how do you do?
February 23rd, 2011 • Uncategorized
Keds, a brand that has been around since 1916, are canvas sneakers with rubber soles. Since its origination, Keds has seen a decline in popularity in the 1990’s and 2000’s. One reason for this lost in consumer interest may be attributed to the lack of creative promotional strategies the company has employed in its marketing. The brand’s image has not kept pace with constantly changing fashion attitudes, and the result is a product that is viewed as unattractive, particularly to the younger generations in society. For instance, seeing their parents wearing Keds shoes, Generation Y members feel that the product is boring, uncool and uninspiring.
This is changing as Keds has begun to take a more interactive approach in marketing their shoes. In 2008, the Keds Studio was launched, allowing customers to use images, text and colors from their files or those provided by Keds in designing custom shoes. The latest marketing campaign launched by the company, called “How Do You Do?”, attempts to reposition the brand and reintroduce it to the Generation Y demographic. Keds has created a mobile shoe box which will embark on a cross-country tour of various arts-focused colleges campuses. The campaign’s purpose is to engage the target market in creating and collaborating, and promoting the idea that they can use Keds sneakers as a canvas to express creativity. This is all done by having the audience interact with and experience the brand firsthand; inside the shoe box, customers can view videos to learn more about Keds and their community involvement, look at a gallery of Keds shoes inspired by different tour cities or use a touch-screen kiosk to create customized sneakers. In addition, Keds has established relationships with designers and outlets since 2009 as a part of their repositioning strategy. Artists and designers the company has partnered with create their own Keds shoes which are sold on the Keds web site.
In a value-based marketing era, companies are long-term focused and committed to building relationships. Keds, with their repositioning strategy, is working towards these goals. Not only are they interacting with customers through their “How Do You Do?” campaign, but they have begun to establish long-term relationships with new corporate partners, such as designers. Their campaign aims to find local talent which will inspire them in creating future Keds products that will appeal to the younger customer population. This proves that Keds has a long-term focus and is changing along with its consumers’ attitudes.