Simple: a New Start & a Fresh Perspective

With the relaunch of Simple Shoes, M studio was excited to reinvigorate the brand for a new era. Though it’s a national brand with global goals, setting the scene for their re-launch on the East Coast helped breathe new life into a nearly 25-year-old brand. Within the context of a new coast, Simple’s relaunch was less of a replication and more of a re-imagining of the brand’s 1991 launch in Santa Barbara.

We took an organic and authentic approach to the brand’s revitalization, drawing influence and inspiration from the art, architecture, history, and personality of the East Coast, specifically Asbury Park, New Jersey. Simple has always been a shoe for the people, and the consumer-driven marketing campaign spearheaded by M studio worked to reestablish their standing as just one member of a whole community. Against a new backdrop and with a fresh perspective, we kept our eyes on the future of Simple Shoes while remembering their beginnings and, as always, keeping things Simple.

Some of the tactics used to reintroduce the brand including a bevy of digital marketing services. We first turned to Kickstarter. Interesting choice, right? Well, when you have a foundation of loyalists eager to support the brand this seemed to be a natural fit.

Through the Kickstarter campaign, we engaged with brand fans and introduced the product line to new audiences. Through email marketing and public relations, we kept fans and the media abreast of the Campaign. GQ and Complex covered the campaign's success. And fans got up-to-date news on campaign funding, product lines and availability.

From there, we pivoted. Our team turned to social media marketing to continue the Kickstarter campaign's momentum. The digital team at our agency used a combination of organic and paid social media marketing tactics. This included A/B testing and audience targeting on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Because of the site's e-commerce website, designed and developed by the M studio team, we were able to track direct ROI from our social media campaigns.

Next up was the Simple lookbook. The brand had a B2B audience by which it needed to engage. That is why we created a printed and digital piece for the Simple sales team. They included it in meetings with buyers and were able to send it to prospects digitally.

One of the major projects that were part of the Simple campaign was its e-commerce website. We worked diligently with their brand team and licensee to create an intuitive, easy-to-shop website that aligned with the launch of the new brand. Website traffic was tracked and sales goals were monitored on an ongoing basis.

Between the e-comm component, social media and digital marketing, all efforts were able to be tracked.

In working with clients who are looking to re-establish a brand, developing an overall strategy is paramount. In looking back at our work with Simple, we essentially worked with them to create a brand playbook. We began at the beginning.

Our team of brand experts evaluated the brand.

Surveyed the competitive landscape.

Determined what enhancements needed to be made.

Evaluated digital channels (remember - there was no social media marketing when the brand first launched).

Developed a digital marketing strategy and executed against it.

The result was not only a reinvigorated brand. It was a fully-fledged digital marketing campaign that support the brand's revamp. It was social media marketing, marketing collateral, website design and development, and email marketing. It was a cohesive plan to market the brand.

The result was a strong return on investment. A digital hub to sell the product line and direct communications with brand loyalists and new consumers. Concentration on consumer-centric social media channels. Support for B2B sales. And, most importantly, an ever-evolving library of digital assets by which to market the brand.

When everything comes together, it all seems really simple.

In this case, our team worked seamlessly to expand upon an already strong brand. We heightened the identity and created new digital communications channels. And that is how we gave Simple a new start and a fresh perspective.