Case Studies / Moral Code
Does the world need another premium leather men’s footwear and accessory brand? Or more precisely, is there a meaningful market opportunity for a disruptive, direct-to-consumer brand offering at an accessible price point? That was the question posed to Shine.
An answer in the affirmative was by no means a given, considering some daunting external forces at play. To wit: radical shifts throughout the channel, increasing (and changing) pressures on manufacturers and a more demanding consumer than ever before — not to mention literally dozens of competitive disruptors already in the mix, each seeking their own foothold in the coveted premium market segment.
Before the brand position and the brand identity was a more foundational question: Do we believe we can build a significant, profitable business? And so, our efforts started with a comprehensive category, target, competitive and media channel deep dive — leading to a brand and marketing proof of concept. In short order, we built a business case and strategic plan, including a detailed definition of our ambition, target, investment requirements, key metrics and startup and experimentation plan.
Next, we rolled up our sleeves and built a do-everything ecommerce campaign from the ground up. Name. Logo. Packaging. Photography. A sophisticated yet hard working website — wired for analytics and replete with a user-friendly KPI dashboard — surrounded by a targeted digital and social media campaign. In sum, a bold, disruptive platform to help our client gain their unfair share of attention, commerce and affinity — and earn their place in the premium men’s footwear and accessory category. Not to mention help evolve and shape an industry, one stylish-yet-sensible pair of shoes at a time.
View the website at moralcode.com.
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“When I came to the decision to leave my corporate gig and launch a new bespoke brand of men’s footwear and accessories, the first call I made was to Shine. This is my third time working with Shine, and we have strong mutual trust based on soul-baring honesty — plus a level of collaboration and teamwork that have consistently delivered outstanding results.
“For this new venture together, we are bringing a disruptive, direct-to-consumer brand to market from the ground up. From the brand name to packaging, photography to social, e-commerce site to paid media, Shine has been a true partner at every step. Most importantly, Shine provided initial research to validate the concept of the business. From cutting edge creative and incredible copywriting to a digital team that is in a class by itself, Shine exemplifies what a relationship and partnership with an agency should be.”
— Mark Kohlenberg, CEO