Grassroots marketing

HEYDAY – Noun: the period of a person or thing's greatest success and popularity.

When MOO went to SXSW, we met Darin Hager, the awesomely cool and really charming “chief everything officer” of Heyday Footwear, and a serious businessman who understands the power of all- angles marketing.

Counting celebrities such as Jay Sean and Flo Rida as clients, Heyday is a brand that loves its high profile customers - but equally wants to connect with a much more diverse client base. So, to continue his above-mentioned “greatest success and popularity”, Darin adopts a take-no-prisoners approach to spreading the word about his product - and he uses MOO to get the job done.

Hey Darin! Tell us a bit about Heyday.

I started Heyday in 2006, after working as a corporate designer some big brand names like Puma and DKNY. I really wanted to be able to design without the constraints that you’re working under in a corporate environment. So I created Heyday - a design drive lifestyle footwear brand for young tastemakers.

We love the shoes. So what’s your sales strategy?

Well, it’s changed over the years, but the keyword is “hybrid”. I’m a fan of directsales, through the website, which offers the best possible presentation of the Heyday brand to the end user without the diluted or confusing brand message presented by retailers.

Direct sales have also allowed me to forge an incredible connection directly with my customers, creating a legion of “super fans” who’ve become brand evangelists.

Sounds a bit like MOO! How do you approach marketing?

Consumers increasingly want to “connect” with the brands and products they love and which they feel best represent them. Also, MOO features heavily! I've been using MOO for the past several years and never fail to get a "Wow, sick cards!" reaction from everyone I meet.

Make customer connections via Social Media

Social media is a major component of Heyday’s marketing plan. Heyday’s Facebook fan page now has over 2000 fans (a 74% increase since November 1st, 2010) that actively participate in the brand by posting photos of themselves in their Heydays, and discussing the brand. Over 1,900 followers on Twitter are expanding rapidly due to my daily interactions.Plus, Heyday has a Youtube channel that features original content created with LA based In Air Films, which showcase the brand in exciting new short films.

I also host an ongoing video series called ‘Behind the Design’ in which I demonstrate my Shoe Math design process used in designing the sneakers. This unprecedented level of behind-the-scenes access is geared directly to the consumer who craves new content and seeks a greater ‘connection’ with their favorite brands.

Be your own brand ambassador

I recently partnered with Klout to seed 75 key influencers in social media, fashion and tech with custom Heyday X Klout Super Shift sneakers at a massive party in Austin, TX at SXSW.

When I was there, I gave out hundreds of MOO MiniCards, Business Cards, Postcards and StickerBooks. I also created promo code stickers, which I attached to my Business Cards, giving people a nice discount at Heyday, and a unified look across my printed branding.

When I met the MOO crew, they gave me a great MiniCards holder which I refilled numerous times, and blew people away with the cards!

Harness the power of celebrity

The celebrities who wear Heyday shoes become Brand Ambassadors across the music and film industry. They receive exclusive footwear, which is then talked about and promoted organically by their fans, rather than via advertising campaigns.

Each brand ambassador then receives unique promo codes to seed to their fan base. The codes provide the consumer with discounts on Heyday Footwear and allow us to track effectiveness of each artist’s social influence.

Written on:

18 Jun 2013

Categories:

Business Cards, Stickers, MiniCards, Marketing, Fashion