Harnessing the power of the outdoors has long been Merrell’s mission. And as the Wolverine Worldwide-owned brand marks 45 years, FN caught up with the Merrell leadership team to discuss how product, marketing and sales have evolved over the years.
Susie Kuhn, president of Active Group at Wolverine Worldwide, on the power of teamwork: “We anchor everything in the conversations we have at the Active Group level on how we can work together across Saucony, Merrell and Chaco. Working with this group allows us a chance to explore and play with data, with insights, with consumer engagement, which ultimately helps us with actual brand strategy and resources. And as the marketplace evolves and consumers choose to treat these categories in a more modern way, we’re able to lead with credibility in innovation and heritage.”
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Richard McLeod, chief marketing officer at Merrell, on changing how the brand communicates: “Because product ideation starts about 18 months out, it behooves us as a marketing team to work more closely with the product team so we can better understand the insights and know what’s going to motivate the consumer. I’ve always believed that those two functions need to work symbiotically to produce the best work. What we’ve changed is how we think about integration across channels. I’m a real stickler for the idea that there’s a difference between channels, so plans need to be truly integrated at the channel level because they should reflect actual consumer journeys. We’re very progressive as a team when it comes to understanding how consumers want to engage with our brand across each channel.”
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Noreen Naroo-Pucci, chief product officer at Merrell, on new launches coming this year: “The teams did a great job exploring the archive. One of my favorite references is a ‘Flashdance’ color story that we found and will bring back for the 45th anniversary. We are also reimagining the trail and the outside through our product pipeline with new uppers, outsoles and other innovations. This isn’t a quick fix, but more about building on franchises.”
Jessica Adler, vice president of U.S. wholesale and retail stores at Merrell, on what’s selling: “A newer franchise for us called the Wrapt has been a solid winner for the women’s business. Updates to the Moab have been tremendous this year, and updates to the Jungle Moc with fresh colorways have been exciting. In terms of distribution, our partnerships with Nordstrom, Free People, Pacsun and Urban Outfitters, where we are getting an increase of both younger and female consumers, have also been impactful.”