SAVAGE, Md. — Using humor and practical applications to educate consumers on the benefits of professional garment care, Quick Tips from ZIPS, featuring “Kathleen the Clean Queen,” has racked up more than 520,000 views and 150,000 engagements over the past few months through social media posts, according to ZIPS Cleaners.
To date, 11 videos have been posted on ZIPS’ YouTube channel, seven on Meta and one on TikTok. New videos are released every few weeks, and additional videos will be recorded throughout the rest of the year.
“Clean Queen” Kathleen Razmus is a ZIPS Cleaners executive who owned and operated a successful drycleaning business in the Baltimore area for 25 years. She’s been with ZIPS for more than five years and held positions leading both operations and IT.
“The professional garment industry has had challenges in recent years,” says Mary Ann Donaghy, chief marketing and customer experience officer at ZIPS Cleaners. “Between COVID, a shift to increased remote work, and changes in clothing fabrics, we recognize that some consumer education and inspiration is required to achieve our aggressive growth objectives.”
ZIPS Cleaners rolled out its new campaign in March, starting with YouTube and Meta (Facebook and Instagram), and adding TikTok more recently. The videos are also being placed on the ZIPS website and embedded in some customer emails.
Covering topics like “Translating Dry Cleaning for Gen Z,” “Busting Dry Cleaning Myths,” and “Dry Cleaning 101,” each 60- to 90-second video promotes both professional garment care in general and the ZIPS brand, the company says. The scripts are created internally, and then impromptu revisions are made as ideas flow during filming at Riggo Productions in nearby Annapolis.
“I absolutely love sharing my experience with a bit of humor thrown in,” says Razmus. “We had a lot of fun making these videos, and I love collaborating with the marketing team to make them funny and engaging.”
“Kathleen’s personality, sense of humor and garment care expertise made her the perfect spokesperson for ZIPS and category advocate,” Donaghy says. “She seems to be connecting with the broad demographics we’re hoping to reach because she’s so fun and relatable.”
As the campaign expands, ZIPS envisions many opportunities to leverage the “Clean Queen” in a range of media and promotions, from trade shows and staff training to integrating her with local promotions and grand openings.
The company recently produced a training video for ZIPS Cleaners’ front-counter staff, employing the Clean Queen to train staff on its EZ Drop program, a major focus for the company that allows customers to drop off their dry cleaning 24/7.
“We are looking forward to continuing to grow the impact the ‘Clean Queen’ can have on our brand and our business,” says Donaghy.
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