In a video report, Business Insider visits the brand's factory located in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to allow everyone to learn about the measures taken to adapt to the situation.
What can we learn from the adaptation of New Balance to new needs and health measures?
Hospitals all around the world have been struggling at the beginning of the crisis with supplies for both the population and hospital staff, especially with masks.
That is why to help fill these gaps, big companies originally producing clothing, shoes, and more started to produce masks including New Balance in the US (where their factories are located).
The reporters followed two companies, and as we are focused on New Balance, this is the part you are going to read about.
First, to be able to keep their factory open, the brand took a financial hit and converted their shoes production within a few days into masks production. Even if the brand never had made masks before, it partnered with engineers from MIT to design a mask prototype. The university helped the brand choose the right fabrics and came up with the same fabric as the shoes and the strap made out of old laces. They thus innovated allowing the person wearing the mask to adjust it to their head. What is impressive is that in three days the brand managed to design and create a prototype mask.
Furthermore, because the factory in Massachusetts had enough space to accommodate social distancing and already had the machines required for the production, the brand was able to adapt it in only seven days.
Keep the factory working to stay on the market and keep up we the brand values.
1. Keep as many employees working as possible, in other words, moving forward with their collaborators.
The brand is engaging itself towards its employees to provide them a good work environment and the best work conditions possible. The Covid-19 crisis is causing a lot of unemployment, and not giving the possibility to its employees to work goes against the brand values. Adapting the production allows the company to keep making money (after a financial hit) and providing jobs.
2. Help society, in other words, initiate social action.
Seeing the gravity of the situation, lots of companies decided to take advantage of their power to help society at their level. The masks are not certified for front-line hospital staff, but every other person can wear them, freeing up masks for these people. Not only did the brand produced masks but also foot coverings and other items.
3. Find a new way of marketing, in other words, stay in the mind of the consumer.
During this pandemic, it is hard to keep being active on the market. Due to closing shops because of the non-essential activity or people stopping going out, the brand must innovate to keep being present. Many brands chose to produce their mask but New Balance, by using its shoe fabric differentiates and make people talk about them. The brand is thus creating new marketing around a product we were not expecting it to do in the first place.
Making 100 000 masks per week, New Balance is contributing to the fight against Covid-19. Today, the brand made three mask versions, and thanks to a business accelerator program, they make these masks available for all.
References
How A Shoe Company Makes 100,000 Masks A Week To Fight The Coronavirus Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8FgJvLLtXY
Making masks for all, New Balance's medcal letter. Retrieved from https://www.newbalance.com/made-medical-letter-landing-page-4-2/
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