Footwear manufacturer New Balance partnered with Brandlive, a real-time online video and social platform, to showcase its latest products through live interactive product demonstrations.
The online video events took place Aug. 11-14 to coincide with the launch of New Balance’s fourth version of its popular 880 running shoe. In-store and online shoppers were able to connect with a video feed from New Balance’s Boston headquarters, where product specialist Kevin Adams, Keith Kelly and Claire Wood highlighted the new shoe’s features and answered questions through online messaging.
Tom Taylor, New Balance spokesperson, said, “Brandlive’s online video and social platform gives our omnichannel marketing a powerful and consistent means of visually connecting with fans and customers, bridging the gap between in-store and online.”
Retailers were invited to watch the video stream and to see how platforms like Brandlive can engage shoppers across channels. The omnichannel initiative was also used to conduct field rep training and to help familiarize salespeople with new product specs.
Fritz Brumder, CEO and co-founder of Brandlive, said, “We’re extremely excited to see the way New Balance is using our platform to combine both in-store and online conversations into a single engaging event.” He added, “We’ve been privileged to work with a who’s-who of brands to help each better connect with customers online, driving both engagement and sales conversions, but New Balance is adding a unique live retail component to leverage the best of both in-store and online.”