Rachel C. Weingarten muses on Marketing, Manners and Modness

I’m not entirely surprised at just how passionate people are about Crocs, the ubiquitous plastic comfort shoes that as I mentioned in yesterday’s Washington Post article by Ylan Mui can make you look like you have “Flinstone Feet,” I am surprised though at the high level of interest and incredibly heated discourse swirling about the brand’s fate.

After the story appeared, I started hearing from athletic friends who relied on Crocs to save their soles after extensive physical activity and others who purchased the klutzy and resilient footgear for their kids, after surgery, or to ease the pain of hours spent standing on their feet.

While I’m not one of the legions of Crocs fans, I can’t help but be impressed with Crocs CEO John Duerden’s blogged response to the story, and the Crocs’ team’s plucky Twitter stream in which they make every effort to assure customers (and investors no doubt) that despite dire predictions, this is in fact a brand with legs.

I’ve learned a lot from the Crocs’ story and from marketing many high end and comfort shoe brands over the years and have some advice for Crocs or any other brands struggling to stay afloat in a brutal economy:

• It’s easy to accept criticism when you have celebrities ranging from Jack Nicholson and Mario Batali to Brooke Shields providing a visual endorsement by wearing your product, less so when sales or other economic predictors allow the proverbial wolves to dangerously and publicly nip at your heels.  Reaching out to your core demographic and reassuring them is one thing, but more importantly- respecting them for the long term by proving that you haven’t been providing lip service to satisfy investors, but rather can keep true to your promises and their expectations is the main thing.
• If you accept and expect praise for the meteoric stature of your brand, realize that you are in fact then equally responsible for accepting the blame when things seem to fizzle out in both sales and brand popularity.  Create a long term marketing and brand strategy that takes into account the fickle tastes and buying habits of your core and secondary demographics and adapt as needed.
• Prove them wrong. Be as resilient and indestructible as your product is. Keep working to tighten up your company and brand until you become the comeback kid- because everyone loves the underdog.

And Mr. Duerden, feel free to give me a shout anytime to discuss shoes, marketing or public perception of your brand.

Rachel who hates to see any brand go down without a fight