- Media alerts
- KOL Engagement
- Media & KOL Seeding
ON Shoes – Garnered 54 pieces of coverage and 81.5% success rate for media drops
The Mission
ON shoes was launching its first pop-up store at Orchard Wheelock and they were looking to generate buzz for the brand.
They wanted to appeal to people who were looking for a sporting shoe that was aesthetically pleasing and could enable them to go from the gym to the office. We executed the strategy of announcing the launch and inviting media and KOL to come by the store, experience the brand and be gifted with the shoes.
Client
On (ON Shoes), a premium Swiss performance running brand
Sector
Sportswear and footwear retail
Services
Non-paid media drop and product seeding, retail trade press, KOL relations
Headline Result
54 pieces of coverage across 28 media titles, with an 81.5% product seeding success rate
The Challenge
On came to Singapore with a globally recognised product and its signature CloudTec technology, but no physical retail presence. The brand's first pop-up store, at Wheelock Place, needed market buzz that felt earned rather than bought.
The audience was split. Serious runners wanted performance. Urban professionals wanted a shoe that looked right from the gym to the office. On Orchard Road, surrounded by established sports brands, On needed organic visibility and credible third-party endorsement without a large paid advertising budget.
54
Pieces of Coverage Across 28 Media Titles
Built through retail trade announcements and a curated non-paid media drop for the brand's first Singapore pop-up at Wheelock Place
What we did
Grow Public Relations, based in Singapore, ran a three-month campaign from February to April 2023 built on retail trade announcements and a curated, non-paid media drop.
We started with the commercial story. Inside Retail Asia covered On's expansion into Southeast Asia and AtterMen reported the first pop-up store launch.
Rather than mass-mailing PR kits, we invited 89 vetted media and KOLs to visit the Wheelock Place pop-up in person. We seeded 27 pairs of sought-after models, including the Cloudmonster, Cloudsurfer and The Roger Clubhouse, to 18 media representatives and 9 sports influencers, so tastemakers could feel the running-on-clouds sensation first-hand.Product features followed in TheBeauLife and a launch spotlight in The Lifestyle Collective.
The Results
Of the 27 pairs gifted in the non-paid media drop, 22 recipients published coverage, an 81.5% success rate for organic endorsement. The campaign generated 54 pieces of coverage across 28 distinct media titles and influencer platforms. It reached Tier-1 titles including AsiaOne, Yahoo Singapore and Coconuts Singapore.
The brand's lifestyle appeal was carried by Robb Report Singapore and Zula SG, while its athletic credibility was amplified by sports personalities, including an Instagram reel by Paul Foster. The result was strong footfall and a firm retail debut for On in Singapore.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does PR work for sportswear and footwear brands in Singapore?
PR for sportswear and footwear brands works by getting the product onto the feet of trusted reviewers and into the retail and lifestyle titles their customers read. For On's Singapore pop-up launch, Grow Public Relations combined retail trade announcements in Inside Retail Asia with a curated media drop, then let coverage build in AsiaOne, Robb Report Singapore and Zula SG. This suits footwear because performance claims like CloudTec technology are far more convincing when a reviewer has run in the shoe and written about it, rather than when they appear in a paid advertisement.
What results can a footwear brand expect from a product seeding campaign?
A focused seeding campaign can turn a small number of gifted products into broad earned coverage. On's Singapore launch with Grow Public Relations seeded 27 pairs of shoes and saw 22 recipients publish, an 81.5% success rate. The wider campaign produced 54 pieces of coverage across 28 media titles and influencer platforms, reaching AsiaOne, Yahoo Singapore and Coconuts Singapore. Results like these depend on tight targeting: inviting vetted media and KOLs who genuinely fit the brand, rather than mass-mailing kits, which is what lifts the publish rate so far above a typical product mailer.
What is a non-paid media drop and how does product seeding work?
A non-paid media drop gives selected journalists and influencers a product to try at no cost and with no obligation to post, so any coverage is genuinely earned. For On, Grow Public Relations invited 89 vetted media and KOLs to the Wheelock Place pop-up and seeded 27 pairs, including the Cloudmonster, Cloudsurfer and The Roger Clubhouse, to 18 media representatives and 9 sports influencers. Twenty-two published, an 81.5% success rate. Seeding works when the recipients are chosen for genuine fit, because a reviewer who likes the product writes with a credibility no advertisement can buy.
How do you launch a pop-up store to the media in Singapore?
You give the media a reason to visit in person and a story beyond the shop itself. For On's first pop-up at Wheelock Place, Grow Public Relations paired a retail expansion announcement, covered by Inside Retail Asia and AtterMen, with an in-person media drop that brought 89 vetted media and KOLs to the store. Guests tried the shoes on site, which turned a retail opening into first-hand coverage across 54 pieces and 28 titles. A pop-up has a short window, so the launch has to convert attention into published coverage quickly.
Which PR agency in Singapore works with sportswear and retail brands?
Grow Public Relations is a Singapore PR agency that works with sportswear, footwear and retail brands. For On, the premium Swiss running brand, the agency ran the launch of its first Singapore pop-up at Wheelock Place, delivering 54 pieces of coverage across 28 titles and an 81.5% product seeding success rate. The team pairs retail trade announcements with curated, non-paid media drops, earning coverage in titles from Inside Retail Asia to Robb Report Singapore. This approach fits retail brands that need organic visibility and credible endorsement without leaning on paid advertising.
How do you reach both athletes and lifestyle customers with one PR campaign?
You place the brand in two sets of titles at once and let each audience meet it on their own terms. For On, Grow Public Relations built athletic credibility through sports personalities, including an Instagram reel by Paul Foster and a running-shoe feature in TheBeauLife, while carrying the lifestyle story in Robb Report Singapore and Zula SG. The dual approach matched On's own split audience of serious runners and urban professionals. Reaching both in a single campaign works when the product genuinely serves both, so the coverage in each world stays honest.
