Riding the wave of a consumer fad can be a thrilling experience. But sustaining or growing a business after the next hot trend appears is no easy task. Upon their entry into the crowded footwear landscape, Crocs benefitted from major buzz and the endorsement of celebrity fans like Chef Mario Batali.
With time, the attention all died down, of course—and yet, Crocs is celebrating their 15th birthday this year as a $1 billion company that sells over 55 million pairs annually. We spoke with Chief Marketing Officer Terrance Reilly at a recent event about how Crocs is adapting to the challenges of today’s retail industry and how digital and social media are helping the brand continue to grow on a global scale.
Key Takeaways
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Listen to your consumer. Where they are is where you need to be! It can be a challenge to find ways to make yourself a part of the consumer’s journey, but it’s essential.
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Look past traditional advertising channels. By tapping into digital and social media data, we can better react to where our customers are consuming their media. For us, this meant dedicating more time and money to video content creation.
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With so many platforms and channels, it’s important to staff well internally, but also to identify external partners to help bridge the gap. It’s a 1+1 = 3 scenario.