Transforming Marketing Strategy for an Upcoming Cleats Brand
For an emerging premium soccer cleat manufacturer, we developed a strategy to build brand awareness and community engagement while competing against established global brands. Despite offering handcrafted products that matched customer needs for fit, comfort and durability, the brand needed to effectively communicate their value proposition and build a loyal customer base.
Understanding the Problem
While the brand had developed high-quality soccer cleats that receive positive feedback from users, brand awareness remained low with only 17% of those familiar with the brand having made a purchase. The challenge intersected three key areas:
Market Position: Competing against established brands with similar quality propositions
Brand Communication: Need to effectively convey product benefits that align with customer priorities
Community Building: Opportunity to create authentic engagement around the love of soccer
Research Methodology
Primary Research:
In-depth brand ambassador survey (n=22) analyzing community needs and product perception
Customer survey (n=81) examining purchasing factors and brand awareness
Analysis of social media engagement and content effectiveness
Competitive analysis of major soccer cleat brands' marketing strategies
Secondary Research:
Industry analysis of soccer equipment market
Study of successful community-driven brands
Analysis of post-COVID sports industry trends
Evaluation of digital marketing channels
Key Insights
Customer Needs Alignment
Customers prioritize fit (4.6/5), durability (4.6/5), and material quality (4.3/5)
The brand's product strengths directly match these priorities
Even brand ambassadors don't fully recognize this alignment
Market Positioning
Specialty soccer cleat brands have greater market awareness than the brand
Competitors focus heavily on technology and features
Opportunity exists for authentic community-based differentiation
Community Potential
84% of ambassadors see value in creating a soccer-focused community
Strong desire for both online and local community connections
Post-COVID environment creating increased desire for sports community
Solution Development
Through extensive market research and stakeholder collaboration, we developed a community-centric marketing strategy that leverages existing soccer passion points while creating sustainable engagement mechanisms. The solution combines:
Shared Content Creation System
Community organizations serve as content creation hubs, with ambassadors and local players contributing authentic stories and experiences. Local leaders manage content development, coordinate with the marketing team, and ensure quality standards while maintaining authenticity. This approach ensures content remains genuine while supporting professional brand standards.
PR Activities and Physical Presence
The PR strategy creates tangible community presence through partnerships with local artists, soccer venues, and media outlets. By bringing soccer culture to life through murals, events, and storytelling, the brand becomes part of the local soccer landscape. This distributed approach not only increases brand visibility but also creates a sense of shared ownership and community investment in the brand's success.
Digital Marketing Integration
To ensure sustainable growth, we designed a digital presence that draws from multiple touchpoints while maintaining message consistency. The strategy combines SEO optimization focusing on quality and craftsmanship terms, targeted PPC campaigns during key soccer seasons, and website restructuring to highlight community aspects. Our analysis showed that with consistent execution, this integrated approach could sustainably grow brand awareness while keeping customer acquisition costs manageable.
Social Media Strategy Framework
The social media strategy shifts focus from pure product marketing to authentic community storytelling. By documenting real player experiences, sharing soccer culture, and fostering genuine conversation, the brand builds credibility within the soccer community. Content themes balance quality craftsmanship stories with community celebration, creating a narrative that positions the brand as both a premium product maker and a genuine community participant.
Brand Ambassador Program Development
Community leaders serve as the bridge between the brand and local soccer players. By empowering ambassadors with tiered incentive structures and clear community-building objectives, we create authentic touchpoints for brand engagement. Program leaders manage content creation, coordinate local events, and oversee community growth initiatives. This local leadership ensures the program maintains authenticity while supporting professional brand development.
Lessons & Insights
This project revealed several key learnings about building authentic brand communities in a competitive market:
Community-First Solutions: The most effective brand building leverages existing community structures and passion points rather than creating artificial engagement. Success comes from serving the community's needs first, with brand awareness following naturally.
Authentic Engagement Design: Long-term community growth requires careful attention to ambassador empowerment and genuine content creation from the start. When community members lead the conversation, engagement becomes sustainable.
Stakeholder Alignment: Success depends on aligning incentives across multiple stakeholder groups - from brand ambassadors to local soccer communities to retail partners. Each group needs clear value proposition and role in the community.
Process & Contribution
As lead consultants on this initiative, our team:
Conducted comprehensive stakeholder interviews with brand ambassadors and customers
Developed detailed marketing models and community engagement frameworks
Created implementation roadmaps for each marketing channel
Built stakeholder coalitions between ambassadors and local communities
Designed pilot program structures for initial market testing
The project's success demonstrates how thorough research and thoughtful solution design can address complex brand building challenges while creating sustainable, community-based outcomes. Our frameworks continue to guide the brand's community development efforts, with early indicators showing increased brand awareness and community engagement.