Dive Brief:
- Shoe brand Heydude has entered into a long-term partnership with sports content collective Dude Perfect, the company announced on Tuesday.
- As part of the partnership, Dude Perfect will highlight Heydude shoes in its YouTube content and create bespoke content for the brand, according to its announcement. Dude Perfect currently has 59.6 million YouTube subscribers.
- The shoe brand currently has its Dude Perfect collection of back-to-school footwear on its website.
Dive Insight:
Partnering with Dude Perfect aligns with Heydude’s brand ethos of “coming together in good times,” according to the company.
In December 2021, Crocs bought Heydude for $2.5 billion. Following the acquisition, Heydude underwent a rebrand. After meeting with focus groups, a consumer study and online forums that engaged hundreds of people, Crocs changed Heydude’s fonts, logos, color schemes, overall messaging and marketing so as to infuse “quirkiness and levity as relief from an all-too-often heavy world.”
Working with Dude Perfect — a content group that is known for its humor and iconic trick shots — embodies that message. In addition to Heydude, Dude Perfect has amassed numerous brand partnerships with companies like Walmart, Nike and Dick’s Sporting Goods, according to its website.
“We are so excited to partner with Dude Perfect. They do a great job keeping things playful while making clever, entertaining content that brings people together,” Kelli McCusker, Heydude chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “At Heydude, we relish in ease, comfort, and fun. As we work to authentically connect with more people and become their go-to shoe for everyday style, it was a no brainer to bring the ‘Hey’ and ‘Perfect’ together around the dude.”
Following the acquisition and brand revamp of Heydude, Crocs Inc. has seen a revenue boost, but it has adjusted its expectations for its new subsidiary. In July, Crocs Inc. reported an 11.2% year over year revenue increase to $1.07 billion for Q2, a record for the company. It lowered its full-year revenue expectations for Heydude from the mid-20% range to between 14% and 18%.
“Both the Crocs and Heydude brands continue to gain share and bring in new consumers with our comfortable offerings, as evidenced by DTC growth of 26% in the second quarter,” Andrew Rees, CEO of Crocs Inc., said in a statement regarding Q2 earnings. “We continue to invest behind our strategic priorities that are driving profitable growth.”
