After two kids and six years of "just running," Sally Bergesen was ready to run competitively once more. But, a quick trip to the store to gear up ended in disappointment: Everything was either too poofy, too baggy, too high-waisted, or completely wrong in the color department. Frustrated with the lack of quality (and cute) running gear available to women, Sally created Oiselle.
Standing out amidst the slew of athletic apparel companies isn't easy, but Sally has created a company set apart by their fierce drive and passion for the woman athlete. The design, quality, and manufacturing of Oiselle's products comes from her sincere desire to improve the running experience for women of all ages and athletic abilities.
Disruption Through Marketing
Oiselle disrupts the athletic industry with a very hands-on social media strategy and a strong, genuine relationship with their customers. Rather than trying to compete with the "big guys" in advertising (like Nike and Under Armour), Oiselle adopts a more personal strategy, leaving the "automated" feel of marketing behind.
Oiselle has always pushed a genuine (and effective) marketing campaign based off of relationships. This is reflected in every aspect of their marketing strategy, from their Runner's Manifesto to their social media presence.
Securing Influential Women
Part of their secret? Oiselle has secured some influential women associated with the brand. For example, in 2013 professional runner Lauren Fleshman joined Oiselle as a running maven. Her star status helped boost the brand immediately - adding an audience of Fleshman's 41.9K Twitter followers to Oiselle's community. Another partnership was ignited with supermodel and philanthropist Christy Turlington through Twitter (You can read the almost unbelievable story of the partnership here). Christy is another well-known figure, so this partnership was a huge and surprising bolster to Oiselle's community.
The key element to Oiselle's success with their influencers is that both the partnerships were genuine connections first. The benefits of their influential power came second.
Still Growing
Oiselle continues to grow, and just launched their first brick and mortar store this past summer! To see their social media marketing strategy in action, keep up with the Oiselle team via Twitter: founder Sally, partner Lauren Fleshman, and influencer Christy Turlington-Burns.
Header Image Source: Seattle Met