At the beginning of the semester I told my students I was taking on a case study to ensure that the online course would have more interaction. The inherent nature of online college courses is that the professor sits behind a firewall and the students feel disconnected. Since I was teaching a course on the work I do everyday, I knew providing working samples for the students to pull from would inspire a deeper understanding of how to amalgamate marketing and merchandising. I chose Merrell because I hadn’t really wore the company before and honestly didn’t think about outdoor footwear and apparel. Fortunately, I was asked a question at a panel just prior to accepting the class and it was the perfect inquiry:
After I wrote this post, which was in response to an employee at Columbia, I recalled meeting some of the team from Merrell at a conference on sustainability earlier in the year. I decided to write about Merrell for my class case study. Here is the introduction to my paper:
Late show host Jimmy Kimmel hosted Wu-Tang member Method Man on a recent episode of the late night talk show. On this episode Kimmel disclosed that he gave Method Man a set of skis and the jokes ensued. Method Man stuck with the stereotype that Black people don’t ski. To prove his point he said that he hadn’t touched the skis in over ten years.
This idea that African-Americans don’t participate in extreme sports and outdoor ventures is merely a stereotype that has perpetuated throughout the years, but in actuality is rooted in simple generalizations and perceptions. The reality is that there are segments of all demographics in every culture who don’t participate in certain things. While it may be some truth to the idea that African-Americans don’t ski, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t actively participating in travel, hiking and other outdoor sports and traditions that are catered to by sporting apparel and footwear companies.
Merrell has the difficult task of attracting a segment that traditionally isn’t a part of the hiking and outdoor sport community. However this group is worth close to “836 Billion dollars a figure that would place Black Americans In 2011 16th, above Indonesia and below South Korea in GDP if Black America was a country.” The goal here isn’t to take advantage of this knowledge. The goal is to get Merrell to look at the African-American segment for growth.
This video from Merrell has changed my approach to this case study after working on it for over 10 weeks:
As we worked through the semester and I began to research Merrell, I realized that the company was doing work in the African-American community without ever looking to be acknowledged. The most important thing I’ve ever learned is that giving is private and personal. Giving is never done in hopes of reciprocation. A person, company, should give without expecting remuneration or response. Giving, supporting, sponsoring, donating, is always best when it’s done with love and care.
Merrell’s Ambassadors Hint at an Opportunity to Capture a New Segment
Now I’m not saying that Merrell doesn’t have an agenda in who they sponsor, but think about it… this is a company that really doesn’t reach people of color.
I wrote the above post on opportunity as I continued to work on the paper. If you watched the video on Akuna, you realize that the work Merrell is doing is for a much more important reason than acquiring a new segment. Akuna is a veteran who struggles with PTSD. As a veteran myself who has to deal with difficult memories from my time in the Navy, and who recently lost a shipmate to his struggles with PTSD, I found myself at odds with capitalizing on the content and imagery Merrell has created.
I changed my thesis.
Ten weeks in and I adjusted everything to remain true to what I saw as the core values of Merrell. What I realized is that the company shouldn’t look at African-Americans or people of color as separate and distinct markets. The company has to continue to celebrate stories like Akuna. The unfortunate situation is celebrating these stories via video and content creation is expensive; which leads to the case study portion of this post.
How does a company add value without taking advantage of a segment?
How Did I Shift My Case Analysis?
NOTE: I took on this case study as a part of the course I’m instructing at the University of Texas at Austin. Merrell did not pay for this work and this is not an ad. I paid for the shoes pictured below and I’m wearing the hell out of them, 🙂
In the post linked above on “New Segments” I didn’t simply write a post on the ambassadors. I also delivered a picture of one of Merrell’s shoes. Since my case study also included a Boston Matrix analysis where I stated as the thesis, “Merrell could potentially move their outdoor casual products to lifestyle with the simple adjustment in presentation and product photography.” I didn’t say this exactly, I used from dog to star, which is jargon in the Boston Matrix, but for the sake of brevity I said that the brand had a number of opportunities (think SWOT) and the easiest was better imagery on the product page.
I used the photo of the Merrell Ashford Mid Canvas (above) which is flat and not very exciting. I realize that most product photography happens on a white background, but the customer visiting for the first time doesn’t need to see an Amazon image only. They need to know that Merrell products are more than just hiking shoes and can easily convert to lifestyle.
I couldn’t really look at the brand without becoming a consumer. I purchased two pair of shoes and I’ve been wearing them for a few weeks. I treated the brand like I treat every shoe that is sold via e-commerce. I did a video of this model and I took pictures of the Ashford. I’m not a professional photographer, but the immediate difference in the above image and my picture below I think is striking:
The oblique product shot from Merrell doesn’t have depth which is hard to capture in 2D. However the company has chosen an oblique for the lead product shot on all footwear. Merchandising, in store and online, is best when the shots are: lateral, medial, heel, outsole, top. Those are standard. My shot includes both shoes with color in the background, but even without the color, my picture gives a more traditional look. In the picture below I use an oblique and once again I think the shoe looks much better. If I would have had my photographer shoot the product, on a white background there would be more definition. Merrell doesn’t have to appropriate or do anything different in marketing to a new segment, they need to create better product page photography as a start.
Merrell is doing incredible work on the site already. In order to expand and reach a new segment, the company should continue to share the accomplishments of their ambassadors. In the process of celebrating the people, the brand needs to diversify the imagery throughout the site to match their ambassadors. The company has to find a way to make the INSIDE MERRELL Menu item more prominent. Right now the dropdown menu features a Fall lineup picture, it should highlight stories. The Spread the love strategy should remain seasonal or promotional, but on the first scroll, content from the blog should be available. That content should always end with product descriptions of items in the blog/newsroom so when the content is shared it will provide the prospective customers with storytelling and Merrell footwear and apparel. In blog posts there are clickable links, but the pictures aren’t click-through ready. To go backwards… the Newsroom/Adventure Blog content should be somewhere before the scroll ends at the bottom of the homepage.
When I began the case study it was to introduce Urban Hiking as a component to outdoor companies.Urban Hiking allows for the brand to feature more stylish footwear and apparel that performs on the trail and off. The INSIDE MERRELL section of the site should include daily advice on outdoor opportunities as well as “Urban”/City Street trails and Vertical Gardening/Farming tips as well as posts on sustainability. There is a list of daily topics that will allow Merrell to function as its own media company creating daily discussions as opposed to only writing about ‘bigger events’ happening for the brand.
I’m winding down the semester so this may be the last discussion on Merrell, but I’m definitely glad I took on the challenge. If I hadn’t I wouldn’t get to share this video of me taking a look at the Ashford Mid.
Can the company add a new segment without losing its soul? Definitely, the solution lies in simply talking to an empty room for as long as it takes to get one person to stop and listen, and then another, and then another.