Ascent Footwear Shoe & Store Finder

Overview

Ascent Footwear engaged Invision Media and selected Jonathan as its exclusive development partner to launch a digital marketing campaign aimed at overcoming three key challenges: a crowded market, a lack of brand and product understanding, and the limitations of online transactions for a primarily offline product.

The campaign aimed to position Ascent as a high-end niche brand, educate consumers on the benefits of high-quality school shoes, and facilitate pre-selection of Ascent products before entering The Athlete's Foot (TAF) stores. The solution involved leveraging endorsements from influencers, creating user anxieties about the risks of choosing lower-quality shoes, and implementing a microsite with a 'Quick shoe finder' web application.

Challenges:

1. Market Crowding: The school shoe market faced increased competition, especially in limited spaces occupied by Ascent.

2. Brand Understanding: Ascent was not the first choice for children's school shoe shopping due to a lack of understanding of the brand/product range.

3. Offline Transactions: The nature of the product made online transactions impractical, with the majority of transactions occurring offline.

Solution

1. Positioning as High-End Niche:

   • Leveraged endorsements from relevant influencers and trust signals.
   • Created a digital marketing campaign to build a reputation for Ascent as a high-end niche brand.

2. Educating Consumers:

   • Developed marketing content emphasising the importance and benefits of high-quality school shoes.
   • Created user anxieties by highlighting short-term and long-term risks associated with choosing lower-quality shoes.

3. Facilitating Pre-Selection:

   • Implemented a microsite with a 'Quick shoe finder' web application.
   • Parents could filter and select shoes based on gender, age, width, and style.

4. Store Locator and Contact Details:

   • Enabled parents to choose a store by integrating a Store Locator in the web application.
   • Provided options for parents to enter their contact details to receive a unique link with selected shoe details for in-store reference.

Technical Implementation:

1. Microsite Landing Page: Developed a landing page with comprehensive marketing content for parents to learn about the brand and shoe benefits.

2. 'Quick Shoe Finder' Web Application: Implemented a web application enabling parents to:

   • Choose Shoe: Select filters to view available shoe options.
   • Choose Store: Use the Store Locator to find nearby stores stocking the chosen products.
   • Save Contact Details: Entered phone number or email address for a unique link with selected shoe details. The page is then sent via SMS or emailed to them based on their selection.
   • Generate Unique Results Page: Each parent has their own unique results page that they can open in store with their chosen shoe(s) and preferred store, so they can show the store employee to get started.

Results:

1. Market Positioning: Ascent successfully positioned itself as a high-end niche brand through influencer endorsements and a targeted digital marketing campaign.

2. Consumer Education: The campaign effectively educated consumers on the importance and benefits of high-quality school shoes, emphasising the risks associated with lower-quality alternatives.

3. Pre-Selection Facilitation: The microsite and 'Quick shoe finder' application streamlined the pre-selection process, empowering consumers to choose Ascent products before entering TAF stores.

Services provided

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