Page 19 - #181 May 2023

Taiyuan City Shanxi Province, China

retail, using marketing efforts to drive consumers to our retail partners This means keeping the message consistent, whilst adapting the content in
instead of buying on our web shop. By being a brand you would only see order to better engage with each platform’s audience.
in a specialty running store, 361° is able to be marketed differently as a One emerging platform that is key in their industry is Strava, which is
legitimate high-performance running brand.” used by all athletes to share their activities with their friends. Much like
When discussing initiatives to maintain their presence in the market, other social media platforms, a brand is able to create a page (called a
Jin highlights that the process for the business involves identifying trends Strava Club) in order to appear in feeds.
and gaps in the marketplace, using their team of talented experts and “The runners and athletes of Strava often use the platform as a much
designers to then move quickly in a way to capitalise on these gaps more personal ‘journal’ of their sporting endeavours when compared to
and bring products to market. They are constantly pushing boundaries, Facebook or Instagram. With this in mind, wit is vital that we match the
thinking about how they can use their resources to further support the sentiment of these users, allowing for us to hopefully be heard through
needs of their customers, which includes incorporating fresh concepts the noise,” highlights Jin.
such as using carbon dioxide as a foaming agent in their supercritical Like a lot of actions in the running footwear industry, the sustainability
midsole platform “ENGAGE”. commitments of the company are very much product-focused. As
In the EU and UK, their marketing strategy has been built around the mentioned earlier, their all-new platform design incorporates industrial
idea of engaging with the best running specialist retailers in the region, carbon dioxide as a foaming agent in a supercritical process. By using
using an omni-channel approach of digital, social and in-person activity CO2 gas, the midsole is able to take on bouncier, lightweight properties
to build trust and awareness through them. They act responsibly in the compared to previous types of midsole foam, whilst also helping to
way they choose the partners they work with, helping them to present remove carbon dioxide from the environment.
themselves as a running brand to the consumer. In addition, they now make use of recycled yarns to produce upper
The key focus for Spring/Summer 2023 has seen them begin a ground- fabric. As a complete package, Jin says they are still a long way away
up approach. For 361°, this has meant being visible in-store, often working from being fully sustainable, but they are really proud of the steps
with key retailers to build community focused events, where potential they have taken so far and excited to keep innovating, both in their
customers have the chance to test out their shoes on a run, free of charge. processes and their products to help make the world we live in a
By being active in the community, they can build long-term relationships greener place in the future.
with the selected retailers and help potential customers to associate 361° As our time begins to run out, we ask Jin what lies ahead and what is the
with the store, so that the next time they are in the market for a new pair greatest challenge facing the business?
of running shoes, their company is the one they think of. “Like many newer brands, the greatest challenge is breaking through the
“In the future, for key products such as Centauri and the upcoming noise. We understand our brand awareness in the region is still relatively
trail shoe Futura, we will make use of emerging technology to present low. This, coupled with widespread overstocking in the running industry
information in an easy to digest, digital format through scanning a QR code from other famous running brands, has slowed down the growth of 361°
attached to the shoe. This allows us to offer an immersive view of both for a few seasons, particularly post-pandemic. However, we have seen
the brand and individual product’s story, sometimes acting as a sales tool excellent growth in recent seasons and it is important that we stay the
at the point of sale, or as follow-up information post-sale,” Jin explains. course, rise to the challenges faced and make use of the talent we have
Social media is an important aspect for any company, but for 361° it at our disposal, acting as a close-knit team, pushing to go ‘One Degree
forms a crucial cornerstone of their omni-channel approach to marketing. Beyond’,” Jin concludes.