxury counterparts who may in fact use the same factories as your company but have an earlier established date and a larger following.
Melvin , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Melvin Davis Jr., co-founder and CEO of MDJOriginal, is a Detroit native, photographer and audio engineer with an innate desire to share his global experiences through creative originals. With 25 plus years of media work and global travel, MDJ Original was birthed from the myriad of original photographs taken all over the world. Several select photos were transferred to t-shirts and sweatshirts for men, women and children.
In 2020, still “the Man Behind the Camera” and Alum of Clark Atlanta University, Davis envisioned rejuvenating the era of wearing the Letterman Jacket by creating a one of a kind for himself. What he didn’t anticipate was the positive movement it would create, the attention of other interested CAU Panthers, and supporters of all 107 HBCU schools.
In 2021, MDJ Original completed 192 sales to HBCU alum, supporters and private business owners.
In 2022, that margin of sales increased slightly to nearly 250, but to a much broader client profile that included professional sports teams, retired athletes, high school students/alumni, predominantly white institutions, elected officials, and food chains.
The objective of the MDJOriginal brand is to offer each client the opportunity to own a premium, yet affordable, custom letterman jacket designed especially for them, with as much of their own desired input, I’m especially excited to receive inquiries from High School/College alum who like myself never had the opportunity to purchase a letterman jacket until now, We stand behind our commitment to working with clients outside the academia box in an effort to fulfill the fashion needs of any industry or individual with the desire and creative mind to add a premium custom letterman to their wardrobe,
What sets MDJOriginal apart from other brands is my creative mind. I’m less likely to be influenced by the trend, desiring to uniquely stand out, in a crowd and have always developed my own sense of style. I’m a loyalist, sometimes to a fault, but family ties and sound friendships are very important to me. I consider myself a perfectionist, so nothing I do goes public until it’s received my very own stamp of approval. The support of my family, friends and satisfied customers are my greatest inspiration to continue taking my creative flow to the next level.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Understanding the value of the social media audience developed over my 20 plus years working in the media and traveling the world. Sure there was the initial personal usage but it became a part of my day to day work repertoire. Post college/Alumni followers and the myriad of media free-lancing gigs afforded me the opportunity to simply “remain connected” via social media. To my advantage, I graduated with a Mass Communications degree and remained in contact with former school mates and co-workers who became professionals in various fields throughout the country, These relationships were the foundation of a pretty sound social media audience.
A very wise man, who also happens to be my Pastor, recently shared during his Sunday morning sermon that “Connections is the New Currency.” MDJOriginal’s growing social media presence has served in large part to be an excellent marketing vehicle.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
Superior customer service is equally important to me as a business owner as it is as a consumer. In fact, I’ll dare to share that my commitment to quality customer service increased exponentially when I started my own business because I always place myself on the opposite side of the counter from the first interaction with a prospective buyer.
Our team of customer service representatives are encouraged to fully engaged prospective customers at their very first inquiry, It’s important that we to try to support what the consumer’s needs are so we are accessible via email and phones as needed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mdjoriginal.com
- Instagram: @mdjoriginalt
- Facebook: MDJORIGINAL
Image Credits
MDJOriginal, LLC