New Balance Mall Tour Boosts Sales
A recent event touting New Balance Kids shoes in Simon malls boosted footwear sales 6% versus one year ago.
Stage-Active Brand Marketing, Wilton, CT, launched a 15-market tour with retailer JCPenney that brought to parks to life inside Simon malls. New Balance launched an eight-week tour, which ended in September, to boost its kids shoe line.
The agency staged a park-like setting outside JCPenney stores in malls, complete with blue skies, green grass, white picket fences and the sights and smells of a park. The effort was to boost New Balance’s outdoors and physical fitness theme. Stage activated the senses with the aroma of fresh meadows and fresh cut grass and piped in sounds of singing birds and children playing.
“We wanted to take people back to the time of their summer vacation days as a school child,” said Sean Conciatore, VP/creative director, for Stage. “Studies show the sense of smell is so strong. It gives you such a great memory.”
The event also featured a custom foot-measuring machine that scanned kids feet to give precise reads out of their shoe size. In addition, Stage e-mailed photos to attendees who had their pictures taken via a digital photo booth in the park-like setting. Floors branded with footprints led to New Balance shoe displays in JCPenney stores to push traffic.
The campaign touched more than 25,000 attendees, Conciatore said. In addition to New Balance sales, JCPenney reported a 228% sales increase compared a year ago, he said.
New Balance will follow-up with attendees who registered at the event sending birthday greetings and use e-mail address for future marketing efforts, he said. Print ads, online materials and local TV spots in each supported.
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