The Challenge

Salomon's recyclable running shoe, Index.01, represented a genuine breakthrough in product innovation. However, with a limited commercial forecast, there was little organizational appetite to invest real marketing resources against it.

The Opportunity

I saw the innovation itself as the story. Consumers didn't need to have access to the shoe, and it did not need to be a massive sales driver to be a major brand awareness opportunity. The running community needed to understand where Salomon was headed, why it mattered and what it said about the brand’s innovation capabilities. Getting ahead of the launch meant we could build anticipation and “buzz.”

My Approach

Instead of waiting a year for a retail-ready launch moment, I proposed introducing consumers to the innovation early. We treated the shoe's development as a story worth following in its own right; rather than a product waiting in the wings. That meant building a narrative arc: reveal the idea (in the form of a prototype), explain the thinking and let curiosity build demand months before a single pair reached shelves.

My Role

• Built go-to-market storytelling timelines and led asset creation strategy ahead of commercial launch

• Directed content production, PR, retail, social and CRM integration for the reveal

• Partnered directly with R&D and product teams shaping the shoe

Execution

• Unveiled the concept at Munich brand store opening due to German appetite for sustainability

• Displayed the prototype in a glass case

• Produced and scripted an R&D film explaining the innovation

• Partnered with CRM to target sustainability-minded consumers

• Crafted early adopter communications

• PR coverage in Wall Street Journal and additional mainstream marquee media

Results & Impact

• Established the brand’s innovation narrative

• Generated excitement well before launch

• Aligned multiple functions

• Demonstrated a new approach to product marketing