BOSTON, September 1, 2015 – Today, global athletic leader New Balance announced the launch of NB Women, a comprehensive, cross-category, head-to-toe collection of products that offer athletic female consumers the performance and style they demand. Based on in-depth consumer research, NB Women was born from a position of deep understanding of the athletic female – her motivations, aspirations and the stage of life she is in. A key element of the launch is the NB Women catalog, which will reach more than 1 million women throughout the United States with a fall collection in September and a holiday collection in November.
“NB Women represents our commitment to place the athletic female at the center of everything we do – we are 100% inspired by her and 100% in service to her,” said Norma Delaney, Head of Global Marketing for NB Women. “Through product innovation, motivational content, and engaging global platforms like Girls’ Night Out, we are helping our female consumer achieve her goals. We serve her by giving her exactly what she needs, when she needs it, so she can focus on her life and explore her full potential.”
While New Balance has always been known as a leader and innovator in performance athletic footwear, beginning in Fall 2015, consumers will see a marked change in apparel offerings as well.
The Fall apparel collection focuses on form and function in equal measure, featuring elevated aesthetics, evolved fits, regular newness, and storytelling through print, pattern, and proprietary technology, all aimed at driving an elevated brand position defined from the inside out.
The NB Women catalog will allow New Balance to connect with the athletic female consumer, introduce her to what makes NB Women unique, and showcase the breadth and depth of the product line. The catalog will feature new performance apparel and footwear for running, training, and studio, as well as lifestyle products for sporty chic street style.
In addition to the NB Women catalog, New Balance has committed to female-focused
programming over the last year, including a fitness ambassador program, a growing
stable of sponsored female athletes in track and field and tennis, and the introduction
of the Girls’ Night Out global consumer engagement platform. Launched in 2014, Girls’
Night Out (GNO) was born from the recognition that for athletic female consumers,
their favorite night of the week is a workout and socialization with her girlfriends. Our
GNO program celebrates New Balance’s commitment to her pursuit of forward
progress and her belief in her limitless opportunity and potential. Each GNO event
reflects her passions: emerging fitness activities to challenge her physical limits; relevant
content to help her achieve what’s next; interactivities to feed her innate hyperengagement
and desire to connect with like-minded women, and a transformed retail
environment to stimulate all senses. The emotional connection made through these live
experiences then leads to a sustainable relationship platform fueled by a centralized
hub of all things GNO, enhanced by a meet-up tool and a loyalty initiative developed
to engage her and demonstrate that we understand her motivations, aspirations and
relationship with fitness.
Girls’ Night Out has grown in 2015, expanding to new cities across the U.S. and around
the world in key global regions for New Balance. On September 24, the first nationwide
GNO will take place in more than 50 New Balance store locations around the U.S. With
an empowering theme of “Strength is Beauty”, each event will feature a workout
designed by New Balance fitness ambassador Holly Perkins and led by local fitness
experts in each market. Women interested in attending an event in their area can
register starting September 3rd at www.nbgirlsnightout.com.
A multi-million dollar media campaign launching Sept 8th will feature creative from
New Balance’s “Always in Beta” campaign that launched in July, with elements
specific to the athletic female. Always in Beta is New Balance’s promise to relentlessly
improve, to push, to evolve and to progress, which aligns with the athletic female’s
drive to grow, expand and be something more.
About New Balance
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating
responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear,
associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. New Balance is the
only major company to make or assemble more than 4 million pairs of athletic footwear
per year in the USA, which represents a limited portion of our US sales. Where the
domestic value is at least 70%, we label our shoes Made in the USA. New Balance owns
five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than
4,000 associates around the globe, and in 2013 reported worldwide sales of $2.73 billion.
To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com.