UGG Revamps P-O-P to Align with TV, Print

Goleta, CA -- Transitioning its brand from a fad to a fashion staple, Deckers Outdoor Corp., maker of UGG boots, launched a global merchandising program in August and into the fall that communicates a luxury image at retail that is consistent with the brand's other advertising. "UGG has reached a point where the brand itself is so widely known but the definitions that exist for the brand, especially at retail, have been a little bit inconsistent," says Anders Bergstrom, marketing manager. "We wanted to create a brand image at retail that was consistent, luxurious and right in line with what the brand stands for, so we approached the P-O-P in the same way that we approached our print advertising and decided it was time for us to make it with the appropriate quality of materials."The standout piece in the program is a 10-SKU tower made of extruded aluminum that on one side has been bronzed and on the other side coated in a true white oak laminate. The floorstand has a slightly curved shape. Both sides feature a header with a raised, die-cut metal UGG logo. The shelves -- which can be set at different heights -- are made of a green sea glass resin. Although the pieces produced in the program number well into the thousands and are hitting more than 14 countries worldwide, Bergstrom says this program is smaller in scope than some from the company because it was created to support its smaller independents and boutiques as well as some sporting goods stores."We wanted this program to be used in accounts that would take it and exploit it and tell that brand story because just one slatwall shelf or a little table sign here and there doesn't really make that kind of connection. We designed it so we can have a table presence, a tower presence and a slatwall presence -- as much stuff as we can -- so an account can say, 'I'm going to make a substantial landscape investment in UGG,'" Bergstrom says. A tabletop piece that displays a single boot and a tabletop sign were geared for department stores. "The challenge with UGG is that we distribute very heavily through high-end department stores, and they don't want our displays; they want to do their own thing, and they want us to look like a product that just so happens to be at a Nordstrom or a Bloomingdale's or a Neiman Marcus," says Bergstrom. "These are pieces that they can use."A standard slatwall shelf, made of aluminum and true white oak, and a slatwall sign round out the program. "A lot of footwear retailers rely on their wall space," says Bergstrom. "Journeys, for example, has maybe four unbranded, generic towers for the whole store, and they have more than 700 stores. So for accounts like that, we decided to make this nice slatwall shelf that was designed to be used on a tabletop as well." The slatwall sign is made of extruded aluminum like the tower, and it follows the same shape.The logo is the only wording on the displays. "For us this is an investment in quality and it's tying in to our advertising in a qualitative way," says Bergstrom. "There's no imagery on it, but it's trying to maintain and portray a very consistent and classy, luxurious image for the brand at retail, in the pages of Vogue, on the Internet and everywhere the consumer may run into our brand."The program was designed by the company's retained designer, Tony Donnelly, who also managed all production, working out of London. All manufacturing was done in the U.K., but Bergstrom declined to name that company. Deckers handles all domestic distribution, and all pieces going to Europe were shipped straight to its European distributors.On a global scope, Bergstrom says relative costing is a challenge. "Our distributors invest in these pieces as major aspects of their marketing budget," he says, adding that other challenges are ensuring that all pieces will work for the variety of merchandising schemes around the world.

UGG Revamps P-O-P to Align with TV, Print

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