Success Story & Marketing Strategies That Made Crocs Become A Fashion Favorite

Today, when someone mentions ‘Crocs’, what comes to mind? Spunky, quirky, fashionable, and comfortable, right?

The shoe type was devised by three friends when one of them, Scott Seamans, was demonstrating a slip-resistant clog, which was from ‘Foam Creations’, to his friends. The three of them, Scott, George Boedecker, and Lyndon Hanson, sensing a business opportunity, reportedly bought the company and purchased exclusive rights to their proprietary foam resin, Crosslite. Armed with enough research on the benefits of wearing footwear made out of Croslite, they made ‘Crocs’ and brought it to the market.

The Initial Days

Initially, Crocs was not able to capture the market. The shoe's major uniqueness was its appearance. Many thought of it as a fad that would fade away anytime soon, owing to its appearance.

Secondly, a recession had just started. With so much happening, what turned the tables for the company?

The Transformation

Initially, the product was marketed as a footwear type ideal for gardening or fishing. But now, the brand is conveyed differently. Playing up on its strengths, Crocs was placed as bright, light, and squishy, making it the perfect choice for people who like to experiment.

Also, the shoe design made enough room for expelling odor and water, and hence middle-aged and old people could use them too. Being water-resistant and designed in such a way that the impact of walking is distributed on the entire foot, it attracted a lot of medical professionals, chefs, and parents due to its utility factor.

The material made the shoes dishwasher-safe too.

Marketing Strategy

The brand decided to embrace its uniqueness. Rather than re-designing or molding itself into something else, the brand concentrated on those who accepted the product, thereby staying true to itself. For example, their collaboration with Spotify saw white crocs being sold off within minutes.

Also, Crocs collaborated with Justin Beiber, who is a Crocs fan and is often seen wearing them. The same goes with Drew Barrymore and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Crocs saw collaborations as a profitable way of attracting the masses. Concentrating on micro-influencers along with bigger names has benefited the brand.

Another strategy that Crocs followed was that of limited supply. All their collaborations were limited in supply, and this strategy created the FOMO, driving high sales, also because people feared missing out on the collection. Crocs wanted customers to feel that they owned something valuable. And anything that is oversold slowly starts losing value.

Crocs even donated over 860,000 pairs of crocs to healthcare warriors around the world, during the pandemic. Owing to the comfort it provides, the shoes became popular, and the brand also garnered attention and earned goodwill.

These are some key insights that helped the brand to stay unique in all these years.

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