PALM SPRINGS — DSW Shoe Warehouse CMO Sarah Crockett has been keeping an eye on the flurry of brand refreshes and rebrands in the recent past for lessons about what works and what doesn’t. She hopes to apply these to the brand strategy overhaul she is spearheading and which is being undertaken at a time when consumers are pulling back on some purchases due to an uncertain macro environment.

One key takeaway from Crockett’s observations is that the best refreshes are usually organic evolutions of the brand rather than drastic changes that can turn off a core customer base, the executive said during a keynote presentation at the eTail Palm Springs conference on Feb. 25.

“There’s so much goodness at DSW from our past, we would be foolish to throw that in the trash,” Crockett said. “We’re taking the goodness — that value-based model, the self-service model that broke the industry at the time — and we’re going to modernize that.”

The overhaul of DSW's brand strategy will take time, stretching from research to implementation, but has been an early priority for Crockett in her first nine months on the job. The marketing executive has also worked to utilize celebrities and influencers and curated a back-to-school guide that drove 26.1 billion media impressions during the third quarter compared to 15 billion the year prior.

She spoke during the presentation about the importance of leveraging her own nostalgic connection to the brand, where she shopped for shoes at the start of her professional career, and recognizing that it is a feeling shared by many consumers.

“The biggest challenge is: How do I maintain focus on this midterm, long-term journey that we’re on to reimagine that emotional response but also drive the business on a daily basis?” Crockett said.

The big picture

Designer Brands, the parent company of DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, started Q3 2024 on the right foot before stumbling due to factors outside its control. After a strong back-to-school season, DSW saw boot sales hit by unseasonably warm weather and overall sales affected by a consumer pullback due to an uncertain macro environment, leading to total comparable sales decreasing by 3.1%.

Amidst the recent struggles of Designer Brands, marketing has been a source of several wins and remains a key piece of the company’s future growth plans, CEO Doug Howe said on a December earnings call.

For Crockett, that marketing focus means starting with a deep understanding of the brand’s consumer base and how its assortment has evolved from its fashion footwear roots to the athleisure styles that have become more commonplace.

“[The DSW shopper] tends to be more female. She does tend to be the purchaser in the household, for her kids, for her partner, whomever it may be,” Crockett said. “We’re continuing to evolve … our future is maintaining that customer, but also, of course, attracting a new customer, as well, with Gen Alpha and millennial generations.”

Because of the breadth of its assortment and its status as a brand group with a distinct retail presence, DSW does not have a single competitor. Its identity gives it a very broad customer base that spans demographics.

“What we found is a shared mindset that can link everyone, from a boomer to a Gen Alpha [consumer], and by tapping into a shared mindset beyond demographics, we’re hopeful that we can maintain a really rich relationship with our customer base who’s been with us for years, while also [bringing] in a whole new era of consumers,” Crockett explained.

To support the brand’s marketing, Crockett is combining internal and external teams, including Stagwell agency Crispin, which was named agency of record for DSW in November 2024. The union of internal teams that live and breathe the brand and its consumers every day and an agency that understands the brand’s guardrails is the best way to create marketing “sparks,” according to Crockett.

Digital-physical connection

DSW’s retail footprint of more than 500 stores across the country not only helps the brand engage consumers who still prefer to try on shoes in person, but also serves as a billboard for the the company’s brands.

“Our brick and mortar is my number one most valuable marketing vehicle,” Crockett said. “Once you pass that threshold, what better tool is there to communicate what we’re all about?”

However, as the retail experience becomes an increasingly phygital one, omnichannel capabilities are a must. For DSW, that means using its loyalty app to engage consumers with discounts, benefits and content while making the process between browsing online and purchasing in store more seamless.

“Our top customers shop both channels, digital and physical, and they engage with our app very regularly, and that's something that we’re continuously innovating upon,” Crockett said. 

Along with its omnichannel approach, DSW has relied on celebrity partnerships and influencers to drive word-of-mouth at scale. The recommendations from friends, family and coworkers that have long driven sales aren’t being replaced but rather augmented by influencer storytelling. As with every partnership, Crockett is looking to make sure DSW is leading with the customer first.

“I’m a big believer that not every single asset that a brand puts out has to work hard for every single KPI that you’re going after,” the executive explained. “It’s really a mix, and focusing on the richest ecosystem that we can develop to become magnet for our target consumer, that is the day job.”