Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/907660
100 runninginsight.com © 2017 Formula4media LLC. calls fit id a customer acquisition and engagement tool that "brings the wow." Bringing fit id to market Pointer says the motivation to launch fit id, a process that began in earnest at the start of 2017, was to "invent from the eyes of consumers." "The consumer is so much more willing to look at data when it's black and white… and fit id modernizes our retail fit experience in a digitally native society," Pointer says. Corporate leadership unveiled fit id to individual store operators at last June's na- tional franchise conference. After members of Fleet Feet's Franchise Advisory Council (FAC) who piloted the fit id system shared case studies from their stores, attendees tested the system themselves. By early November, more than 150 Fleet Feet stores had fit id on their sales floors. Corporate supported the launch with an updated operating guide packed with best practices from the field, two-day regional workshops and videos on everything from how to set up the device to working with customers and maintenance. The rollout also included turnkey marketing materials such as website banner images and consumer- facing videos highlighting the fit id solution. Bob Shooer, owner of Fleet Feet Sports Pittsburgh and FAC Chairman, calls fit id an early success that has become "a pow- erful tool" for his store. He has witnessed the device spur unintended fittings and inspire traffic-driving word of mouth buzz. He also brought the portable fit id system to the Pittsburgh Marathon Expo in May. Over two days, his team scanned nearly 550 people, many of whom waited upwards of 30 minutes for the experience. "That showed us the level of intrigue there is for this," Shooer says. While Shooer was initially concerned that the technology would reduce the human ele- ment, he says it has actually sparked deeper engagement between staff and customers. "It's one thing to be told what's going on with your foot and quite another to show your foot in very objective terms," Shooer says. "It's been validating." Fit id, Ornelas says, sets a tone for the future of Fleet Feet, helping stores engage with customers in more dynamic ways today while simultaneously positioning the company for the future and a world in which 3D-printed footwear and insoles could become mainstream. "We want to be at the tip of the spear," Ornelas says. Beyond fit id While fit id might be the most visible injection into Fleet Feet's business of late, it's far from the only one. Spurred by the summer 2017 addition of Brent Hollowell, the former head of marketing at Nathan, Fleet Feet has begun creating deeper alignment and opportunities with its vendor partners, including launching more national programs and driving more connectivity between brands, stores and, ultimately, consumers. "Our vendor community is challenged by the retail landscape, too, and we can't live in the past with how we went to market with our brand partners," says Hollowell, the company's vice president of marketing and vendor management. "We need to be more flexible and part of that is helping partners find a way to get programming fit id (continued)