David Bohan, former president and COO who officially became head of the EMEA region for Brooks six weeks ago, said that when he joined Weber at Brooks in 2001, “We had no cash, a lot of debt and a lot of outdated inventory. But what we did have was the Beast, the best customer service people in the industry, and the best employee base in the industry to go after this challenge.” Many SRA owners attending the event told SGB that while the product eventually had to work, Brooks’ customer service and culture have been the primary factors supporting its success in the channel. Chris Farley, owner of Pacers Running Stores in the Washington, D.C. metro region, said, “The people who work for them really stand for what specialty running is and the mission of specialty running and they really are a true family. A lot of these guys started as tech reps and they worked their way up to become VPs and it really shows. We can relate to them very easily because they are true to specialty run.” “They do lead the industry in customer service to the retailer,” added Eddie Johnson, owner, A Snail's Pace in Southern California. “Their product is good. It’s been solid. It’s been consistent. But a combination of good product, great customer service and the culture of the brand really permeates everything around the company. It’s a great company to work with.” Chris Lampen-Crowell, co-owner Gazelle Sports, with four stores in west Michigan, agreed that Brooks’ customer service has long been “excellent and having that was important to us.” But Lampen-Crowell credited Brooks’ early commitment to partner with his stores at the grassroots level even “as their product wasn’t exactly there.” When the product improved, “it just accelerated their ability because we already had gained trust in their supporting what we wanted to do in in our community. Brooks always was a really valuable partner.” John Rogers, owner of Fleet Feet Maine Running, agreed that what sets Brooks apart from many other brands is their connectivity with the running community and running specialty. Observed Rogers, “I think over the years they totally understand and get what drives our business. And they set themselves up from an operational and a cultural viewpoint to service that opportunity.” Brian Jones, co-owner of Playmakers in Okemos, MI, described Brooks’ team as “experts” on the relationship side. Said Jones, “They’ve got a core leadership group and they built out that core that has stood with them for some time. The group of the Dave Larsens, Rick Wilhelm, Mike Billish, David Bohan, etc., we got to know them 15 years ago when they were a small company and they still walk up, know you by name, shake your hand, want to hear about your business, etc. They’re in the trenches, it’s not an ivory tower thing.” Jones also said Brooks aligns its goals around the success of its core SRA accounts. Observed Jones, “It’s like looking in a mirror when you’re looking at Brooks and Brooks is the exception to the rule. They truly get it in terms of taking care of retailers. We feel very passionate about their product and feel great about taking their boxes out of the back room.” Greg Klein, co-owner of South Sound Running, with four stores in Washington, believes a string of successful hits on the product side has played a major role in Brooks’ success. He said, “At the end of the day, you’ve got to create good product and everything comes from there. A lot of companies are interested in product and promotion and product comes second.” Colin Petty, owner of Boston’s Marathon Sports, agreed that the product has to perform. He stated, “You can do all the marketing programs that you can but if the product is not there you’re wasting your money.” But Petty believes what’s unique about Brooks is they’ve created an organization that has little bureaucracy and hires the “right people” that share the same culture and values. “It’s about the alignment of culture and values first and foremost and then an overall vision that guides everything,” said Petty. “And then having honest tried and true communication across the process and making sure they are aligning across departments towards a cohesive hole. It all starts from the leader on down and Jim has done a great job with that.” In his address, Weber thanked the attendees for their support, noting that the crowd has their “fingerprints in this story.” But he largely talked about the overall run opportunity, noting that run is the largest athletic footwear category, reaching $8.5 billion globally. With run-specific apparel at least $1 billion, the total size of the run opportunity is $10 billion, he estimated.
BROOKS SURVEY RUNNING INCREASES SEX APPEAL To celebrate National Running Day, Brooks Running Company connected with runners across the country to find out what its favorite sport means to others. The company’s second annual Brooks Run Happy Nation Report reveals the positive impact of running on and off the road. According to the survey, 76 percent of all runners (84 percent of males) believe that people look sexy when they’re running and three-quarters agree that they’d be more attracted to someone if they found out he or she was a runner. Half (51 percent) have used running as their pick-up line. Around inspiration, the survey also found 83 percent of respondents agreed they come up with their best ideas while running. “Our mission at Brooks is to inspire everyone to run and be active, and I can’t find much better inspiration than the results of this survey,” said Heather Snavely, Brooks senior director of global brand. “Who doesn’t want to feel healthier, smarter and sexier?” Survey respondents also showed: »»
»»
»»
»»
»»
Forty-two percent of respondents prefer to run before the sun rises. Of the rest, 16 percent run at lunch, 12 percent at night and 29 percent whenever they have the time; Forty-two percent have, at least once, picked a vacation for its bevvy of running options; Fifty-nine percent said jogging with a buddy makes it easier to stay on track; Almost three-quarters (73 percent) of respondents agree that attractive running gear motivates them to get up and out the door. Frequent racers (accustomed to having fans cheer them on) are more motivated by attractive running apparel than those who compete infrequently (88 percent vs. 58 percent); An overwhelming majority (78 percent) of respondents consider technology a running staple. That number rockets to 92 percent among the younger generation (18 to 24). Smartphones lead the pack as the must-have piece of running technology for 41 percent, with iPod (36 percent) and stopwatch (19 percent) closely following. Asked to pick a top tune to play on repeat for all 26.2 miles of their marathon, 59 percent chose the classic “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. JUNE 16, 2014 | SGBWeekly.com
15