There are three facts about Gen Z that will make any brand rethink its marketing strategy.
- 55% of Gen Zers use their smartphones for over five hours a day.
That’s 35 hours per week or 140 hours a month that is equivalent to six full days a month or 70 full days a year. Who could have imagined this is how modern humans would spend their time staring at black rectangles all day long? - Gen Zers are streaming over 23 hours of videos per week.
- Over 65% of them use social media daily.
So, in conclusion, Gen Z spends a lot of time on their phones watching videos on social media. These stats only say that your brand needs to focus on Gen Z marketing. New Balance has mastered the art of tapping into the Gen Z market, and it didn’t happen by accident. The brand figured out how to mix nostalgia with modern trends, turning “dad shoes” into a cultural statement.
The Evolution of New Balance
New Balance changed their target audience and that was a hit. For alomost 15 years this brand was a go-to for people on thier 30s-40s. However now it has caught up wiht the Gen Z audience. One of its most memorable campaigns was during the 990 V5 launch, that read: “Worn by supermodels in London and dads in Ohio.”
That duality became the heart of its brand identity.
• The company successfully turned a stereotype into a strength.
• It positioned itself as both aspirational and relatable.
• It bridged the gap between performance and lifestyle.
Much of this cultural shift has to do with the athletes who now represent New Balance. Young, exciting stars like Cooper Flag, Coco Gauff, and Shohei Ohtani.
Gen Z Consumer Behavior
The power of athlete ambassadors has fueled major growth for New Balance. The company’s global revenue collectively rose 27% across its baseball, basketball, football, and tennis categories. Overall, New Balance posted $7.8 billion in total revenue last year, up from $6.5 billion in 2023.
While those numbers sound strong, they still pale compared to industry giants:
• Adidas generated $26 billion in 2024.
• Nike nearly doubled that with $51 billion.
In such a competitive space, the urgency to capture younger audiences became clear. VML has been involved with New Balance since 2016. Their philosophy: “A high tide raises all ships.” When one ambassador shines, the whole brand benefits.
• Cooper represents performance basketball but also becomes the face of the brand.
• What Shohei or Coco do on or off the field resonates beyond their sport.
• Every athlete becomes a storyteller for the brand.
Marketing Strategy
New Balance hasn’t always leaned on celebrity endorsements. Back in the 1990s, the brand famously ran an ad campaign that read: “Endorsed by no one.”
By 2010, the company changed its approach adding Boston Red Sox star Dustin Pedroia and re-entering the team sports space. But the biggest shift came in how it allocated its marketing budget:
- It moved from spending 70% on transaction-based tactics (Google Ads, paid social posts)
- To investing that 70% in athlete-led storytelling.
This gave rise to campaigns like “We Got Now.”
The team also learned not to oversaturate feeds with one face. As they put it: “If we posted Shohei every day, people would say ‘we get it.’ You have to be smart, like at a cocktail party. Let others speak, and the story will come back to you.”
- Balanced storytelling became their secret weapon.
- Authenticity was prioritized over frequency.
Cultural Momentum and Lifestyle Impact
New Balance’s brand momentum is now compounding. Consumers see their athletes performing at the highest level, lending credibility to the lifestyle products.
According to Forbes, the company’s sports footwear segment grew 50% from $4.4 billion to $6.6 billion worldwide between 2022 and 2024.
- Performance visibility boosted lifestyle demand.
- Lifestyle products became cultural symbols.
- Business plans span 6–10 years instead of 2–3.
- The focus remains on brand endurance, not quarterly gains.
- The brand can prioritize authenticity over aggressive expansion.
This independence allows New Balance to “play the long game.”
Authentic Growth and Cultural Positioning
New Balance has totally changed the sneaker game with its collabs and partnerships. From working with entertainers and influencers to big fashion brands, it’s all about keeping things real while staying creative.
Recent collaborations include:
• Joe Freshgoods
• Salehe Bembury
• Aimé Leon Dore
These collabs created “brand heat” while general release products continued to perform well.
• Limited drops built hype.
• Core products sustained sales.
The brand’s also nailed drop culture. They drop limited-edition pieces right when the moment feels right. Like when Ohtani hit 50/50 in September 2024, New Balance dropped a 50/50 tee that sold out within hours.
• Quick response to cultural moments = sustained relevance.
• Limited drops engage fandoms and drive urgency.
Staying True to Identity
To maintain this momentum, New Balance ensures its athletes keep performing at elite levels, from Gauff to Ohtani to Cooper Flagg.
Pivoting a legacy brand isn’t easy. Product cycles are long and strategies span years. But what keeps New Balance relevant is its commitment to authenticity.
• Staying “fearlessly independent.”
• Encouraging innovation and risk-taking.
• Building a flat creative culture where ideas can come from anywhere.
Their goal remains clear: crossing $10 billion in annual revenue while preserving their original identity. A blend of legacy and reinvention.
The Takeaway
Viral Omega observes that New Balance’s success with Gen Z lies in three core principles:
- Human storytelling beats hard selling.
- Authenticity outweighs algorithms.
- Cultural relevance drives loyalty.
By knowing where Gen Z’s attention lives on their phones, on social platforms, and in authentic experiences. New Balance has evolved from a dad-shoe brand to a cultural icon.
Winning Gen Z isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about showing up where they already are with values that speak louder than ads.
Ads that are authentic, visually engaging, story-driven, and culturally relevant grab Gen Z’s attention more than traditional or overly polished promotions.
Brands that balance authenticity, creativity, and culture, such as New Balance, Nike, Adidas, and streetwear labels.
Gen Z is highly influential, digitally connected, and drives trends, making them a key audience for long-term brand growth and cultural relevance.
They prefer authentic, innovative, and socially conscious products, including lifestyle sneakers, sustainable fashion, tech gadgets, and personalized experiences that align with their values.
