The Challenge
Saucony, the original running shoe brand, was a favorite among elite marathoners (<1% of the population), but had struggled to gain traction with the growing “Everyday Active” casual runner segment (14% of the population).
Despite a surge in running culture post-pandemic, Saucony’s revenue had declined by 16.5% year-over-year, while competitors like Hoka and On were experiencing explosive growth. Outspent in paid media 24:1 by its rivals, Saucony needed a breakthrough way to connect with the Everyday Actives segment, driving consideration and sales of its new Ride 17 casual running sneaker along the way.
The Insight
On average, people scroll the distance of three marathons per year on their phones.
This simple fact created a compelling way for Saucony to become part – and an antidote to – a spiking cultural conversation about the dangers of doomscrolling. It was the perfect way to leverage Saucony’s marathon equity, while addressing an issue that, unlike distance running, had broad relevance to their Everyday Active growth segment. These were the very people who wanted to be more active than they were, in part because they were addicted to a dopamine addiction to screentime.
The Idea
The Marathumb Challenge was Saucony’s gamified, first-of-its kind mobile app that measured how far you move your feed (scroll distance) and compares it to how far you move your feet (stroll distance).
A quantitative research study, influencer engagement and press outreach ensured the initiative sparked a national conversation about the impact of excessive social media use, while highlighting casual running as an antidote. The Ride 17 was positioned via eCommerce, in-store and through paid media as the natural antidote to screentime, connecting deeply with the Everyday Active’s latent interest to move more and scroll less.
The Experience
We motivated movement by laddering all communications to a simple and memorable idea, “move your feet more than your feed.” The integrated experience and channel structure was tuned to ironically take advantage of the very mediums the campaign was roasting in a cheeky way – social and app use.
The Marathumb Challenge mobile app integrated Ride 17 product messages with weekly challenges, free Saucony gear as rewards and share-able progress reports. Retail partners and influencers received attention-getting mobile phone-shaped kits, featuring a breakable phone screens their lid, along with FAQs, giveaways, and product samples to drive education.
Headlines and influencers played a key role in driving awareness, with a mix of macro and micro-influencers amplifying the campaign through organic and paid social strategies. Non-endemic publications and voices, including OK! Magazine, Dr. Joe and Tayshia Adams and Men’s Health, helped expand Saucony’s reach outside the elite running world into the wellness and cultural buzz spaces.
Ongoing in-store retail displays, aligned eCommerce features and CRM helped convert newly recruited casual runners into Ride 17 owners – blowing through inventory on the back of retailer and consumer enthusiasm.
Results
By turning a cultural insight into a movement, Saucony successfully transcended its elite core to gain relevance with Everyday Actives.
The Marathumb Challenge not only increased sales, but also strengthened Saucony’s salience in the competitive shoe market, proving that even a heritage brand can outrun the competition with the right strategy.
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+33% wholesale sell-through of the Ride 17
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+154% direct-to-consumer eCommerce sales of the Ride 17
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+16% brand consideration among Everyday Actives
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+13% new users to Saucony.com, on the back of a +15% spike in organic brand searches
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1.75B earned media impressions, translating to $11M of media value (11x the paid media budget for the initiative)