Y-3 ADIDAS
Challenge:
Y-3, a luxury sportswear line created by adidas and internationally acclaimed designer Yohji Yamamo, opened its first North American store in Atlanta in late 2005. The attractive apparel is distinctive and the boutique offered a relaxed and extremely personalized environment for customers. However, store sales didn't reflect Y-3's compelling points of difference. The biggest problem has been a lack of awareness in the Atlanta market. Many shoppers within their targeted demographic either aren't familiar with Y-3 or do not understand what the store and apparel stands for. So Y-3 turned to Shira Miller Communications (SMC) for help in raising their visibility.
Solution:
Organizing multiple events to showcase the upscale clothing line to potential customers, SMC focused on educating the community about luxury sportswear and building strong awareness with local publicity. Special gatherings focused on the chance to meet celebrities such as international style icon Anna Kournikova, Atlanta Hawks and Falcons players, NBA star Doug Christie (star of BET's Reality Show "The Christies: Committed"), and Broadway director Kenny Leon. Clear, consistent brand messaging was essential - particularly since we would rely on the reporters in attendance to accurately inform their audiences about Y-3. SMC created press materials, pitched story ideas, developed speaking points for celebrities, organized photo shoots and coordinated coverage throughout our year-long relationship. The strong results included a segment on Fox 5 Atlanta's 5:00 p.m. news that showcased the boutique and Kournikova for more than three minutes, and coverage with the media outlets that directly reached Y-3's customer base - the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, V103 FM, Jezebel, Paper City¸ The Atlantan, Points North, Atlanta Sports and Fitness, Where Atlanta and ATL Style.
"Shira Miller Communications did a fantastic job for us. We were so pleased with the outcome of our events and couldn't have done it without them. Their team is very personable and professional - they can go into a crowded room and make anyone feel very comfortable. We didn't doubt for a second that they were here for us and would get the job done right. That means a lot!"
-Ken Barber
Former District Manager, Y-3
