Fashion Marketing: Birkenstock vs. Crocs, as seen by Google Trends

Fashion Marketing: If you’ve been a fan of comfortable footwear for any length of time, Birkenstock has inevitably made an appearance in your wardrobe. More recently, you may have even ventured in to the world of Crocs. Albeit not the most fashionable shoe in the world, they are pretty darn comfy.

So, how do these two rank when placed next to each other on Google Trends? While Crocs has seen a recent surge in search popularity, Birkenstock has remained steady; that seems to be right on course for their marketing plan though as they have been a steadfast brand in the market for a very long time.

Back in 2004, when Crocs first entered the marketplace, their search traffic was relatively small; they had a loyal cult following for almost their entire first year and they didn’t see their first spike until mid-way through the third quarter of 2005; this was the first time that their search traffic had come even close to matching Birkenstock’s.

Both brands see a spike in traffic in the warmer months of the year. This is not surprising given the fact that neither gives your foot much protection from the elements. However, Birkenstock does also carry a line of shoes, and Crocs is now venturing in to clothing, as well as a new shoe line that is lined with sheepskin for the colder weather; although it is still a clog, they may see a spike in searches as consumers seek that shoe out.

Overall, the two run a pretty tight race. Their search traffic has remained almost even until the second quarter of 2007, which coincides with the timing of new shoe styles released by Crocs. It also happens to fall in to a time when some hospitals banned their employees from wearing them, and the rollout of their new clothing line, so newsworthy searches were up considerably over Birkenstock.

Either way, if you want comfortable shoes, you can’t go wrong whether you put a Birk on your foot or a Croc; they both make for very happy feet. Now which one is more attractive is a whole different story……