brand collaborations

So Fetch! Bark, Crocs Rolls Out Clogs For Pooches

 

  

Crocs-loving dog owners are finally getting their wish: The polarizing footwear brand is partnering with Bark to launch Crocs for pooches. Bark, which will offer the shoes first to subscribers of its BarkBox subscription, says the partnership is the first to move toward more co-branding and accessories. In a world where consumers happily spend more than $700 million a year on dog Halloween costumes, “there’s plenty of room to grow in apparel,”  says Dave Stangle, Bark’s vice president of brand activation. He tells Marketing Daily how the company is approaching this and other partnerships. 

Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Marketing Daily: Anyone who has ever clicked on a dog post knows people have been clamoring for canine Crocs for years. What made you finally decide to team up and formalize the fan demand by launching Pet Crocs?

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Dave Stangle: We've wanted to formalize it for years. Four years ago, we made a social-media video begging Crocs to let us do this with them. Like all good programs, it takes time to come together. Crocs says dog shoes have been the No. 1 request of its audience for many years, and the company just started to come around to it about a year ago.

Marketing Daily: How many people have requested dog shoes from Bark?

Stangle: Tons. If you look around, you’ll see Crocs knockoffs for dogs on some websites and many Etsy shops, but Crocs has never officially given the green light until now. From our audience, there’s been an increase in requests for accessories, in general. People want to see our brand in more than toys and consumables. We’re listening.

Marketing Daily: I once tried to put cold-weather booties on a boxer. He wasn’t having it. How many dogs will actually wear shoes?

Stangle: In our experience, it's 50/50. It’s similar to costumes. Some dogs tolerate it and let you do whatever you want. But even dogs who do tolerate them tend to pick up their paws really high when they walk.


Marketing Daily: Bark’s main businesses are BarkBox subscriptions, toys, treats and food. How big a slice of your total business do you think accessories might be? Are these just a novelty, something people buy for that Instagram photo opp?

Stangle: I don't think it will always be a novelty. Look at how much money Americans spent on Halloween costumes for their dogs last year, about $700 million. That’s not a novelty market.

Even though these shoes are linked to Crocs’ Croctober promotions, we don’t see this simply as a seasonal offer. As you follow Bark in the future, you will see us
in more brand and license deals, leaning into the accessory space. This Crocs partnership is our first big stab at showing people what it looks like when two brands come together and create an accessory that people have been craving for years.

Marketing Daily: You are a marketer devoted to the Bark brand. What changes about that role as you work on such deals, highlighting a partner brand?

Stangle: It's a delicate balance. I think about it like this: A few years ago, a shoe brand -- not Crocs -- came to us and said, ‘We want to create the ultimate dog walking shoe, the shoe you put on when taking your dog out for a walk.’

It never went anywhere because, frankly, people like to walk their dogs wearing whatever shoes they’ve got on. We realized we ourselves would never use those shoes. That helped us clarify that we only want to partner with big, leading brands that are a good fit for what we stand for. Because we’re wacky, irreverent, and weird, Crocs is right up our alley. It helps that Crocs’ audience is also pet people.

Marketing Daily: You do have a lot in common. Crocs is a company that is happy to admit many people think the shoes are hideous. And Bark is a brand that never shies away from acknowledging that dogs can be gross and adorable.

Stangle: Yes, it’s not every day that we get to play with IP this polarizing, making products in glow-in-the-dark Dragon Fruit Pink and Slime Green.

Marketing Daily: How are you marketing them?

Stangle: The shoes -- both the people and the dog versions -- are launching later this month, and people can only buy them if they have a Bark Box subscription or through Crocs. Our marketing starts dropping soon, and we’re already teasing it on social media. We’ve got some celebrities lined up, too.

Marketing Daily: What will make this a success? Is it more about sales or photo uploads on social media?

Stangle: It's about creating a moment. If, in a month, there are tons of photos on the internet, dog people are happy and feel that Bark has partnered with a company to bring something to them they want, that's a win for me. And if we continue to do that, other opportunities will come.

If things go well, that might mean expanding and bringing the Crocs to Chewy and other retailers. If we do it right, the market will open itself up for us -- like with Bark Air.

Marketing Daily: How is Bark Air doing?

Stangle: Well! We've got some big announcements coming shortly. Flights are selling out consistently. We have nothing but five-star reviews. We're learning so much. But if anyone ever tells you running an airline is easy, they're lying.

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