Finish Line launches ‘Epic’ omnichannel effort

Specialty athletic retailer The Finish Line Inc. is trying to reposition its brand with a new initiative that cuts across channels. Called “Epic Finish,” Finish Line says the repositioning goes beyond a typical marketing campaign.



“Epic Finish will be visible and integrated across all touchpoints, giving us the opportunity to inspire and engage our customers on an ongoing basis,” said Imran Jooma, chief omnichannel officer and executive VP at Finish Line. “This is an important moment in time for our brand. It’s not a campaign. It’s not a tagline. It’s an emotional connection point for our consumer to directly connect with the Finish Line brand.”



The initiative will include digital content such as videos, media advertisements and still photography of initial celebrity partners NBA player Anthony Davis and rapper Big Sean. Customers can interact with Epic Finish online and via social media.



Finish Line also intends to make Epic Finish visible and integrated across all touchpoints. This includes in-store messaging, as well as personal interactions with store personnel, to seamlessly integrate Epic Finish across brick-and-mortar as well as digital channels.



Finish Line is aiming Epic Finish squarely at millennial and Gen Z customers looking for sneakers and other athletic apparel that fits into their broader lifestyle. The initiative is a bit vague in its precise deployment and intent, but that is because the specific needs of teen and young adult shoppers are still being identified.



Epic Finish is ultimately an attempt to present Finish Line as a branded experience that engages customers wherever they are, at any time, with whatever content and information they are seeking. Refinement to the model will likely be needed, but is seems Finish Line is making an important step toward the next generation of CRM and customer experience.