W. C. Russell Moccasin Co.’s ability to be nimble and reach customers in new and non-traditional ways has been the very lifeblood of their business.
If there is one word we have heard used time and time again over the past several months, it is “pivot.”
Businesses of all sizes, industries of all types, have had to completely imagine and, in some cases, re-imagine how they operate. The successful ones are those who have remained true to their core competency and tweaked their delivery of those goods and services. In the case of Berlin, Wisconsin footwear manufacturer, W. C. Russell Moccasin Co., that ability to be nimble and reach customers in new and non-traditional ways has been the very lifeblood of their business.
Craftsman Tou Tou shows off his work at the Russell Moccasin factory in Berlin, Wisconsin.
Started in 1898 by Will Russell, who crafted boots by hand for Wisconsin loggers, the company grew when hunters discovered the enduring quality of his footwear. One of Russell’s traveling salesmen, Bill Gustin, was so passionate about the heritage brand that he arranged to buy the company upon W.C. Russell’s death in 1924. Gustin’s son-in-law, Ralph “Lefty” Fabricius, joined the family business in 1956. Lefty turned 90 this year (at the Dallas Safari Club annual convention, where he was serenaded by the crowd via the PA system!) and still goes to the office in Berlin every day. The day-to-day operations are now overseen jointly by Lefty’s daughter, Suzie Fabricius – VP Sales, and COO Joe Gonyo, who joined the company in 1994. Listening to Joe and Suzie banter about customer experiences in their boots is captivating. They laugh about the number of PHs in Africa who admonish clients for loud, stick-cracking stalking, telling them, “You gotta get a pair of Russells…”
The challenge before Joe and Suzie is that of taking this legacy brand into the next century of business. That means opening up new channels for customers while never straying from the original tenets of quality set forth by W.C. Russell himself. Joe and Suzie (and a tight cadre of Russell Moccasin pro staffers, like Cam Smith), have always attended trade shows and private events to measure clients on a one-on-one basis, ensuring a lived-in comfort from the first wearing of every boot produced. That necessarily means that there can be a months-long lag time between the time the customer is measured and the time their boots arrive. However, ready-to-wear products are available at retailers like Kevin’s Catalog and Ball and Buck for those who want immediate gratification.
The 122-year-old company continues to craft footwear using a variety of hides and canvases. Customers can also elect to have boots made from hides they supply from their own hunts. Each pair is hand-cut to exacting measurements and sewn by individuals. This is craftsmanship like none other and is less and less common in the world today. Finding and retaining high-quality labor in industries such as this will always be an issue; joining the ranks of Russell boot-makers in recent years have been a number of Hmong immigrants, who are skilled and precise in the detail-oriented work. Joe adds that this attention to detail is what makes lifetime customers: “It is the history of Russell Moccasin, the quality of the product, the comfort of the true moccasin construction. Over the years we have established confidence and goodwill among our customers by filling each order as though our entire success depends upon it.” Of course, not every person who gets measured is a candidate for a pair of Russell Moccasin shoes. Suzie notes, “We’ve had guys come into the booth at shows to get measured and their feet have been really neglected – due to weight or poor circulation – and as great as our product is, it can’t fix everything. Sometimes we have to tell a customer ‘we will take your measurements and analyze your order and let you know if we can make this for you or not.’”
Russell Moccasin’s COO, Joe Gonyo, shows off a pair of Russell Moccasin boots at a trade show.
Having a steady stream of repeat and new customers is crucial to the long-term success of any brand, and that certainly underscores the Russell Moccasin customer acquisition approach of today. For example, there might not be legions of 65-year-old male hunters on Instagram, but there are huge numbers of younger consumers who are and Suzie taps into that crowd with a consistent and engaging series of Instagram stories and posts. Photos of customers having adventures in their Russell Moccasins and product giveaways (we’re partial to the t-shirts featuring the mantra “I Pray. I Stand. I Hunt and Wear Russell Moccasin”), ensure new followers (ten thousand and growing) and “shares” daily. She notes “We are normally seen as strictly an outdoor/ hunting company but the use of social media has allowed us to pull in lifestyle customers who might want a pair of our boots or shoes for street wear, the office, hiking etc. It has also allowed us to get our name out there to people who would not otherwise know about us.”
Given that trade and trunk shows – the lifeblood of the business – might be on pause for a while, these new non-traditional brand ambassadors may be paving the future of the footwear company. Pro Staff brand ambassadors as well as staff at destinations like Cheyenne Ridge in South Dakota have been trained in the “Russell Way” of measuring for the perfect fit. Suzie will be the first to tell you that Russell Moccasin owners are the best at spreading the gospel of the brand: “Our customers sell for us by referring us to their friends, coworkers, acquaintances. When we are at shows, our customers at the booth literally sell our products to new customers who may be on the edge of deciding whether they want to bite the bullet and buy a pair.” Social media has simply added a new platform for devotees to share their adoration for some of the best boots on the planet. Pivot, executed.
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