While many brands have long used the power of the NBA to market sneakers, Bayer’s Dr. Scholl’s is linking up with the league to tout a decidedly different sort of footwear.
Dr. Scholl’s signed a three-year deal to become an NBA promotional partner and will use league marks and digital media to market its foot-care products and hopefully expand retail distribution. The deal could result in its insoles being sold alongside Nike sneakers in sports specialty retailers.
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The 109-year-old brand, named for podiatrist William Mathias Scholl, wants to be seen as more contemporary and give its retailers some marketing assets.
“Dr. Scholl’s hasn’t done much sports marketing at all, so for us, this is a new approach,” said Reese Fitzpatrick, vice president of marketing for foot care at Bayer. “It’s about changing the way we engage with consumers and communicate the benefits of this brand. It’s a bit of older equity, so we’re looking for new ways to show consumers how the health and comfort of their feet impacts their lives every day.”
Dr. Scholl’s distribution in both chain drug and mass retailers, like Wal-Mart and Target, is strong. But Bayer is hoping to use the power of the NBA to gain incremental sales in large sporting goods retailers such as Dick’s and Foot Locker, which generally dedicate more space to footwear than most products.
For the more established channels, Fitzpatrick is looking to design retailer-specific NBA-themed displays and promotions around its Active series of insoles, which is targeted for athletic use, and for its Massaging Gel insoles, targeted to a broader audience while using a comfort message.
Supporting digital ads on NBA websites will start during this year’s playoffs. Next season, an on-pack promotion will be part of an activation program, engineered by Paragon Marketing Group, Skokie, Ill.
Fitzpatrick said Paragon is looking for players to “highlight what it’s like for an athlete to be on their feet, not just in the game, but all day and what Dr. Scholl’s can do for them.”
