Safety professionals—the dedicated men and women responsible for outfitting workers with protective footwear and clothing—have spent their careers issuing and keeping track of paper vouchers for their workers’ PPE apparel and footwear. With all the usual headaches; they get lost in the mail, tossed in the laundry, eaten by the dog.
Red Wing Shoe Co. set out to solve the problem. And they did, brilliantly, by launching Red Wing for Business, the first-ever safety footwear program to offer digital vouchers, consolidated invoicing and real-time eligibility—literally and figuratively kicking that analog-based process into the digital age.
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.) So it was a perfect fit in every way.
Given how significant this technology platform was for the future of Red Wing, and to the entire industry, the launch of this innovative digital safety footwear program had to make a big footprint. And keep in mind, we’re talking about a company that held the Guinness World Record for largest boot. Yeah, that big.
Working closely with Red Wing, we developed a campaign and experience that fueled industry buzz before, during and after the world’s largest safety conference, the National Safety Council Congress & Expo. Like an attention-grabbing wind vortex tower swirling with paper vouchers. Interactive games designed to highlight the cool of the new digital program and chances to win free Red Wing swag. A huge touchscreen tool that helped sales reps guide prospects through the system to solutions. And on top of all that, a fully operational Red Wing mobile shoe store parked right in the booth. Supported by a pre- and post-show experience and PR, this launch was a huge step toward success. 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
Our efforts and the experience helped Red Wing generate a record number of qualified leads, surpassing the previous year’s totals by a factor of four. And the pace of post-event sign-ups just keeps building—without sacrificing any more 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