10 Marketing Secrets Of The Crocs Brand, Which Shoes The World In Plastic Sandals

Today, major clothing and footwear manufacturers have to work harder than ever to manufacture products capable of generating customer queues at store doors. All of these companies are in a constant process of searching for a unique trait that will attract consumers willing to spend money on their products. Some sellers focus on the appearance of the merchandise, others make items that are convenient. Meanwhile, the characters in our post have opted for a strange attribute, which is an ugly appearance of the product, but it has helped them earn a fortune.

O awesome.club loves to shop, but only when they don’t empty our pockets. We’ve studied Crocs’ top marketing techniques, so you never have to overpay.

In the late 1990s, three friends, George Bodecker, Lyndon Hanson and Scott Simans, got together to start a business. They already had a lot of experience as executives of big companies, so their partnership should turn into something surprising. And that’s exactly what happened.

The business friends came across a Canadian company, Foam Creations, which developed an incredible polymeric material, which made the shoes take on the shape of the foot. In addition, they did not absorb odors and were very hygienic.

Bodecker, Hanson and Simans bought the Canadian invention and started producing sandals for yachtsmen. The shoe turned out to be so comfortable and durable that it was immediately out of stock by buyers who appreciated comfort, didn’t care about its appearance, and had nothing to do with navigation.

In 2002, Crocs sold 200 pairs of sandals, and in 2017, 300 million people bought the branded shoes with a crocodile in the logo. At first glance, the company’s success came unexpectedly, but behind the billion-dollar profit is a well-defined marketing strategy.

When you buy Crocs, you don’t buy simple rubber sandals to do garden work or to go to the pool. All shoes are made of closed-cell Croslite expansive resin and are antimicrobial, according to the manufacturer.

Crocs patented this material and sues companies that start to reproduce the shape of the sandal. Despite countless jokes and articles that have led to many discussions about how the shoes look, customers continue to visit stores to buy more pairs. People prefer to wear more comfortable and anatomically correct models rather than pretty ones.

From the beginning, Crocs was sued several times and won the title of one of the worst inventions. However, the model is not a mistake, but a well-crafted marketing strategy.

Marketers were the first to create the trend of “ugly shoes”, but very comfortable. Later the idea was used by the Australian company UGG and the German manufacturer Birkenstock. Millennials liked these sandals that don’t need to be washed with any special soap and don’t even require a lot of care. Crocs attract active young people who oppose trendy clothes and shoes and buy “ugly” items, generating billions of dollars in profits for manufacturers.

Crocs partners with famous designers. In 2017, at Christopher Kane’s fashion show, models presented Crocs decorated with stones and pompoms.

Initially, the newly founded company did not have the money to experiment with shoe models, and sandals were produced in 20 colors. Crocs’ main competitors were giant sportswear companies such as Nike and Adidas, so the manufacturer had to create the illusion of great choice for customers.

However, to this day, the most loyal fans continue to buy sandals in different colors. In the mid-2000s, Crocs tried to innovate in the product format and even produced heeled clogs, but almost lost its customers. Now the range has expanded to boots, shoes and sneakers, but about 50% of sales are classic sandals.

Crocs has a well-defined strategy regarding product promotion by celebrities. helps to understand the target audience of shoes.

Drew Barrymore and Natalie Dormer were the brand’s official ambassadors and “sold” sandals to young women, convincing the public that Crocs were also in fashion. Famous rapper Post Malone released his version of the sandals, which fans sold out in 10 minutes.

These are examples of official collaborations. However, other celebrities also influenced sales.

In 2015, little Prince George appeared in photos wearing Crocs, which increased the sale of children’s sandals by 1,500%. Justin Bieber was caught wearing Crocs with socks. The brand’s target audience are girls and women who follow fashion trends (they buy a pair of shoes for themselves and one more for their partner). Crocs are also popular with young parents, who are tired of buying new models every time their child’s foot grows a little. Due to the soft material, sandals tend to stretch slightly.

In the early years, the brand’s sales were very intense: all American families had Crocs. But this made the durable material a disadvantage: people didn’t need new sandals, because the old ones didn’t spoil. In addition, the company was involved in a number of scandals:

Children’s footwear models were not safe: they got caught in the mechanisms of escalators, which caused accidents. Hospitals in Sweden have banned nurses and doctors from wearing Crocs. Shoes produced a lot of static electricity, which interfered with the work of medical devices. Therefore, the company had to adjust the formula of its material.

Recently, the company started to produce more sophisticated models in order to get rid of the reputation of the “funny” shoe manufacturer. It is impossible to find the company logo on the new items: this is how she tries to win the love of countless enemies of Crocs

Crocs thrills its customers when they visit the store: you don’t just buy a pair of shoes made from an expansive material, you literally buy good mood. With brilliant promotional videos, marketers associate the product with an atmosphere of rest and relaxation. The idea is not to associate shoes with a hospital or hard work.

Classic Crocs sandals have 10 ventilation holes, which also turned out to be a big profit. In 2005, couple Cherie and Rich Schmelzer invented accessories for them in order to please their children. The two took out a loan, opened their own store and began to swim in money: in the first year, the Schmelzer family earned around R$8 million.

Shortly after, Crocs bought from the inventors the idea of ​​pendants that are inserted into the ventilation holes of the sandals, for approximately R$ 40 million. At first, the target audience for the ornaments were children, but later they became fashion accessories that adults also liked to wear. Children’s love of funny things is a strong marketing tool. They take their parents to the store and encourage them to make unnecessary purchases.

Despite its simplistic design, Crocs is positioning itself as a brand for people with above-average incomes. Due to the fact that Chinese artisans fake sandals, producing their own versions of shoes, it is difficult for the company to remain well in the market and not lose its profits. The way out was to attract high-income customers: BRL 2,000 Crocs were created by Balenciaga, and designers invented warm insoles made of natural leather.

In 2018, Crocs closed its last factory and stopped making the shoes. The entire production process is under third-party control. Crocs has closed many stores and is gradually putting its products up for sale online.

We found some comments and recommendations from Crocs buyers.

It is almost impossible to distinguish a counterfeit product from the original. Nowadays, you can find fake Crocs everywhere: they can be easily made, even in poor manufacturing conditions. And since shoes can be sold without a box, the chance of buying fakes is very high. If you decide to purchase a pair, do so only at reputable stores. The brand considers the US, Asian and Western European markets as its target audience. The models sold there are much cheaper, with more colors and a greater variety. Contrary to popular belief, Crocs shoes are not orthopedic. Yes, the manufacturer makes anatomically comfortable sandals, but doctors still do not recommend wearing them continuously. Crocs carries out seasonal sales, but with a slight decrease in prices. To make a really advantageous purchase, you need to look for stores that sell out of stock. The lowest priced sandals are sold to US customers mainly. There are many complaints too: the main ones we find on the Internet are about very expensive sandals and about the fact that the feet sweat too much.