• by Steve Smith , Staff Writer @popeyesm, May 23, 2024

At MediaPost’s own recent Brand Insider Summit for CPGs the topic of celebrity partnership was high on the agenda. As brands struggle to differentiate in a very cluttered environment, any opportunity to draft off of an existing fan base helps. And of course, celebrity and sports stars were the original influencers that marketers leveraged for decades before social media made stars of everyone. In some ways the venerable footwear and foot health brand Dr. Scholls is going old school in partnering with Olympic Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas.

The fit is obvious. No one needs healthy feet more than a gymnast. Founded by a podiatrist, the original Dr. Scholl, over a century ago, the brand is iconic, which also means it needs persistent refreshing as markets and paths to purchase change. So what does a classic sports star connection to a legacy brand mean in this new age of social media and a different kind of celebrity culture?

Let’s discuss with Dr, Scholl’s CMO Kate Godbout Kate has been with the brand for over 4 years after marketing careers at L’Oreal, Mattel, and Neutrogena. You can listen to the entire podcast at this link.