DC shoes is a brand of footwear for action sports, which includes skateboarding and snowboarding. It also manufactures various sports-related paraphernalia, such as hats, bags, t-shirts, and other merchandise. The company is valued at over 1 billion USD, and is considered one of the most successful companies on the market when it comes to advertising and marketing of their product (“DC Shoes,” 2022). This paper will cover the marketing and pricing strategy of the company, among other features.
DC Shoes spreads the word about their brand by using online viral effects to generate word-of-mouth communication and get their brand associated with specific individuals. An example of this would be the company’s branded Gymkhana videos, which are entertaining in their own right and create a connection between the content creator (who is also the owner of the company) and various DC sportswear he has. DC marketing strategy relies much on getting recognition from people interested in active life and sportswear (“DC Shoes,” 2022). These people often associate the quality of a particular brand with how many athletes and star performers wear it (Finkle, 2018). Therefore, the company has been engaging in owning sports teams of their own and also supplying famous skaters for their competitions. This makes DC shoes appear to be a professional brand.
When it comes to DC’s pricing strategy, they position themselves as a premium brand. By attracting star athletes and virally advertising themselves, they create a demand not just for the quality of the product, but also for the perceived image associated with it. Customers of DC Shoes are usually willing to pay more for status, which the company exploits to their own ends. DC assesses the level of demand for a particular product by engaging in agile sales with its retailers (Finkle, 2018).
There are never many shoes available in any one specific place, and if some shoes are seeing a higher demand than others, the company produces and supplies more of those. In addition, DC Shoes is very aware of popular trends on the Internet, and constantly monitors how people view particular athletes and products they are associated with (Finkle, 2018). In doing so, the company is capable of controlling demand by creating new types of shoes and supplying them to public opinion makers.
The concept of product lifecycle states that every product goes through 4 stages – introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. Introduction is when the product is introduced into the market. DC Shoes does so by utilising publicity figures and star athletes to demonstrate the use of the product to potential customers among their own fan base. During the growth phase, a product is made more popular through the use of marketing channels. DC Shoes accomplishes this by achieving a viral effect and spreading the word-of-mouth (“DC Shoes,” 2022). During the maturity stage, a particular product is well-recognized in the market and achieves self-sustenance. In this stage, the company supplies the product to the majority of their retailers.
Finally, the decline stage is when the product is eventually replaced by others. DC Shoes never fully drops their products, instead periodically re-releasing them as classics or legacy shoes (“DC Shoes,” 2022). What differentiates DC shoes from competitors, thus, is their branding strategy, their focus on viral capabilities of the internet, and the lasting value of their product. Overall, it is a premium brand company that produces good shoes, and knows how to properly sell them to its intended audience.
References
DC Shoes marketing strategy & campaigns. (2022). Web.
Finkle, C. (2019). Lifestyle brand case study: DC Shoes. Web.