Yesterday, Foot Locker announced the top five semi-finalists in its ?Real Lives. Real Runners? video campaign in collaboration with ASICS America: a series of user-generated documentary videos that will compete for a chance at national broadcast. At the same time, Finish Line is launching a female-specific brand experience through its #WeAreMore campaign featuring exclusive imagery and online video content in collaboration with Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman and Reebok.

?Programs of this nature need to start with having a product that individuals value; this is the key to long-term success,? said Michael Becker, managing partner at mCordis. ?An effective marketing program then looks to understand. They consider the target audience?s media habits, content preferences, and general sentiment, for example.  

?The use of video, YouTube, and targeted web sites are certainly a good start to a solid marketing program," he said. "Additional considerations for a program like this are the effective use of social media, a strategy to capture opt-ins to build a direct-to-individual database, and inclusion of cross-channel call-to-action in physical and related media.

?In the age of the connected individual, it is critical that a brand look to holistically engage people across both digital and physical channels and that the messaging and engagement tactics are consistent.?

Foot Locker and Finish Line? who directly compete with each other in every sense of the word? have taken two diametrically opposite approaches to content creation while unveiling an altogether similar product. The fact that both companies have chosen to simultaneously partner with a prominent shoe company is no coincidence.

Finish Line, which looks to target women, and specifically millennial women, has taken on a tried-and-tested strategy to content: a cohesive brand campaign containing an explicitly stated ethos, adorned by awareness initiatives on multiple channels and anchored by a celebrity endorsement. 

In the case of #WeAreMore, Finish Line features Aly Raisman in heavily branded videos explaining how she is more multifaceted than meets the eye. Ms. Raisman also hosted a takeover of Finish Line Women?s Snapchat account last month during her photo shoot for the campaign.

Foot Locker, however, has taken a more interactive tack. The ?Real Lives. Real Runners? campaign features a series of documentary-style stories on real runners. The competition, narrowed down to its final five semifinalists, is now being hosted on Foot Locker?s Facebook page, which features an interactive poll where users can vote up to once per day on their favorite to win through October 20.

The competition will then fly out the top three to New York, where the spots will be judged by a panel including the likes of American marathon Olympian Ryan Hall and ESPN reporter Darren Rovell. The winning film will be aired during ESPN2?s coverage of the 2016 New York City Marathon, in addition to a cash prize and all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas.

The Foot Locker spots are filmed more intimately than Finish Line?s; one film, ?Coach,? tells the story of an initially reluctant teacher?s journey to becoming a runner through leading a running group for at risk students in her school.

The similarities between the retailers and the respective campaigns beg for comparison. And between Foot Locker and Finish Line? the former handily outperforming the latter in recent years? the comparison has to be made not only between the approaches to content, but also the likelihood, and kinds, of success that the brands can enjoy. 

While Finish Line?s cogent campaign almost guarantees of some measure of success, the precariousness of Foot Locker?s crowdsourced campaign isn?t necessarily a sign of weakness. 

Instead, considering market conditions and the capriciousness of virality, it is likely that Foot Locker?s campaign, with its intimate scope and interactive carriage, can produce either modest success or something of much greater magnitude. In other words, where Finish Line swings for a line drive, Foot Locker either homeruns or strikes out.

Foot Locker?s success in the athletic wear sector isn?t by accident: the retailer has been making calculated steps towards positioning its brand in the mobile space as of late. Last year, it rolled out an enhanced app experience for members of its VIP loyalty program (see story). 

And celebrity endorsements remain a safe bet for brands, even as the topography of the concept changes with the advent of social media. A new report by Celebrity Intelligence found that 40 percent of agency respondents feel that celebrity-driven marketing strategies remain very effective (see story). 

?Celebrity endorsements have been found to be an extremely effective way to raise a brand?s visibility within a market, especially with those people that resonate with the celebrities image,? Mr. Becker said. 

?As for whether or not these endorsements are an effective marketing strategy, the answer depends on a number of factors," he said. "These factors may include the authentic alignment of the brand with the celebrity?s brand, overall market sentiment for the celebrity, the potential for the celebrity speaking out or behaving in a way that does not align well with the bran, as well as the cost to obtain the endorsement in relation to the effort to reach a broad or targeted audience.?