Page 511 - Foundations of Marketing

478 Part 6 | Promotion Decisions

country were demanding their own pairs of Vans. The shoes Young extreme-sports athletes, like skaters and surfers,
went from local wear to an iconic symbol in just a few years. remain Vans’ most important customer base. In 1995, Vans
Contrary to many corporate success stories, the Vans hosted its first Triple Crown event. The Triple Crown spot-
company never spent much money on marketing. Paul Van lights skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, BMX, FMX,
Doren knew that he offered a superior product, and he relied and wakeboarding. Tony Hawk won the skateboarding com-
on word of mouth to popularize the high-quality, extremely petition that first year and has since become a household
durable shoes. The most marketing Van Doren did at first was name. Also in 1995, Vans launched its first annual Warped
to have his children canvas their neighborhood with flyers. Tour, blending skating with music through concerts and com-
At all early Vans stores, signs encouraged customers to “tell petitions. This use of promotion allows Vans to build brand
a friend about Vans.” recognition, cement its integral place in the skating lifestyle,
For years, Van Doren focused mostly on the manufac- and connect with customers via giveaways and promotions,
turing aspect of the company so that even with a minimal such as designing custom shoes.
amount of advertising, popularity grew because Vans were, In addition to events, Vans connects with its audi-
quite simply, quality shoes. It wasn’t until the late 1980s and ence through magazine advertisements, television, and the
early 1990s, when manufacturing was taken overseas, that Internet, especially to attract young female consumers who
Vans turned its attention to marketing. represent a growing part of the Vans customer base. In the
One of Vans’ earliest forays into promotion came about past, the company has partnered with magazines like Teen
by chance. As skateboarders began to discover Vans shoes, the Vogue and CosmoGirl to reach the female demographic. Vans
company responded by creating styles more amenable to skat- also collaborates with musicians, artists, and designers to
ing. With their skater following growing, Vans paid a few top increase brand awareness through sponsorships, music tours,
skaters a few hundred dollars apiece to wear its shoes at skating and videos.
events. In 1989, Vans produced its first signature skateboarding More recently, Vans has embarked upon digital market-
shoe, the Steve Caballero shoe. Since then, Vans has partnered ing initiatives. For instance, Vans promotes itself through
with numerous athletes, such as Geoff Rowley, who has the mobile apps that its fans can download in order to access
best-selling signature Vans shoe to date, and Johnny Layton. Vans-related news. The company has also created a cus-
As skateboarding culture has continued to flourish over the tomizer on its website that allows customers to design their
decades, Vans’ connection to the scene has remained strong. own pair of Vans shoes and have them delivered. Although
Vans’ marketing and promotional team focuses on spreading it is more than 40 years old, Vans still connects with youth
interest in Vans by doing its best to remain plugged into the culture as well as ever—and shows no signs of slowing
youth culture and fuel teenage interest in Vans products. To down.
35
this end, the company advertises through print, online, TV,
and sporting and music events. Currently, the key to Vans’ Questions for Discussion
marketing strategy is developing advertising partnerships 1. Evaluate Vans’ early word-of-mouth marketing strategy.
with athletes, artists, and media outlets. People immersed in 2. Why were the early Vans advertising activities related to
this culture want to own Vans products. Vans is not just a shoe; skateboard shoes so successful?
it is a lifestyle. 3. How does Vans continue to capture its target market?

NOTES

1 Christina Passariello and Max Colchester, “It Was Worth It: L’Oreal Celebrates 40th November 14, 2011, www.hollywoodreporter.com/
“L’Oreal’s Slogan Proves Timeless,” Wall Street Anniversary of Landmark Slogan,” Telegraph fash-track/l-oreal- jane-fonda-freida-pinto-261216
Journal , November 15, 2011, B14; Amy Verner, .co.uk , November 16, 2011, http://fashion (accessed December 7, 2011).
“L’Oreal’s ‘Because I’m Worth It’ Slogan Marks .telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/ 2 Nanci Hellmich, “Study: Kids Prefer Taste of
a Milestone,” The Globe and Mail , December 2, TMG8894450/It-was-worth-it-LOreal-celebrates- Food from Cartooned Packages,” USA Today ,
2011, www.theglobeandmail.com/life/fashion-and- 40th-anniversary-of-landmark-slogan.html http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/
beauty/beauty/beauty-features/lorals-because-im- (accessed February 15, 2013); Rebecca Leffler, story/2011/03/Study-Kids-prefer-taste-of-food-
worth-it-slogan-marks-a-milestone/article2256825/ “L’Oreal Fetes 40th Anniversary of ‘Because You’re from-cartooned-packages/44608794/1 (accessed
(accessed February 15, 2013); Kate Shapland, Worth It’ in Paris,” The Hollywood Reporter, January 23, 2013).

Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.