In the Wild: goodr

In search of sunglasses the horses couldn’t eat, I rediscovered goodr. My previous optical employers may not be excited to hear this but I really like goodr…and not just for their products but also their brand. Which got me thinking, why is that?

On a recent trip to LA I did a retail tour of Venice Beach to see a number of new brand retail prototypes and tour the stores. A new to me brand, goodr, had their store there so I did a tour to share.

“They know who their customer is. And who it isn’t. ”

So often I see brands dial back their edge, or humor, or point of view to appeal to everyone. The reality is it ends up appealing to no one. goodr has a cult following among runners because of the product’s price point and non slip features, but also its culture.

On the product side, for their size, comparable brands often focus heavily on features, benefits, and price point. Which is not to say that goodr doesn’t, because they do tout their $25 and their descriptor is “No Slip. No Bounce. All Polarized. All Fun.” However they wrap the proposition under a broader story that fits nicely under the brand.

“Each product has an Origin Story and the naming speaks directly to their audience. ”

Even their location of real estate and store experience is FUN with a back hangout zone, music, and overall culture that reinforces the brand. For a ~$25M company, they have chosen to differentiate through their product experience and it is working for them.

In The Wild Learning - Even smaller product-focused companies can use story-telling as a way to differentiate beyond price and commodity features and benefits.