Retailer hires Howard Merrell

Foot Solutions wants new ad campaign

Raleigh ad agency Howard, Merrell & Partners' work for Statesville sock maker Thorlo has helped it land a new account: Foot Solutions Inc., a retailer of specialty shoes and arch supports.

Foot Solutions' more than 240 franchises, including about 200 in the United States, are expected to spend more than $6 million on ads this year, said Tom Menosky, the Marietta, Ga., company's vice president of marketing.

Foot Solutions stores sell Thorlo products, including socks designed for people with foot problems, and Thorlo executives recommended Howard Merrell, Menosky said.

The challenge for the print and video ad campaign being fashioned by Howard Merrell is to persuade people that Foot Solutions isn't just another shoe store, said Jim Cobb, CEO of Howard Merrell.

Menosky said that Foot Solutions, founded in 2000, is "somewhat recession-proof" because it targets people with foot ailments.

"I categorize us as a health-and-wellness type of retailer," he said.

Foot Solutions says that its trained personnel analyze customers' feet and recommend what is best for them, working with their physicians if they have medical problems.

Foot Solutions shoes start at $150 a pair, and most accommodate custom-made inserts.

The headline on one of its new print ads says: "What kind of shoes do we have? Depends on what kind of feet you have." The tag line: "For every foot, there's a solution."

The campaign started in some markets this month, including the Triangle. Foot Solutions has 10 North Carolina franchises, including one each in Cary, Durham and Raleigh.

The company added 25 franchises in 2007 and plans to add 45 this year.

Howard Merrell, which also will handle public relations and interactive marketing for Foot Solutions, is the first advertising agency hired by the franchise company. Previously, individual franchises created their own ad campaigns.

Cobb said Howard Merrell's revenue rose about 15 percent last year because of increased business from existing clients and winning new accounts, including Invista's Cordura brand of durable fabric used in products such as backpacks and luggage.

Despite the economy's current ills, Cobb said he expects the agency to post better numbers in 2008 because a number of clients are introducing new products and other initiatives this year. Other Howard Merrell clients include Colonial Bank of Alabama, Doctors Vision Center and R-Zilla products for pet reptiles.