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Walk this world

When Crocs’ European CEO Dick Wijsman went to Spain
to see El Corte Ingles for a distribution deal, he hit an
amusing snag. The taxi driver at the airport took one
look at his shoes – bright yellow Caymans, of course
– and flat-out refused to take him to his appointment.
But when Wijsman explained the concept of Crocs

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to him, and how it’s an American brand taking the
European market by storm, the driver gave in. Wijsman
got his ride and the rest as they say is history, as Crocs
enjoys formidable success in Spain after only 2 years on
the market.

CEO & President Ronald R. Snyder |Number of employees worldwide
5.700 | Company revenues worldwide 847 million dollars (2007) |
Brand values Fun, Colourful, Comfortable | Most relevant communication
media Direct, direct sales, sponsorship events | Brand promise Colour
your life | Main target group Crocs are for everybody
Happy feet A mile in my shoes
Love ‘em or hate ‘em; Crocs’ light, brightly coloured shoes Product is king. Crocs’ unofficial motto says it all. And that
are definitely here to stay. Its whopping success is based on means staying loyal to its roots and its heritage, which
the individualization trend in the market, where consumers essentially boils down to its brand values. Crocs’DNA means
make more and more statements with their wardrobe. a lot of things to a lot of people, which makes brand
Crocs patented catalogue of flexible, quirky footwear fits extension only possible if certain feel-good, if not iron-clad
in perfectly with this need, taking it even further with the requirements are consistently met. Be it new products like
complementary Jibbitz, shoe charms with which a basic pair textiles or brand alliances with companies like Disney, Marvel,
of Crocs can be customized. NASCAR, sports properties or Warner Bros; they simply need to
click with Crocs. In the end the consumer is the judge of new
On the business end there is hardly any rain in this cloud. products and models, reaching a verdict on their perception of
Price, quality, and benefits are perfectly transparent, and the past.
backed by an attractive, young and energetic company. Its
brand values – Fun, Colourful and Comfortable – set the brand Crocs’ creativity will not be daunted by the size or success of
apart from most of the competition. Whoever has worn a pair, its company, staying true to its entrepreneurial heart although
will at one time probably recommend Crocs to friends, family it’s big enough to buy other, smaller brands. Internally,
and neighbours. Crocs are as catchy as a smile. Or, to put it in bringing new models to market and structuring distribution are
Crocs’ words, these shoes bring colour and sunshine into the two ways to challenge the challenge. Come in direct contact
lives of everyone. Where do we sign up? with the customer and give them a steady flow of new Crocs
Coolbrands: Maarten & Anouk idw Martin Johnston and Dick Wijsman
as well as the hero models like the Cayman. More models are
Crocs isn’t just developing the Crocs brand, but has also easier to distribute through different channels, like boutiques,
added other brands to the family. Jibbitz, Ocean Minded, YOU own retail and online sales.
by Crocs, Bite, Fury and others were acquired to generate
economies of scale, and have kept their names to that effect. Communication strategy
All is meant to be stronger as a group of brands and profit Interacting with the end consumer
from each other’s unique selling propositions. 1. Direct – face to face in its single-brand shops,
and shop-in-shops
Crocs focuses on different target groups, depending per 2. Direct sales - through the website
country, where they develop the brand; like high end, 3. Sponsorship events
lifestyle, mid segment or sports, to name a few.
Crocs thrives on feedback from the end consumer. From the
So what’s the challenge? The ever-demanding consumer will start, being very open and responsive has done both parties
come back for more, that’s for sure. To survive in the long a world of good, sometimes even resulting in using customer
run Crocs had better diversify its catalogue from one shoe pointers in its products.
model to a complete array of lifestyle products. Regarding
the superfast growth rate at which the company is going Distribution strategy
now, extending the footwear brand into a lifestyle brand can Crocs has had great success in pretty much every market it
be hazardous. Especially when its concept and brand values enters. And not just in pieces sold, but also in overall reach
are at stake. Already its strong sales and resulting demand and distribution quality in the market. Important aspects,
are proving to be somewhat of a challenge; Crocs is working as the maturity of its market position also determines
around the clock to deliver to a more demanding market place which distribution channels to follow. Therefore the brand’s
while putting an infrastructure in place to take the company positioning differs per country. For instance, in Italy Crocs
forward for the future. competes with Prada and Gucci in high end boutiques before
they hit the mainstream. In other markets like Russia and
Same old same old, experienced marketeers will say, that’s Eastern Europe it’s still a developing brand which is driven
the deal when your brand grows. But how do you guard all by the sell-in of the company’s most recognizable model; the
that the brand stands for when it extends into more products cayman. Most lifestyle brands start out distributing in fashion
and different international product categories? and lifestyle segments and later on go to more affordable
segments to cover the rest of the market. Crocs doesn’t
take itself too seriously, knowing that the brand being for
everybody is one of the nicest things it has to offer.
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The flow from head to toe
Crocs went from 1.000 pairs sold in 1.5 days on a Miami
boat show to acting as a global footwear company with
headquarters in Boulder; USA, Scheveningen; The Netherlands
and Singapore. It boasts about 31.000 international doors in
more than 90 countries, generating some 847 million dollars
in 2007. In that same year Crocs went public in the most
successful IPO in footwear history, more than doubling its
earnings in one smooth move.
95% of sales comes out of multi-brand environments. Besides
those, launching more shop-in-shops and single-brand
stores in main cities are on the agenda. These can serve as
testing grounds for new products and create face-to-face
opportunities to generate new ideas and models.
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Continuing the set course to become a lifestyle brand implies
nothing more than sticking to development of products and
playing around with what the brand can be and look like. It’s
a luxury position for a relatively pubescent company. As for
distribution, expanding from one product to an all-season
product line guarantees distribution relations a continuous
flow of products during the year.
On the non-profit front Crocs gives back as much as it can.
Believing everybody in the world should have a pair of shoes,
it donated one million pair of Crocs in 2007 via its CSR vehicle:
SolesUnited. This in-house organization recycles old Crocs and
distributes them to less developed and developing countries
Also
Roots & original story of the brand
Crocs has been established in 2002 in the USA. Its three
founders were on a boat brainstorming about what could be
the next opportunity in the footwear market. The Cayman and
Beach models were the first Crocs to see the light, marking
the birth of the brand. The shoes took the world by storm,
thanks to their unique design, Croslite™ material and quirky
colours.
Company profile
Crocs grew to be a global company in only six years
time. Nowadays fourteen distribution centers and nine
manufacturing plants are spread all over the world, producing
fast-dwindling stock for 90 + countries that annually tops
revenue records from the previous year. Its product line has
over 80 different models, aimed at different target groups,
ages and genders.