At first, there were a few sales only because no one’s ever hear of in-line skating before. Therefore, Rollerblade used “guerrilla marketing” campaigns in an effort to get the word out to the public. In addition, Rollerblade also used other low-cost promotional techniques, such as “demo vans” in parking lots, to promote their goods in an effort to have people try them.

Overall, the company targeted four core groups of users: skaters; fitness groups; recreational users; people who seek the thrill and fun of the speed and freedom that comes from skating with a Rollerblade. Well, the firm’s marketing strategies worked. By the early 90’s, the demand for Rollerblade® skates was growing globally. To meet these demands, Rollerblade not only established international distribution channels but also used cross-promotions with major consumer product companies for publicity and credibility purposes. Further, the company also continued to innovate on skating technologies. In fact, Jeremy Stonier, Vice-President of Rollerblade, stated that probably the “trickiest segment we sell to is the street / vert skater – the 14 to 22 year-old in your neighborhood who is doing tricks you might see on ESPN’s X Games.”

To ensure that Rollerblade meets the needs and desires of their target audiences, the firm innovated on the following skate technologies:

• Team Rollerblade Series (TRS) – line of skates that contain everything from a PFS Specialized form-fit memory foot liner gel insert for extreme shock absorption to CoolMax© fabric to keep the skater’s feet cool and dry.
• Lightning & Aero Series – line of skates for women and men that’s incredibly light weight with an anatomical fit.
• Zetrablade – line of skates that’ll aid with comfort and reliability for beginner and intermediate skaters.
• ProBlade 100 – line of skates for expert speed skaters looking for additional fun and thrills.

Please note that the marketing and innovation doesn’t stop there. Rather than solely focusing on skate specialty stores, Rollerblade also created a lower-priced BladeRunner line sold through mass merchant and sporting goods chain stores that’s affordable for practically anyone looking to own these inline skates for themselves. In addition, the company’s website also includes a variety of topics that’ll help people select the perfect skate for them, along with teaching people useful skating techniques, etc. Doing so ensures that the company continues to innovate and cater to client needs based on the inexpensive market research data obtained from users of their website.

With over 200 patents, such as the Advanced Braking Technology (ABT) that allows braking without raising the toe of the skates, Rollerblade continues to innovate on new methodologies for achieving their organizational goals and objectives. In essence, Rollerblade was not the only company that started it but also the company that continued to perfect it for the past decades. Peter Drucker once wisely stated that “businesses only have two functions – marketing and innovation.” Through creative innovations and effective marketing, Rollerblade continues to dominate the inline skating marketplace with millions of units sold at numerous locations worldwide.