For our series on Spring ’17 trends, we spoke with Seth Pulford, Senior Marketing Manager at Sanuk, who leads the brand’s GTM team.
Seth gave us a sneak peak at what we can expect from Sanuk this spring, including what’s new for Sanuk’s iconic franchises such as the Sidewalk Surfer, as well as new styles set for release and what’s on deck on the marketing front.
What’s new for Spring?
Seth Pulford: Our entire team is excited about the newness that will come with Spring ’17. On the product side, you’ll see a modern evolution and expansion of signature styles that Sanuk was first to bring to market.
We’re focusing on our iconic franchises, including the Sidewalk Surfer, Yoga Sling and Beer Cozy, each updated with new colors, custom prints and high touch materials. All with Sanuk’s level of expected comfort.
There will also be trend-driven silhouettes for women inspired by both mule silhouettes and vulcanized footwear in the closed-toe category. The response from our partners has been really positive thus far.
What is the most important product story for Spring?
Seth Pulford: The Beer Cozy collection for men captures Sanuk’s endless weekend mindset with the all-new Brumeister as the driving style. The style features a beer cozy foot bed, arch support and beer bottle tread pattern on a rubber outsole.
On the women’s front, it is building upon the huge success of the Yoga Sling 2 and Yoga Mat collections. We’ve added nearly a dozen bold prints for the Yoga Sling 2, along with multiple silhouettes.
How will you market it?
Seth Pulford: The brand’s playful attitude will be even more apparent in how we market across channels. With a renewed commitment to providing something fun and different, we’ll be rolling out a fresh campaign that brings “Smile… Pass It On!” back into the mix, which has been a fundamental element of our brand’s DNA and messaging for 20 years.
Our approach to Spring ’17 is hyper-focused as we look to elevate our franchise product collections and provide a higher level of support to our retail partners and a leap forward in digital marketing.
What was the biggest hit of last season?
Seth Pulford: In volume, the Yoga Sling for women increased our market share. We saw success with the Yoga Gora Gora style and a more trend-driven approach in the women’s fashion market, specifically for festivalgoers.
Anything else new with business?
Seth Pulford: We are excited to welcome Sanuk’s new General Manager, Magnus Wedhammar, to lead our global strategy. Magnus is an avid East coast surfer with more than 20 years of leadership experience with some of the industry’s most prominent brands.
Additionally, on the marketing side, we’re building our go-to-market team that will be laser-focused on launching product and supporting our retail partners.
