The Kicks Brand celebrates a winning season as the Best Business Leader in Retail finalist for the Business Awards UK 2024.
This comes shortly after the company had rebranded from Kicks Sportswear. It also launched the first international office in the UK. This in an effort to elevate global presence and redefine the world of footwear.
The new office is strategically placed in the heart of Lincoln to facilitate global reach and expansion.
Court case with local musician
The brand is currently embroiled in a court case with local music sensation Makhadzi. The company dragged her and her production company to court demanding an R8.2-million settlement. This for their failure to promote Kicks Kokovha, the company’s then-new addition.
Regarding the UK launch, Mhaule said this was motivated by the local clothing brand Maxhosa’s strategic marketing techniques. By ensuring that their stores are placed “in the hearts of cities attractive to tourists and maximising on the online presence”.
Adapting to new trends of online buying
“People are buying online because that is what our world is coming into. They are not lazy, they are just focusing on other things rather than spending time in packed malls with long queues. Imagine being in a long and slow queue only to pay for one item? There is also traffic on the roads, so why drive?” said Mhaule.
“Also, we changed our name and domain because now that we have infiltrated the international market. We do not want to seem like competition to already existing sportswear brands. Such as Nike, Addidas, and Puma amongst all other brand. We realised that [that] was not much of our identity,” he added.
He described the milestone as a new era of innovation and sustainability after the company faced some challenges in its home country, South Africa.
Unfortunate experience with influencer
He said he realised while in a different country that there was no need to have an influencer behind the project. This after facing several challenges in South Africa in relation to the marketing strategy involving influencers.
Mhaule said shortly after the company took off, they had signed a marketing deal with an award-winning muso. However, the contract was breached several times. The matter has since been dragging in court.
Mhaule said this was an eye-opening moment. His personal drive is to ensure that the company reaches greater heights regardless of how it all started.
Lessons from the drama
“The last four years have been testament to our resilience and adaptability. As we set our sights on the future, our rebranding symbolises a commitment to perpetual advancement. An unwavering dedication to our customers,” said Mhaule.
“We are embarking on a journey to revolutionise the footwear industry. Integrating cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices into our product offerings. Our presence in the UK signifies our ambition to cater to a broader audience. And establish KICKS as a household name worldwide,” Mhaule added.
Sunday World had earlier reported the fall-out between Mhaule and Makhadzi. The article said after failing to come to a settlement with The Kicks Brand, Ndivhudzannyi “Makhadzi” Ralivhola and her former record label Open Mic Productions “are facing a pretrial”.
After multiple attempts to resolve the issue without going to trial, Mhaule declared that it was time to “take the case to the next level”.
He said Makhadzi and Open Mic breached the terms of the agreement when the artist failed to wear the sneakers to her performances. She also did not promote the brand on social media as expected.
Last resort
He clarified that although the company was dissatisfied with this, it had tried every option to find a truce between the parties, without success. The matter is currently in court.
Makhadzi and her team failed to respond to questions sent to them regarding the matter before the story was published.
