Today we meet with Arbesko’s Stina Karlsson and she shares the thoughts behind the decision to put the Umeå safety shoe series - a Swedish innovation for hard working feet, through a user test. The results have been highlighted on the web, through social media, PR and retailers, and have generated very strong ROI.
The strategy for this partnership was built on three different components:
1. Attracting professionals from different industries to learn more about the Umeå series.2. Generate insights and content through test pilots from across the country.3. Build content that can be distributed both organically and through sponsored ads - with the goal of converting to online purchases and through physical stores.
Without customers there is no brand
So who is Arbesko? Is it a manufacturer of protective shoes for craftsmen and industrial workers with over 180 years of experience. With solid knowledge of the industry, they also have insight into how a brand needs to be flexible and developed in the best way. Today, one of Arbesko's goals is to utilise the user’s experience with the products.
- Without customers, there is no brand. As a marketer, I think it is important not only to think clean cut marketing, but also about product development, they clearly go hand in hand. User testing, both before, during and after a product release is super important for getting it right. The feedback a brand receives can also generate content to use in marketing, says Stina Karlsson.
“Customers want to hear from customers that the product is absolutely superb and cannot be lived without”
Stina says that Arbesko has an excellent starting point for a marketer with the high brand awareness in the industry and high quality products. Instead the challenge is to increase the “must have demand” and that’s when user generated content and storytelling becomes important. The goal is to always be close to the user.
- We tell a story about feet in reality. And of course, user generated content is invaluable feedback for our product developers who help the customers make the right decision. Important insights that can also be used in marketing.
“The partnership with Smartson has provided us with invaluable feedback and given Arbesko a new voice, the user’s voice”
The result of the campaign
Smartson invited test pilots to try the shoes in their profession. During the test period, the protective shoes were worn from inside tractors to on top of roofs, in barns and in TV studios. The opinions of the 99 test pilots showed that the models from the Arbesko Umeå series received a fantastic result of 90%, 92% and 100% recommendation.
All of the participants were given the task of creating video reviews that were then used to create content for both Smartson and Arbesko’s social channels. The purpose was to give a credible picture of the views on the shoes. The video from sheep farmer Christina was so good we decided to visit her for a more personal interview later on.
After the campaign, Arbesko announced the result together with the retailer TOOLS in a bid to increase the sales of the shoes. The retailer implemented reviews, crowdscores and videos in specific landing pages.
- Arbesko and TOOLS both got a very clear ROI when we started broadcasting the UGC material together via Smartson. In addition to very good sales, the advertising also resulted in low costs for CPC and CPM compared to traditional marketing campaigns, says Stina Karlsson.
More about Arbesko
Arbesko is a Swedish premium brand founded in 1839 in Kumla, Sweden. Arbesko’s head office and factory are still located in Kumla, and it’s the only safety shoe factory in Sweden. Arbesko protects hard working feet and as such, there’s no room for mistakes. Quality, safety and function are always the focus when designing and developing safety shoes. In the fall of 2020, an exciting sneaker-style safety shoe series developed together with tire manufacturer Michelin and an experienced fashion designer will be released - the first collaboration of its kind in Arbesko’s history, but surely not the last.
Do you want to find out more about a similar partnership? Contact us at hello@smartson.se