Giro Core 6
2018-2019
reimagine • modernize • unify
the core models of Giro’s cycling footwear program
responsible for nearly 50% of total category sales
By 2018 sales of core of Giro’s cycling footwear collection were dipping. It became clear from both customer & retailer feedback that the lines looked dated & confusing, with no clear story behind the value proposition of each of the models.
We set to reimagine & redesign all six models in a single season - an unprecedented undertaking for our category & team.
The results, though, were also unprecedented. Strategic choices in materials, construction, and styling created a simple good-better-best product story that resonated with consumers & retailers alike.
From occasionally selling in one or two models per retailer to outlets routinely carrying the entire line, Core 6 annual revenue jumped 95% ($4.2M to $8.2M) & annual volume 73% (86k to 149k pairs) - ushering in back-to-back years of record sales, profits, and margins for the entire footwear category.
Years later, the Core 6 remain the backbone of Giro’s cycling footwear program.
- Disjointed visual design
- Outdated materials & construction
- Confusing heirachy
- Rarely sold into stores as a collection• Giro Core 6 before
+ Unified visual design
+ Modern materials & construction
+ Simple good, better, best value story
+ Routinely sold into stores as a collection• Giro Core 6 after
• Giro Core 6 process
• Line Planning, User Profiles, Competitive Index, and Design Direction
• Concept Ideation & Refinement
• Prototyping, Technical Drawings, and Sample Revisions
• Final Development & Commercialization
takeaways
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Experience is everything
It's not only the experience of using a product that counts, it's the experience of making, selling, re-selling, seeing in store...that drives the success of one design over another. When all aspects of experience are thoughtfully crafted, the chance for success grows exponentially.
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Storytelling creates value
Nothing creates lasting business value like relatable, understandable storytelling. Simple messages delivered in simple ways - like the Core 6's good, better, best value proposition - create a platforms for sustainable business for years to come.
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More competion than you know
In a category as broad and mature as footwear, you can't look only through the myopic lens of your own industry. Effective design understands that consumers will judge your design on how it compares with every other version they have bought, or chosen not to buy, in their lifetime - regardless of whether or not it was in the same category.