In a recent post I discussed how Under Armour and ASICS have both played a major part in helping arch to assist Memphis area athletes. I was able to deliver over 80 pairs of ASICS track spikes to various schools throughout the Memphis and Shelby Country area during the high school season this spring. Under Armour sent hoop sneakers to the arch office to support youth basketball. I wrote the post below to discuss their assistance (there are still pairs available):
What I missed out on was another sneaker company helping out in the city known for being Nike’s backyard. With a large percentage of Nike distribution centered in Memphis, the brand has always been active in a variety of ways. Nike supports youth sports, St. Jude and LeBonheur Hospitals (both serve the families of children who have difficulty affording healthcare). Nike isn’t an absentee partner to the city, but in recent years the brand has been less visible. This is why I connected with Under Armour and ASICS, but I had never thought to see if HOKA wanted to assist.
Talk about an assist. I just learned HOKA helped a program very near and dear to my heart. The Memphis Youth Athletics Association (MYA) operates one of the biggest, most difficult to run track and field programs in this nation. My daughter competes for MHEA under Coach Bill Duff’s tutelage and Coach operates the high jump pit for MYA events. These events begin in the morning and end at dusk. In the 100m heats there are over 100 athletes in both boys and girls events alone and MYA offers almost every event in a meet from elementary to middle school. (My daughter actually won the middle school high jump championship last year as an 8th grader, I like to throw that in, lol).
I added this video to show the scale of the events MYA delivers. Note the athletes running by and the stands filled with cheering parents. An MYA event is a site to behold. Nick Dwyer, founder of MYA explains, “the meets are run like a well-oiled machine or an organized 3 ring circus! Over the period of a Saturday, we will see over 1,000 kids compete in over a dozen events. It’s quite the endeavor for our volunteers who are as selfless as they come.” Note the word volunteers. The MYA doesn’t work without the assistance of parents, coaches and facilities supporting the programs. HOKA’s support is allowing an additional aspect for MYA. The student athletes are gaining an opportunity to learn about the footwear industry.” The support by HOKA can’t be measured.
The Business Side of Things
As much as I love that HOKA is showing support to Coach Dwyer and MYA, I can’t write this without explaining the long-term benefits of grassroots marketing. HOKA sits in a demographic the brand serves well. This segment tends to be middle-upper middle class White America. The brand doesn’t resonate in a region where most of the cities are over 60% Black. Memphis is at the heart of the Tri-State Area. While it’s known for being the home of the Blues, Soul Music, BBQ and Elvis, a brand anchor in Memphis extends from Tennessee to Mississippi and Arkansas. HOKA’s support just delivered the brand to the door of an untapped market/demographic. There are kids who probably never heard of the brand who are now wearing the performance products. While crossovers and collabs are cool and capture the hype crowd, the most important aspect of marketing is grassroots and connecting to the athletes. Supporting programs like MYA is a cost-effective method of marketing but this doesn’t mean it isn’t genuine. Check out this video and get the feels. Salute to HOKA. If you don’t know, now you know: