Here at Promoboxx, we LOVE our retailers, and keeping them engaged in our platform is very important to us. Meeting retailers’ needs is key to having engaged users, which is why we started the Retailers Rule! interview series to share retailer insights across industries and help to better connect them with their brands.
Our latest interview features Melody Karpinski, the Marketing Manager for Fleet Feet Sports, Santa Rosa. Over the course of our conversation, we talked about the importance of social media channels, the ineffectiveness of traditional asset management platforms, and how their store interacts with the Mizuno brand.
Melody Karpinski, Fleet Feet Sports, Santa Rosa
Our Fleet Feet location has been open for 18 years, and we’re located in downtown Santa Rosa. I’ve been working here for the last three and a half years, in a couple of different roles, but I took on the role of Marketing Manager almost two years ago now. Someone did have my duties before, but they were just rolled into the General Manager’s role. The title was created for me, and I know a lot of Fleet Feet locations are seeing a need to create this specific role.
Day-to-day I’m kinda split between the office and managing the floor as well. I do a little bit of everything, but my primary role is working on marketing, events, social media, website, stuff like that.
I’ve been using Promoboxx since 2014 when I took over. From the start, it was so helpful. I’ve been trying to convince Fleet Feet corporate to create a larger account so that all Fleet Feet vendors can be on there. It’s such a great tool. I wish every single brand we sold was using it.
Mainly the access to social media assets. The opportunity to schedule and review content and have options when doing so is great. It’s been really valuable. It makes me appreciate both Mizuno and Promoboxx more because they’re not focusing on brand-centric stuff. They’re focusing on the success of our company and branch.
We tend to get more attention for our community events and training groups, but when it comes to digital content, focusing on people rather than just products has been really critical for us. I’ve definitely been noticing that shift happening more and more.
Mizuno’s If Everybody Ran campaign. It was definitely the most valuable and relatable. It provided some great stats about running and really focused on the inspirational human aspect of things. We even made a poster for it to put up in the store.
Here’s an example of Mizuno’s If Everybody Ran campaign promoted by Fleet Feet Sports, Santa Rosa:
Definitely. The problem is that most of our brands don’t have a great digital platform. To get the content from one of my other brands, I have to log into three different places, go through five different folders, look through all of the content, and decide what I’m going to post. Whether they even have it updated on time is another thing. It’s just a headache for at least three of my major brands.
I would say that Instagram is becoming the most important channel right now, but, unfortunately, it’s been hard for me to find and schedule Instagram brand content. Facebook would probably be second. I’m also starting to look to newer social channels like Snapchat.
For me, getting started on Promoboxx was an easy transition, and it’s never been hard. It’s my go-to tool for social posting and scheduling. Taking the proper time to utilize it has always been the tricky part because you have to practice brand neutrality. My only wish is that you guys get more brands on board because that’d make my life so much easier!
Thanks so much to Melody for taking the time to speak with us! Be sure to check out Fleet Feet Sports, Santa Rosa on Facebook, Twitter, and their website.
With Promoboxx, brands can give their local retailers access to professional marketing content for promotion across key digital channels, all co-branded to highlight both the brand and the retailer’s store.
By leveraging Promoboxx, brands extend national messaging and amplify brand awareness at the local level, all while providing their retailers with an effective, easy-to-use digital marketing solution.
Related Content: 5 Digital Marketing Lessons of Local Retail (As Told by Retailers Themselves)
Featured image credited to Collette Howell Photography
