Top Sports Marketers Of The Year 2015: Skechers Max Mad For Road Warriors
By the Staff of NYSportsJournalism.com
January 13, 2016: Skechers USA, Inc. designs, develops and markets more than 3,000 sports, activewear and casual styles for men, women and children to the tune of $2 billion worldwide.
Nike is the leader in overall sales of athletic and casual sports shoes (more than 60% of the market), but Skechers tin 2015 moved into second place in the casual sports-footwear category with 5%, ahead of such competitors as adidas, ASICS and New Balance, according to research and consultant firm NPD Group, Port Washington, NY.
During the year, Skechers added to its list of endorsers Meghan Trainor and Sugar Ray Leonard (pictured below), who joined a roster that also includes Ringo Starr, Demi Lovato, Mariano Rivera, Joe Montana and Joe Namath.
A spot with Pete Rose, which ran during Super Bowl XLIX, is typical of the brand's quirky sense of humor. Even as his case to be reinstated into baseball, and potentially be considered for nomination into the Baseball Hall of Fame, was getting public support (but was ultimately denied by MLB), Rose is seen in the hallway of a home, looking at memorabilia.
"I love being in the hall," says Rose. "It's the perfect place to walk down memory lane in my Skechers' Relaxed Fit shoes."
"Pete, you know you're not supposed to be in the hall," says Kiana Kim, Rose's fiancée, making a guest appearance.
"I can't catch a break," says Rose.
In August, Skechers continued to make inroads into territory generally occupied by its rivals, signing a multi-year partnership to become the title sponsor of the Los Angeles Marathon.
The next race, now known as the Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon, is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016. It would be the 31st running of the event, the origin of which was inspired by the 1984 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles.
The Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon will take place a day after Los Angeles hosts the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men’s and Women’s Marathon in preparation for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
According to Michael Greenberg, president for Skechers, “Partnering with the Los Angeles Marathon is a strategic step forward for our company and the Performance division. As a Los Angeles-based business, we have always wanted to be a part of this iconic race since we began developing our performance footwear division and we could not be more thrilled to join the Los Angeles Marathon as title sponsor.”
Among other alliances, Skechers is the official footwear and apparel sponsor for the Chevron Houston Marathon and sponsors elite marathon runners Meb Keflezighi and Kara Goucher. Both appeared in Skechers marketing last year, including spots for the GoRun 4 line.
A separate campaign supported Skechers Sport, which is designed for workout and cross-fit training.
During an analyst-media conference call in September, when the brand unveiled its ongoing rise in sales figures, Robert Greenberg, Skechers CEO, commented: “The continued quarterly sales records, including our highest quarterly sales in the company’s 23-year history in the third quarter, is a testament to the strength of our brand and the innovative product we continue to develop and deliver. We are pleased that Skechers has grown to be the second largest athletic footwear brand in the United States, and that we are expanding into new doors and opening more Company-owned stores in key locations,
"Our marketing and product are on target, and we are continuing to invest in our infrastructure and develop new product innovations to advance our brand and drive momentum around the globe. We believe that this positive momentum will continue to grow across our three main business channels in 2016. We continue to invest in our global business to further gain market share and monetize what we see as a significant long-term opportunity for Skechers.”
Back to Top Sports Marketers of the Year 2015
Back to Home Page
VOTE HERE