And within gaming, we have some exciting partnerships coming up, which would be an industry first on our end, within the footwear and apparel athletic space that we'll be announcing soon. The Boston-based athletic giant, which reentered the hoops market in 2019 when then-Toronto Raptor Kawhi Leonard wore its kicks for the. She set up our foundation, which is rooted in combating childhood obesity in underserved communities. No, don't worry, New Balance is not ceasing production on the 996, 1500, and 997. SoundBytes is a marketing collective bringing best-in-class marketers together to propel collaboration, innovation and deal-making featuring a diverse range of speakers and addressing key topics across entertainment, music, sports and media. Im amazed by their partnership and what theyve been able to build both from a business and cultural perspective. It takes a special mindset, it takes a unique vision. And what that really comes down to is a co-authored approach, meaning were expecting a tremendous amount of off-the-court or off-the-field work from our ambassadors. Focusing on mental health and wellness and that connectivity to running, as well as continuing to drive sustainability and brand purpose messaging in everything we do. In the beginning they sold products that made shoes more comfortable rather than producing their own shoes. When supply was low, for all industries across the world, we found ourselves in a position where we had to lead with storytelling vs. leading with product. We look at everything we do pretty holistically and work to connect the dots in a harmonized way. Dismiss . New Balances approach to partnerships consists of a co-authored approach where partners are heavily involved in product and content strategy and business planning overall. Well done to the entire NB squad! Obviously there are some categories where youre a leader, like the running category, and then other categories where you are a challenger, which creates a really interesting opportunity. Partner & COO @ Caf Leather | Economist | Investor. If you look at the combination of marketing and merchandising, it really is the guts of the go-to-market process. COPYRIGHT 2021, C-SUITE MEDIA. Our innovative approach has allowed our company to see some pretty big numbers. He earned second-team All-SEC honors at cornerback. Brand Innovators caught up with him from his home office near New Balances Boston headquarters to learn more about his fewer, bigger, better approach to marketing in the pandemic era, his criteria for celebrity partners and why, in the wake of the companys record revenue growth, we havent even begun to scratch the surface of what we're capable of. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. New Balance focuses on creating that sort of atmosphere not only in the office but outside of it as well. Over the course of the last 24 months, we have operationalized our sustainability goals in a uniformly replicable manner, and strived to communicate clear, simple and actionable outputs that will create tangible progress within the world. It was our largest ever Q4 media buy, primarily focused on the upper funnel, and we continued to drive a more cohesive omnichannel strategy and invest in that regularly. Business leaders should care about population growth, but its not as simple as focusing on the total gain or decline. As an organization, New Balance is running head-on towards the future with full force (likely in a great pair of shoes). Not only did New Balance step up to help during the height of the pandemic by making masks for frontline medical professionals all across the country, but we also continue to utilize sustainable methods in our production of goods. Fans of New Balance will likely see that reflected in future collaborations and partnerships. It was a no-brainer, of course, the companywould help, Davis says it just needed to figure out how. Get news and analysis about fashion, beauty and culture delivered to your inbox every morning. But the ultimate goal is to harmonize our corporate behavior and improve with each day, also set goals that are actionable and have timelines against them to hold ourselves accountable., From a DE&I perspective, we have done a tremendous amount over the course of the last 24 months through a lot of internal as well as external commitments. The UN Paris Agreement established in 2015 a goal to significantly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, to prevent the Earth's temperature from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius. 30% of our budget is allocated towards calculated risk, like things in a different industry. What are some of the criteria that you use to select a pretty diverse group of people?Im a broken record internally on this, but we always talk about how our ambassadors and our partners have to represent that fiercely independent nature. And I think that the learning methods atExeter, the kind of problem solving, critical-thinkingskills and action I was taught, directly correlate tomoments like this one.. We have really built a culture of calculated risk-taking and we afford our associates from top to bottom to make mistakes. Chris Davis is the Chief Marketing Officer & Senior Vice President of Merchandising at New Balance and a board member of Rival. You often refer to yourself as the 115-year-old startup. New Balance has always been a brand that has challenged the status quo, constantly reinventing itself, and really striving to be the best, not the biggest. And some enterprisingleaders took this volatile juncture of economic uncertaintyto move beyond the reactionary and rethink what theircompanies could do for thepublic good. You guys have a fascinating array of the partnerships that youve created with the athletes, as well as cultural leaders or activists. However, we can also grow our brand from a horizontal standpoint and ensure that our face-of-brand athletes in football, tennis, and basketball are also integrated into our lifestyle campaigns and our overarching brand campaigns. So thats a great self-fulfilling prophecy. He opened the talk by setting the stage with a quote we should all take to heart as marketers, the death of all major brands lies in the notion of stagnation. So how does New Balance continue to win in the highly competitive footwear and apparel market? New Balances [storytelling] is rooted in our fiercely independent mindset and our constant desire to reveal our memories and communicate our values..We take an autobiographical approach with consumers, meaning every time we can communicate with consumers, were introducing ourselves, Davis said. MLB. What are some of New Balance's latest commitments to DE&I and sustainability at a corporate level, and how are those manifesting themselves in your messaging as a marketer? No partnership, no relationship, no marriage, no friendship works as a one-way street. 50% of our budget is directly allocated to more traditional means like broadcast, out of home, or lower funnel performance marketing things that we know will work. Strategic Business Unit Manager, Global Lifestyle Footwear & New Balance Numeric @ New Balance. Probably the favorite child in our family was New Balance, and then my sister and me. Chance the Rapper and Kawhi Leonard Put New Balance on Center Stage During the NBA All-Star Game "This relationship ingrains New Balance into the NBA's global presence, a fandom and culture. New Balance never wants to be the biggest but they want to be the best. With every ambassador that New Balance works with globally and partners with globally, we mandate that theres community integration, whether its something global or local. In an age where targeted marketing and endless brands are available to cater to a consumers every need, options tend to blur together. Honestly, theres no book on it. Rather, our goal is to create meaningful, personal engagement for customers of New Balance. New. However, you have to provide them with something as well. Absolutely. Davis describes New Balances marketing as storytelling first, products second. And all of our partnerships with global ambassadors whether they be in the sports or entertainment space we take a co-authored approach. New Balance Highsnobiety #branding Since being appointed CMO in April 2020, Davis and New Balance's marketing department have operated by following two rules: If you're standing still, you're moving backward. We want to have success in world football. CMO of the Week: New Balance's Chris Davis by Andrew Hampp February 22, 2022 There's a budgeting strategy at New Balance that Chris Davis likes to call "50-30-20." So it definitely works both ways. "Here, we continue to believe that New Balance brand extension can only develop by commemorating its tradition, philosophy and values," says Chris Davis, New Balance Vice President of Global Marketing. When they come on board, they join the family. This creates a genuine and invested interest that helps convey the best of the New Balance brand out in the community. We do so by establishing ourselves as a brand that the newest generation can turn to for thoughtful products. I try to be honest, fair, and consistent to enable personal growth for the individual, but also have a department-wide and brand-wide view for growth of the company. There was a story of this young man who had decommitted from Syracuse University and decided he was going to forgo playing in the NCAA and go directly to the NBA and sit out a year. While at Auburn, he was responsible for the historic "Kick . Business owners across the country and theworld shuttered their shops in March following government mandates to control the spreadof the coronavirus. What advice you would give to other brands on how to retain as much control as you can, but still relinquish the proper amount to have an authentic partnership?The key phrase you just said is authentic partnership. These individuals have to be an extension of your brands. I believe that leaders need to be themselves. Lets take a look at how we managed to position New Balance as a leader in this space. Chris Davis Chief Marketing Officer & Senior Vice President of Merchandising at New Balance Boston, Massachusetts, United States 22K followers 500+ connections Join to follow New Balance. Chris Davis Expand search. Andrew Hampp is an entertainment marketing consultant for Brand Innovators and the founder of consultancy 1803 LLC, based in Berkeley, California. I think everybody wants to see their leader be human first and a businessperson second. But obviously I have an innate passion and appreciation for the brand. Davis has been a part of the brand for 14 years where he first started out as an events operations manager during the 2008 Beijing Olympics for New Balance. An archetypal runner made up in nylon and suede, sales of the 320 rocketed when the sneaker was voted as the number one running shoe on the market by Runner's World magazine. When I asked Chris if PR /earned media was as big a focus as paid digital content, he responded that disruption is the key to both earned and owned media if your content disrupts, it will drive media interest Hear, Hear Chris! One is called the Remade Program, whereby we utilize recycled factory scraps to create new shoes. You were promoted to CMO at New Balance just a few weeks into the pandemic lockdowns of 2020. And also: Your marketing and partnerships are a reflection of your values as a brand. The business milestones coincided with many first-time industry accolades, including Hypebeasts Sneaker Brand of the Year in 2020 and 2021, Footwear News Athletic Brand of the Year and Fast Companys 10 Most Innovative Brands of the Year. Those are the things that I try to do. I mean, I think were the only brand that could have made dad shoes cool, right? News. To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com and for the latest press information please visit http://newbalance.newsmarket.com . New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than 7,000 associates around the globe, and in 2019 reported worldwide sales of $4.0 billion. We were looking at real-time sports and culture moments, investing a lot of money there. And I think their partnership enabled the organization to prevail. Meaning the best version of themselves they can be. The Company Was Founded In Boston. The Jaden Smith sneaker collaboration. Davis is an influential local figure and one of the wealthiest people in Massachusetts, who very well might host a D.C. dignitary, and maybe talk U.S. trade policy while showing off his fleet of. 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Weve been able to facilitate a culture of calculated risk excellence allowing for our brand to remain fiercely independent since its early days. So while being a heritage brand with legacy obviously provides rich opportunities for storytelling, what weve tried to do as an organization is embrace that notion of being a 115-year-old company thats focused on tomorrow. 20% of our budget is purely dedicated to experimental marketing. Davis left New Balance in 2019 after nearly 10 years at the company. "He is simply an individual who is not afraid to innovate, a value that is mirrored in our brand identity. Since then, he has led teams at Warrior Sports and New Balance Athletics in brand management, global business unit management, sports marketing, global brand marketing and global product merchandising. Consumers today are bombarded with marketing from the ground up, making the next generation accustomed to endless product options to choose from. We actually had a couple of test days of working from hometo ensure that our technology was able to withholdthe capacity and the volume of everybody streaming constantly and working digitally. New Balance closed itsstateside offices before Massachusetts Gov. Another major tenet that New Balance operates by is authenticity. And part of our responsibility as a brand is to amplify the messaging and the voices of our athletes, but also to stand up for what we believe is right. Teddy Santis, founder of menswear brand Aim Leon Dore, will debut his first collection as the creative director of New Balance's Made in USA brand this spring. . What is your leadership style?I try my best to embrace a servant leadership mindset. Congrats on the good work and results. For many companies, making the best of such drastic shifts wasnt without its challengesour company included. We are consistently impressed with Jack's devoted passion for his craft and his relentless desire to improve," Chris Davis, New Balance Chief Marketing Officer and SVP of Merchandising said. As chief marketing officer of our brand, I can outline how these partnerships will manifest successfully under something known as dwell time. Dwell time is the time in which a customer is online consuming content. It was a full house and a whos who of top Boston marketers at the Boston Ad ClubsCMO Breakfastthis month. The piece was submitted . A few weeks from now, retail stores will be shuttered. Show email and phone number. If New Balance was a bank or an accounting firm or an insurance company, I definitely wouldnt be working there. Editor's note: This article first appeared in the summer 2020 issue ofThe Exeter Bulletin. Ive talked with all kinds of companies and brands, and the cultures vary, but Ive always had a soft spot in my heart for companies that are privately held. We tore down the ways we worked in order to keep up with the pace of business and really with the pace of and change of information and uncertainty the world was experiencing at the time.. If consumers like what theyve seen from New Balance over the course of the last 24 months, what they see over the next four years is going to far exceed that. However, with the help of market insight and customer-focused branding, our athletic wear company has been able to cultivate a culture of innovation to transform the classic American New Balance brand we all know and love into a contemporary staple for the newest generation. Chris served as Strategic Business Unit Manager, Global Lifestyle Footwear and New Balance Numeric and Vice President Global Marketing and Sports Marketing for New Balance Athletic Shoes. Chris Davis joined New Balance Athletic Shoes in 2011. In the past two years, New Balance has shifted away from a middle- and lower-funnel marketing organization to one that prioritizes upper-funnel emotional marketing content. Here Are Three Other Quick Income Streams, Ep. And conversely, weve learned that when our brand is healthy, 574 is healthy. And if the pandemics done anything, its made us all human first. Its absolutely integral into enabling the brand to work in the community in the right way and elevating the partners persona in the community the right way. As a brand, we dont sponsor anyone. We were just about to launch into basketball, which we had been working on for over three years. Davis has been a part of the brand for 14 years where he first started out as an events operations manager during the 2008 Beijing Olympics for New Balance. Team members that feel trusted in their roles directly affect the way in which consumers experience a brand. New Balance's vintage-inspired 550 sneaker has become one of this year's most coveted shoes, thanks to its multiple makeovers from Aim Leon Dore. At New Balance, eco-friendly initiatives have been on the rise for the past decade, . Chris Davis is currently Chief Marketing . Founder, Creative Director of Palette Group, Adweek's 2020 Young Influentials. I've been familiar with the. This conscious, innovative approach makes New Balance a leader in the athletic brand space. So I would say the level of heat you're going to be seeing from New Balance over the next 24 months will far surpass everything weve done in the previous 24 months ranging from collaborations with key partners like Teddy Santis, Selehe Bembury and Stone Island to new athletes joining our roster, and doing cool unique activations with heroes in culture. Advisory Board Member @ Ball and Buck. The upper is borrowed from the New Balance X-Racer, a modern lifestyle offering that launched in 2019. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Amy Dow, New Balance Athletics 617-746-2214, amy.dow@newbalance.com BOSTON - February 7, 2018 - Global athletic leader New Balance announces the launch of Fearlessly Independent Since 1906 - its new inspirational global brand communication platform that reflects the heritage and non-conventional values of the global sports company. are members of New Balances new wave of partnerships in 2022. We have long tenured New Balance athletes who understand our brand and are truly a reflection of our values compiled into meeting quarterly across multiple sports and helping us provide a perspective on where we should be donating our cause marketing dollars, what issues are topical within their communities that we should be addressing through statements or content, and other ideas that we could implement from an internal standpoint. For us, weve always been a brand that strives to walk the walk. We will neverbe a brand that talks about what we are going to do, weare going to be a brand that talks about what we do do, Davis says. By partnering within growth-centric spaces like gaming, were working to solidify the position New Balance has as a current product leader in this space. One of my favorite ambassadors that we have, whos just a special, unique individual across the board, is Coco Gauff. And communication is key: being able to communicate concepts, strategies, ideas, goals, objectives that your leadership teams understand, but also clear enough and simple enough for an intern to understand. New. We pride ourselves on being a people-first, teamwork-focused company. So whether its coming out with the first running shoe over a hundred dollars, making shoes in the United States, or having business strategies that are seven to ten years versus three to five years, we try to do things differently. While attending a party at James Franco's house, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are faced with the Biblical Apocalypse. How have those initial pivots evolved or sustained in the two years since the pandemic began? Be the best of such drastic shifts wasnt without its challengesour company included initial... Join the family they want to be the best of such drastic shifts wasnt without challengesour... Issue ofThe Exeter Bulletin a whos who of top Boston marketers at the company of partnerships in.! With something as well as cultural leaders or activists New wave of partnerships 2022. You often refer to yourself as the 115-year-old startup New wave of partnerships 2022. Engagement for customers of New Balance continue to win in the community of Palette Group, Adweek 2020. For thepublic good at the Boston Ad ClubsCMO Breakfastthis month many companies, chris davis new balance the of. 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