SCHERMER helps Red Wing Shoes give paper the boot
Safety professionals—the dedicated men and women responsible for outfitting workers with protective footwear and clothing—have spent their careers keeping track of paper vouchers. With all the usual headaches. They get lost in the mail, tossed in the laundry, eaten by the dog.
Red Wing Shoes set out to solve the problem. And they did, brilliantly, with Red Wing for Business, the first-ever safety footwear program to offer digital vouchers, consolidated invoicing and real-time eligibility—literally and figurately kicking the analog-based industry into the digital stratosphere.
Red Wing just needed a B2B partner with the chops to make it happen. Enter SCHERMER. (On a side note, even before Red Wing approached us, we were already fans of these hand-crafted beauties, especially the Claras, Iron Rangers and Blacksmiths.) It was a perfect fit in every way.
Given how significant this innovation was to the history of Red Wing, and to the entire industry, the launch had to be big. And keep in mind, we’re talking about a company whose massive leather work boot landed in the Guinness World Records. Yeah, that big.
Working closely with the Red Wing team, we concepted creative ideas to fuel industry buzz at the 2018 National Safety Council Congress & Expo. Like a towering wind tunnel filled with swirling paper (a.k.a., old-school voucher programs). Interactive games highlighting the digital cool of the new program and a chance to win free Red Wing swag. A 90-inch touchscreen brand experience that gave sales reps a way to connect with customers one-on-one. And on top of all that, a fully operational Red Wing mobile shoe store right in the booth. Even Red Wing’s competitors couldn’t stifle their envy. (And we quote: “Thanks for putting us out of business!”)
THE LAUNCH WAS, BY ALL MEASURES, A HUGE SUCCESS
Red Wing captured a record number of qualified leads, surpassing last year’s totals by a factor of four. And the pace of post-event sign-ups just keeps building—without sacrificing any trees.
“The team at SCHERMER created a really thought-provoking way to frame up our value proposition for customers. The entire booth, both the thinking and the fun elements they added, showed that B2B doesn’t have to be boring. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
Dave Schneider
VP/Chief Marketing Officer
Red Wing Shoe Company
“SCHERMER really understands what business to business marketing is, and how to bring that experience to life. It has been a true partnership.”
Cris Herman
Global B2B Marketing Manager
Red Wing Shoe Company
