Building a brand bridge

Online shoe retailer Shoeaholics approached us with an ambitious – and unusual – challenge: to help them begin a phased migration from a discount-led offer to full price. They had successfully built a highly engaged customer base, drawn to the promise of designer shoes at heavily reduced prices. How could they retain and grow this base, while moving away from one of the most distinctive elements of their proposition?

BWP worked with the Shoeaholics senior team through a brand planning process to identify the essence of the brand. This identified that the heart of the Shoeaholics appeal was not simply low prices, but the feeling of being part of a like-minded community. To be a ‘shoeaholic’ was a state of mind; a shared delight in the new, the different, and the beautiful. 

By leveraging this collective passion, we could transcend the transactional customer relationship to develop a profound affinity. We down-weighted the use of price-focused messaging in social and eDM messaging, and introduced a new strapline: ‘powered by the love of shoes’.

The Results