PBM takes a look at the support on offer from V12 Footwear, including its partnership with industry charity Band of Builders.
A family-run safety footwear manufacturer, V12 Footwear says it is driven by a passion to keep people safe, healthy and comfortable. Established for over 20 years and still owned and run by the Turner family today, its footwear is designed with three key principles: comfort, safety and durability, and the company states that “decades of passion and expertise are stitched into every pair of their boots”.
And evidence of the quality of V12’s footwear can be seen in the trophy cabinet — its accolades include consecutive ‘Innovation in Footwear’ awards and an ‘Outstanding Footwear Provider’ award. Over the years, the supplier has become a trusted footwear brand associated with strength and quality, and while its heritage is deeply rooted in family and tradition, its focus is on the future with the firm using “pioneering design and manufacturing techniques to give their wearers the very best comfort and safety benefits”.
But when it comes to benefits, there’s one V12 safety boot in particular that’s creating a lot of industry noise — and making stockists across the country very happy.
A boot that doesn’t stop giving
Created by V12 in partnership with Band of Builders — a registered charity that helps tradespeople and their families in their hour of need — the BoB boot is a stylish and ultra-safe work boot made with unrivalled safety and comfort features. For every pair of the BoB boot sold, V12 donates £5 straight to the charity, so it can continue its life-changing work for those in the construction sector.
Working with stockists
V12 declares that it works with its merchant stockists in a “completely collaborative way”, giving them a huge range of creative, high-quality ways to grow their sales of the BoB boot. Various Point of Sale solutions are available including eye-catching displays, counter boot stands and in-store posters — and for even further support, when a branch orders 10 or more pairs of the BoB boot, they get a free POS stand plus stockist stickers to help draw in customers using these impressive and striking assets.
Another key driver in growing its distributors’ sales of the BoB boot is V12’s consistent marketing, with the company’s online presence in particular having driven awareness of the BoB boot sky high. For example, social media campaigns have called on wearers to share their support using the hashtag #tradelaces with a photo of their laces at work, while buzz about the boot was amplified by its ‘fake influencer’ campaign, which encouraged tradespeople to send hilarious celebrity-style selfies whilst wearing the boot.
It is creative marketing strategies like these that have generated over 4 million impressions since the BoB campaign launched, and more than 20,000 views on the BoB product page on the firm’s website. And the engaging and persistent marketing continues — V12 believes in the BoB boot and its ongoing safety and charity benefit, and as a result, the promotion is similarly ongoing.
However, it is not just about marketing. V12 shares its expertise, research and data analysis on the BoB’s development, performance and testing with its distributors to give them crucial insights into the boot. Doing so empowers them with product knowledge and sales leverage so their sales team can present themselves as the experts to their customers.
Let the boot do the work
V12 contends that the BoB boot is “actually self-promoting”. Emblazoned on all boot boxes is specific ‘Band of Builders’ packaging, and the boots themselves boast the iconic branded orange laces which have become a symbol of this charity, building brand awareness and guiding people into stores and their website.
In short, V12 argues, the BoB boot is “an absolute dream for stockists”.
As for the BoB boot itself, the footwear is tough by design and made using only top-level materials which is why V12 have an exceptionally low return rate. Indeed, the average industry return rate is reportedly 4% whereas V12’s is 0.118%.
In a recent survey of over 500 safety footwear wearers conducted by University of Bath, the company says that when asked whether they would buy V12 boots again, 9/10 respondents said they would. When wearers were asked the same question regarding competitors common to the industry, the results averaged at just 6/10, highlighting that when a distributor stocks the BoB boot, they can expect an incredibly low returns level, happy and loyal customers.
In conclusion, V12 Footwear argues that with its power to grow sales, provide protection to wearers and contribute to an amazing cause, when a pair of BoB boots is bought, everybody benefits.
V12 will be at Toolfair in Coventry this September and the company is welcoming visits from merchants to find out more about how it can support their sales growth. Click here for more information on V12 Footwear’s full product range and support services.
Click here to find out more about the Band of Builders charity.
