Hunter boots Ltd. successful supply chain management strategy forecast is looking brighter than ever—rain or shine.

These days, the image of a company on social media is crucial to its success, and businesses around the globe are having to learn quickly how to use this tool to their advantage. Primary function of social media is to stay connected with customers and to carry an online presence but it can also be used as a way to increase efficiency and improve upon supply chain management.

Facebook, Instogram and other social networks allow for a dialogue between company and customer. The customer is able to speak directly with the company, and the company in turn is able to publicly exercise their great customer service for all to see, and to advertise promotions to attract new business. However, social media in industry is not just outward facing, but is being used increasingly within business to help manage supply chains, creating “social business networks”.  These networks are more about facilitating “people-to-people communication and collaboration”, allowing real time transparent conversation between peers groups. This function, in a wide spread, even global supply chain, is proving to be a golden ticket.

Ability to monitor the here and now of their supply chain production and needs. Logistical updates can be tracked, data can be shared, and progress can be monitored. All this means that in turn should any problems arise, they can be dealt with quickly and effectively, pooling resource and ideas from across the entire network of suppliers.

The concept of Supply Chain Management is based on two core ideas. The first is that practically every product that reaches an end user represents the cumulative effort of multiple organizations. These organizations are referred to collectively as the supply chain.

The second idea is that while supply chains have existed for a long time, most organizations have only paid attention to what was happening within their “four walls.” Few businesses understood, much less managed, the entire chain of activities that ultimately delivered products to the final customer. The result was disjointed and often ineffective supply chains.
Hunter Boots Ltd. was founded on a heritage of innovation and discovery. Company instils these values to progress in all aspects of their business. Building on these foundations, they are always seeking to improve the way they source their products, how workers are treated in their supply chain and the steps they take to respect the environment. They are committed to these values, establishing standards and implementing programmes to create a sustainable and ethical business.

Fundamental to the Hunter identity and spirit is our unique relationship with rain. Since 1856, Hunter has equipped those who view grey skies as an opportunity, who instinctively seek the extraordinary in the everyday.

Social media allows Hunter to monitor supply chain events and transactions to keep everyone up-to-date with current situations, such as a delay in shipping or a carrier failed to pick-up a shipment. they use Twitter messages to indicate the arrival or departure of a shipment from a particular warehouse. Twitter is used to communicate the need for shipments of a particular type or to alert drivers to accidents and road closures. they use social media to gain timely and insightful information about risks and events, enabling them to make corrective action sooner and thus minimizing the impact of a supply chain disruption.

Wellington brand has appointed social media agency We Are Social Social to help integrating social media into the shipping process, customers are made aware of the package’s departure, but more than that, Both Hunter Boots’ UK and US offices are now working with We Are Social to deliver the “Together Through Any Weather” initiative which, through the Facebook app, offers fans a prize every weekday through to Thursday 31 January based on the weather forecast for that day. Fans will be asked to create and caption a picture based on the daily weather theme and upload it to the app. Hunter Boots will then select its favourite image and award the creator with a prize suitable for the day’s weather conditions, for example wellington boots when it rains, or fleece socks if it snows. The app will be based on the London forecast using data from the Met Office though fans globally will be allowed to enter. Customers are also encouraged to post their images of Hunter Boots on all other social media accounts. You now will see Hunter boots all over Pinterest, Instagram, and  blogs. Hunter Boots has been able to gain brand  awareness on a level unattainable without social media. From an outside perspective this helps generate excitement, but internally it allows the company to confirm delivery, verify the condition of the shipment.

“January is a key time of year for us, with people looking ahead to the rainy months to come, as well as coping with the current weather conditions…We Are Social has used this insight to deliver a campaign which will allow our fans to have a bit of fun with the weather.”
Michelle Noschese, Hunter Boots marketing manager

Social media is an  invaluable tool for Hunter supply chain professionals looking to identify new innovations, understand commodity and pricing trends, capture best practices, and collaborate with stakeholders, peers, and suppliers.

Capturing consumer insights is valuable for more effective assortment planning. Consumers talk about what they like, what they don’t like, and what they would like to have in the future.  Understanding consumer sentiment around brand enables more efficient assortment planning up front.  A better assortment leads to happier consumers, which leads to more sales. Consumers can tell you a lot about their in-store experience and issues so that you can plan more effectively, utilize intelligent product placement on the shelf.  By analyzing keywords and sentiment tied to a particular style, Hunter Boots can better determine placement on the shelf.  For example, by analyzing the sentiment within the social media channels about colours of a particular boot, decisions on placement of those colours (already included in the assortment) on the shelf can improve based on the additional information.
With that information they determined that black is the favourite in an American market as Europeans tend to go for more vibrant, unusual choices

Place Strategy Developing products that satisfy customers is important, but it is not enough to guarantee successful marketing strategies. Products must be available in adequate quantities in accessible locations at the times when customers desire them. Marketing channels fulfil this distribution function. Some marketers consider successful channel management as the key to competitive advantage. A large part of the marketer’s ability to deliver a value proposition rests on the ability to understand and develop effective distribution strategies. The supply chain includes all the activities necessary to turn raw materials into a good or service and put it into the hands of the consumer or business customer.

Hunter Boot Ltd. has released revenue figures for the year ending December 2015, highlighting significant sales growth in North America. Revenues increased by 33 percent in the region, while the company’s overall sales were up by 19 percent year-over-year, reaching 113.7 million pounds or $147.9 million. showing forecast is looking brighter than ever—rain or shine.

Lessons for Others

We all know that the volume of social media data, and the insights it reveals, can be overwhelming. It’s also not a simple undertaking to move to the next step of data, aligning it to your supply chain, and making decisions based upon the insights it reveals.

The supply chain encompasses components external to the firm, including all activities that are necessary to convert raw materials into a good or service and put it in the hands of the consumer or business customer. Supply chain management is the coordination of flows among the firms in a supply chain to maximize total profitability. These “flows” include not only the physical movement of goods but also the sharing of information about the goods—that is, supply chain partners must synchronize their activities with one another.

If you have concerns as to the accuracy of anything posted on this site, please send your concerns to Peter Carr, Program Director, Social Media for Business Performance.

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