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How shoe brands are trying to stay relevant during lockdown
Footwear matters the least when you're on a Zoom call. What then are brands like Adidas, Reebok, Nike, Bata, and others doing to stay in the conversation?
Footwear is among the many product segments that has taken a backseat in our lives during lockdown and the work-from-home phase. What then are the shoe brands doing to stay relevant? Here’s a quick round-up of some the initiatives taken by footwear brands. Most of them fall in the ‘do good’ space.
Nike has released a video urging people to ‘play inside’ and 'play for the world'. The video emphasises on the fact that even though we are no longer playing together, for our country, or even a huge crowd, this is the time we should stand together and play for the world. Nike has also donated Air Zoom Pulse shoes and other products to healthcare athletes around the world.
Meanwhile, Reebok has initiated a campaign called ‘Reebok Love’, which asks the general public to nominate a person they think has been helping others, or making an impact, during these tough times. The brand will then shortlist a few people from this list of ‘nominees’ and give them a pair of Reebok shoes as a token of appreciation for their efforts.
Adidas has announced the #HomeTeamHero challenge, which is a virtual sporting event to bring together global athletes and dedicating their workouts to different causes. Running globally from May 29-June 7, 2020, Adidas will donate $1 to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (WHO), for every hour of tracked activity.
Bata has campaigns, like #ParkYourShoes, which urges customers to ‘park’ their shoes until we get past this crisis.
Metro Shoes has utilised this time to build a better relationship with its online audience by inducing DIY activities.
Walkaroo, a relatively new name in the footwear space, has a campaign called #WalkForGood. The brand has promised to provide a pair of shoes to frontline heroes for every 2,500 daily steps one takes, indoors. The objective is to give back to society, while promoting fitness during lockdown. A video titled ‘Kadam’, shot during lockdown, has also been released by the brand.