Salomon Trail Running is committed to getting its brand out there and supplying consumers with the right shoes for their trail running needs. So committed that the brand is traveling coast to coast from April to July visiting approximately 45 stores to educate consumers and retailers about its products. The mobile showroom, which includes more than 40 different pairs of shoes, will offer trail running clinics, demos and group trail runs. Consumers can test out Salomon’s trail running shoes and enter to win brand products. The brand is marketing the tour through in-store posters and stores’ customer e-mail lists.
“I’m excited to get out there… it’s definitely just fun talking to a lot of folks about the sport,” says Josh Korn, outdoor community and sports marketing associate at Salomon.
Korn says the Salomon tour is splitting its time about 60-40 between run specialty stores and outdoor stores, a difference from last year’s tour when the brand focused primarily on run specialty stores. “We’re more well known in those outdoor stores. Some of our products they’ve been using forever so we’re going to tie in that momentum,” Korn says.
Despite some stops at well-known stores like Eastern Mountain Sports in New York and City Sports in Boston, Salomon is staying true to its small business roots. “I think [the smaller businesses] appreciate it because we’re going to the accounts that we feel have a good core group of people that are going to be able to move the needle for Salomon in the future,” Korn notes. “They’re happy that they are getting some love, and we’re definitely willing to give that.” Stops at smaller retail stores include Skirack in Burlington, VT, and Maine Sports Outfitters in Portland, ME.
While Korn doesn’t expect to see an immediate profit– as a tour of this magnitude is a great expense– he believes it will pay off in the near future. That’s why he stays focused on the big picture: “It’s brand recognition, and helping people get educated to know the difference between a trail running shoe and a road shoe,” he says.
The first tour stop is in the Western Great Lakes area on April 23. For updated information visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SalomonTrailTour.com.
