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Gen-Z, Millennial Momvertising Opps Update: Crocs continues digital shift after promoting CMO (Score 59)

Update: According to execs in its latest earnings call, Crocs's marketing campaigns will ramp up in Q2, so sellers should get in touch soon to secure last-minute ad dollars for H2 2021. The company's is driving brand relevance through a multi-faceted marketing approach that leverages social and digital marketing, celebrity and influencer campaigns and collaborations. Crocs kicked off its (shoes?) 2021 with partnerships with Vladimir Cushman and Justin Bieber. It also partnered with the United Nations Foundation in a cause marketing effort.

This strategy especially appeals to its Gen-Z target demographic. These influencers are particularly popular among younger generations, and Gen-Z tends to invest more than other audiences in community-oriented brands.

Crocs is also appealing to Gen-Z via increased digital spend and a focus on paid social advertising. Overall, it targets both Gen-Z and millennials, especially moms. Kantar data reports the company also invests in OOH and print.

View more specific details regarding Crocs's recent ad spend in the article below.

Agency & martech readers - You still have a shot at work since Crocs recently promoted CMO Heidi Cooley (more below). Right now, FleishmanHillard MO (PR). It no longer works with former creative agency partner YARD.

The article below was originally published on April 8:

Our favorite shoe brand is back like nearly year-long CMO vacancy with Heidi Cooley in March 2021. Cooley joined the company in 2016 and most recently served as the VP and head of its global marketing. During her tenure, Cooley has expanded Crocs's longstanding "Come As You Are" campaign, which promotes self-expression, individuality and uniqueness. With a new chief marketer at its helm, it's likely Crocs will continue increasing its ad spend. 

Additionally, in February 2021, the company named Regina Ilustre as the senior digital marketing specialist of its paid social and display efforts. This appointment shows that Crocs's focus on paid social channels is on the rise, which should also result in upped spend.

According to execs in the company's latest earnings call, the company's social and digital marketing are "creating exceptional consumer engagement"; this shows that the current upward momentum of Crocs's investments in these channels (more below) will continue throughout 2021.

YTD, Pathmatics reports the company has spent roughly $1.9m on digital ads, more than double the roughly $834.1k it had spent by this point last year. Crocs's estimated full-year 2020 spend dropped by 11% to $6.7m from that of $7.5m in 2019. It has earned around 437.8m digital impressions since the beginning of 2021 via desktop display (50%), Instagram (26%), Facebook (14%), mobile display (7%) and Twitter (2%) ads. Top site destinations for this year's desktop display ads include zillow.com (14%), yahoo.com, dailymail.co.uk, football.fantasysports.yahoo.com and finance.yahoo.com.

Crocs's digital ad spend is already on the rise in 2021. It also invests in influencer partnerships with celebrities such as Zooey Deschanel. The company primarily targets Gen-Z and millennial parents with a slight skew toward moms. To reach Gen-Z, I expect Crocs to make forays into additional digital channels such as OTT and/or podcast under its new marketing chief. Per Kantar data, the company also utilizes OOH (in which it first began investing in 2020) and print media. 

Agency & martech readers - Promoted CMOs don't always conduct agency reviews as often as outside hires might, but that doesn't mean you don't have a chance here. Get in touch soon to see what new partnerships are now possible. Your competition will include media AOR FleishmanHillard Kansas City (PR).