Q&A: Dr Martens’ Adam Meek on getting the brand’s strategy back in-step

Dr Martens is showing signs of kicking back, having recently opened its 100^th store across Europe and the Middle East on Oxford Street, reaching £1bn in sales for the first time last year, and unveiling a string of new executive appointments.

Despite this, it is also no secret that the fashion retailer has been walking a difficult path of late. Dr Martens has blamed its struggling US business, as well as warmer than expected weather conditions in the UK, for its most recent dip in sales and warning on profits.

While the market remains challenging for the boot brand, it held firm on its full-year guidance and chief executive Kenny Wilson recently said he had confidence in its product pipeline.

With a strategy of growing and modernising this heritage brand, chief product officer Adam Meek talks to Retail Week about how the current focus on value plays into the brand’s strengths, the importance of innovation and why staying true to its icons will always remain the number one priority.

What are you doing to ensure Dr Martens’ products resonate with consumers?

“Docs is a really special brand and what I love about it is the values it has, so we want to ensure that everything we create stays true to the DNA of the brand.

“We always want to make sure our products are durable and we try to create longevity, which is important in the life of consumers. We also ensure they’re timeless and versatile, that is our starting point.

“Those values, in today’s world more than ever, have become even more important to customers and so we are continuing to create products that are built to last.

“I also think versatility is also really important because our products can be styled so differently. It’s key for us to understand what consumers love, how they shop and what they wear. That helps us inform whatever products we create, whether that be bringing archival product back and reinterpreting it or bringing in white space innovation, on top of our core product.”

You’ve expanded into new categories, how important is innovation to the brand?

“Our iconic product is always front and centre but we ensure we have a balance between our icons and innovation to ensure we are continuing to drive forward as a brand.

“Our number one priority remains on those core products and we will never compromise on that but you will also see a continued focus on driving innovation in new and unexpected ways.

“We have a deliberate strategy around that and because the founding families were inventors, it was part of their vision. We innovate through three lenses: refresh, renew and revolution.

“We always want to drive excitement to consumers through newness, so modernising the brand is an ongoing process and the world is evolving very quickly. Consumers have so much information at their fingertips and on their mobile phones so it is really important to look at how we can constantly evolve to create more wearing opportunities for shoppers. We have 64 years of incredible heritage and we want to stay true to that. 

“If you look at our 1460 boots, you see consumers wearing them all year round, including in the summer at festivals. Because of that versatility, we believe we can be a 12-month brand to consumers and that’s a great advantage.

“Bags is an area that is doing well at the moment, which is great to see, and we launched a sandals category. When looking at the sandals you always know that they were still a Dr Martens product, which is important, but you are going to see some new ideas around sandals in the coming months too.”

How important are the Dr Martens’ stores?

“They are vital for several reasons. First, they are our community hubs and store staff are the closest people to the consumer a lot of the time. Our teams in-store can help consumers understand what the product is all about and what we, as a brand, are trying to do.

“We use our stores as an opportunity to test product and showcase the breadth of the offering and it is also a space for consumers to come and interact with the brand. One of the most important things for a brand now is to be a part of a customer’s life and to be an extension of their life. Stores allow us to do that.

“I would also add that direct-to-consumer is bricks-and-mortar but it is also ecommerce. That digital ecosystem is so important to consumers because they spend so much time on their phones so it’s a great opportunity for us to interact and tell our story via that channel too.”