Footwear News spoke with leading sheepskin brands about their upcoming marketing and product plans for the all-important selling period.
The key question: How do you aim to boost sales during the holiday season?
Mark Etzbach, CEO, Lamo Sheepskin Inc.
“We’ve taken the classic sheepskin look and [are] trying to advance those into something a little more fashion-forward — playing with design and using more textiles and fabrics to give Lamo a unique look and feel to other products that are on the market. Another initiative was a lot of systems improvements to streamline our drop-ship business because it’s such a big part of what we do during the holidays.”
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Lovisa Tedestedt, VP of sales & marketing , USA, Inuikii
“It’s all about an increased presence on social media platforms to boost sales and also to tag stores that carry our boots so we can get a wider presence by highlighting the essence of holiday. We are going to include photos and marketing material more along the lines of holiday shopping and the perfect present. Ultimately, Inuikii has a tendency to boost its presence with artful, cool pictures, [not a] commercial look.”
Simone Ponziani, CEO of Artcrafts Int’l (Mou brand licensee)
“Closer to holiday, we are doing a lot of local events with bloggers, influencers or celebrities to increase our community. We created events in a few cities in Europe and are looking at doing one or two in the U.S., on the East and West coasts, with a similar concept — a cozy [atmosphere] to be perceived as a small brand for a stylish woman who wants to have the most sophisticated product.”
Sarain Fox, Brand spokesperson, Manitobah Mukluks
“This year the most impactful thing we’ve been able to do is create a waterproof product. We have a new treatment called AuthenTEC and put it into a waterproof collection with our boot. It’s really innovative and allowed for us to have it all-season. We are [also] working with our ambassadors to educate people about the warmth and where it comes from and the impact it’s able to create within the business community.”
John Pierce, President, Bearpaw
“Our biggest push is more toward the fashion elements in the product, as opposed to the classics. Product that speaks to fashion still has the classic elements, but embellishments — details, buckles, straps, grommets, rivets — elevate them in look and feel while keeping the price structure within the same world. Our biggest campaign is the introduction of a national TV campaign. We did a small one last year, but this year we’ve planned for it.”
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