Fueled by its relentless focus on innovation, Saucony announced that the brand has captured number one positions in the cross country and race categories at the all-important specialty running channel, generating significant momentum into the second half 2012.
The gains were driven by its franchise running models – the Triumph, Guide, Hurricane and Omni. The brand also captured notable industry awards for the Kinvara 3, Saucony’s leading natural motion running shoe. Adding to the brand’s latest surge are the achievements of five Olympic medals by “Team Saucony” at the 2012 London Games and the recent launch of Saucony Run4Good, the running industry’s first-ever iPhone app dedicated to battling childhood obesity.
“Innovation is truly the fuel of our growth engine and we’re committed to it at all touch points of the brand,” said Richie Woodworth, president of Saucony, Inc. “The cumulative effect of this relentless focus has helped position the brand at the forefront of thought leadership in product, marketing, athlete performance and social responsibility.
“We’ve captured the number one market share positions in cross country and racing, giving scholastic and competitive runners the most technically-driven footwear in the sport today. The success of our franchise models, reengineered with the brand’s revolutionary Geometry of Strong platform has earned us industry accolades for innovation while reinforcing our enduring relationship with the core runner. The London Olympics allowed us to showcase our award-winning technologies on the world’s best athletes with medal-winning performances. Moving forward, we’ll continue to elevate our brand through meaningful innovation, transforming the daily run into an enriching life experience for runners everywhere,” added Woodworth.
Recent brand highlights underlining Saucony’s commitment to innovation include:
Product Innovation
Saucony’s franchise models continue to earn industry accolades, including:
Guide 5 “Editor’s Choice,” Runner’s World Spring Shoe Guide 2012
Hurricane 14 “Best Update,” Runner’s World and Runner’s World Brazil Summer Shoe Guides, 2012
Ride 5 “Best Buy,” Runner’s World’ Fall Shoe Buyer's Guide, 2012
Type A5 “Best Buy,” Go Outside Brazil 2012 Buyer’s Guide
The award-winning Kinvara, one of the most talked about natural motion running shoes in the marketplace, continues to garner the running industry’s most important distinctions with its newest rendition-the Kinvara 3. Recognized the world over for its superior fit, feel and ride, the Kinvara 3 continues to inspire industry accolades globally, including:
“Best Update” Runner's World UK Autumn 2012 Shoe Guide
“Best Natural Running Shoe” The UK’s Running Fitness Annual Awards Guide, October 2012
“Best Shoe in the Performance Category” The Running Network, Fall 2012 Shoe Review.
“Best Update” The Competitor Group, Fall 2012 Shoe Review
“Best Update” Endurance Media Group, Fall 2012 Shoe Guide
Performance Innovation
A global roster of 21 “Team Saucony” athletes qualified for the 2012 London Olympic Games, clearly establishing Saucony as a leading performance running brand on the global stage. The Saucony team competed in the brand’s latest evolution of track and field footwear, engineered in collaboration with elite athlete insights and research from Saucony’s Human Performance and Innovation Lab. The team won four gold medals, with DeeDee Trotter earning a gold in the 4X400 meter relay and a bronze in the 400-meter, the first-ever individual Olympic medal for the brand.
Social Innovation: Saucony Run4Good App
Innovation is not a word that is commonly linked with charitable projects, but in the wake of new obesity research, Saucony turned to innovation, combining the power of mobile technology with social good to ramp-up its fight against the childhood obesity epidemic. In recognition of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month in September, the brand launched Saucony Run4Good, the running industry’s first-ever iPhone app dedicated to battling childhood obesity.
As a brand focused on runners, innovation and social responsibility, the Saucony Run4Good app opens the door for runners everywhere to join the fight against childhood obesity without having to enter a charity race or open their wallets. Simply by running, the GPS-enabled Saucony Run4Good app allows people to support the cause by earning donations for miles run with Saucony making the critical contributions that will ensure a healthier future for our children. Since 2006 the Saucony Run For Good Foundation has awarded nearly $1 million in grants to youth running programs nationwide, getting kids on the fast track to health.
The free Run4Good app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or by going to saucony.com/run4good.
