Shooting Stars: 12 Brands to Watch in 2014
Brand: Keen
Idea to Steal: Create a hybrid image for a varied audience.
It’s often been said that if you’re going to talk the talk, you should walk the walk. Keen Footwear has uniquely positioned itself to do that.
The Portland, OR-based shoe manufacturer—which started 10 years ago with a single sandal style, the Newport—crafted its brand around the concept of living a hybrid, balanced life. Today, Keen sells more than 300 styles in 60 countries.
“The idea was that you shouldn’t be limited in the things that you do, so the shoes would take you from rafting to trails to the city for coffee afterward, with hybrid functionality,” says Linda Balfour, director of brand marketing.
The goal was always to be an inclusive brand, catering to everyone from kids to hip young adults to grandparents, all who wanted to connect with the outdoors. The Newport sandal is still one of the core styles around the world (a customizable design-your-own Newport was debuted earlier this year), although there are of course some regional steps. For example, moon boots are popular in Japan, particularly with young people who like to attend music festivals, while hiking shoes are a top seller in Europe, tying in with the Envirotrek movement, which encourages sustainable tourism.
“There’s a lot of consistency around the world—we try to create a message and then adapt it to different markets,” says Balfour. “Different parts of the brand shine through, with a focus on being comfortable and spontaneous.”
The key throughout is having a solid integrated marketing mix, to drive engagement with core fans and push conversions. As a smallish company, the paid media spend is limited, so much attention is spent focusing on channels like social and PR for maximum return.
Toward that end, the company created a Keen Ambassador program, focusing on brand loyalists who typically wear the products every day and are excited to test and talk about products. There are about 100 different Ambassadors at different tiered levels.
“Some are very recognizable people who are exemplifying living a hybrid life—they’re outside playing hard every day and giving back to the world,” says Balfour. “Some are in the public limelight. For example, there’s a woman named Allison Gannet. In a previous life she was a world class race skier, and now she does mountain bike camps for women. In her free time, she lives on an organic farm. Rue Mapp is African American woman who promotes getting all kinds of women outside, because the outdoors is for everyone. And then we have Nick Greece, who is all about hang gliding and education in Nepal.”—BNV
(For more on Keen’s hybrid marketing strategy, click here.)
