Klaus Märtens designed improved army boots with soft leather and air-padded soles while recovering from an injury in 1945. After the war, he made himself a pair with air-cushioned soles using leather from a cobbler's shop. Together with an English shoe family, Griggs, they developed the shoe further, adding trademark yellow stitching and branding the soles as "Air Wair", now often known as Doc Martens.

1. By Georgatou Alexandra

2. Klaus Märtens was a doctor in the German Army during World War II. In 1945, he injured his ankle
while skiing in the Alps. He found that his standard-issue army ‘’boots’’ were too uncomfortable on
his injured foot. While recuperating, he designed improvements to the boots, with soft leather, and
air-padded soles.
When the war ended and some Germans looted valuables from their own cities, Märtens took
leather from a cobbler’s shop. With that leather he made himself a pair of boots with air-cushioned
soles.
Together with an English shoe family, Griggs, they develop the shoes.

3. Brand invention :
Griggs anglicized the name, slightly re-shaped the heel to make them fit better, added
the trademark yellow stitching, and trademarked the soles as ‘’Air Wair’’. Often known as
Doc Martens, Docs or DMs.
Martens
The meaning of the Brand:
Brand
The brand don’t have an actual meaning . It just have the name of the first inventor who
was Klaus Märtens.

4. The brand’s styles and themes where always the same. The company didn’t change
anything. Besides it was not a need due to the fact that the brand launched just by the
consumers.

5. CUSTOMER ANALYSIS : The primary target audience was working class people and after the visibility of the
product the primary target group were youths aged 13 through 25 years old. (skinheads, punks, rocks e.t.c.).
The brand became so famous that also many celebrities start wearing them. Ostrovsky (Soviet composer)
commenced his article by quoting a joking Stephen Griggs: "We had Madonna and the Pope wearing DMs, but my
mom does not get on too well with them. She thinks they are too clumpy."
Though Dr. Martens did not have plans of targeting older mothers of corporate executives, the brand did aspire to
expand its target market

6. Dr. Martens advertising did not position the product as a work boot, but rather as a fashion
statement identifying the wearer with youth culture.
The brand therefore competed against other brands that identified themselves with youth culture,
especially those growing out of the rebellious skateboard movement, such as Vans, Air Walk, and
Vans Walk
Caterpillar.
Caterpillar
Dr. Martens held an advantage, though, as most of these brands produced sneakers, whereas no
other boot held sway over youth fashion as did Dr. Martens.

7. The brand image of Dr. Martens it’s still the same as it was from the beginning. This
brand and her products are still timeless in the market.

8. Brand as a product
Product Scope: This product associated basically with shoes. Is a footwear and accessories
brand.
Product related attributes: Dr. Martens extended its brand name by producing and distributing
attributes
alternative music compilations that complemented its brash image. In 1998, it launched the Dr.
Martens record label to continue this marketing strategy by promoting shoe sales through CD
giveaways.
CD COVERS :

9. Brand as Organization
The audits are very thorough and include physical appraisal of all work and domestic
facilities, a review of documents, and management and worker interviews.
Company’s attention to ethical issues in the suppliers' factories is ongoing.
Focusing on implementing improvements by ensuring that key issues are dealt with by
the people who are actually responsible for making the changes.
A worldwide Brand with a special prestige and credibility too.

10. From Dr. Martens Website:
# 1. WELTED FOR DURABILITY
The Goodyear™ welted construction provides excellent durability and lies at the heart of Dr. Martens footwear.
# 2. INSULATION
Air trapped in the honeycombed sole works like double glazing, and together with comfort fillers, creates the
feeling of walking on air.
# 3. ANTI--SHOCK
Our air-cushioned sole absorbs the shocks on rough and uneven surfaces. A cushioning pad adds extra comfort
under the ball of the foot.
# 4. SOLE RESISTANCE
The sole compound is resistant to oil, fat, acid, petrol and alkali.
# 5. QUALITY
Top quality, naturally finished, durable leather completes the boot, along with strong metal eyelets and tough
laces.
Brand as a person :
Man / dynamic / worker / fun of punk rock music/ strong / favorite color black / working class /cool / no limits /
trendy /self expressive/revolutionary.

11. USERS
The postmen, factory workers and transport unions who had initially bought the boot by the
thousand.
At first, it was the working-classes; before long it was the masses.
Skinheads were the first subculture to adopt the boot in the early 1960s, spilling out of the East End
of London, then across Britain and the world.
The late 1960s and 1970s saw the boot adopted by - not thrust upon - nearly all the 'tribes': Mods,
glam, punks, ska, psychobillies, grebos, Goths, industrialists, nu-metal, hardcore, straight-edge,
grunge, Britpop...
COUNTRY ORIGIN
United Kingdom

12. QUALITY / VALUE
From the history part of the official website ‘’Dr. Martens’’ they say: ‘’we believe it is just
as important to choose our suppliers for their fair treatment of their employees as for
their performance on cost, delivery and quality’’.
Corporate Social Responsibility: They assess their suppliers, for their performance on
Responsibility
cost, quality and delivery.
All these years we very well know that Dr. Martens products have the best quality.

13. Brand as a symbol
Easy to recognize ‘’Air wair’’ become a primary symbol of the world. The use of
yellow/black color creates the visibility of the products.
Metaphors
We have many Print ads with Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) ,Joe Ramone (The Ramones) and Joe
strummer (The Clash).

14. Functional Benefit:
Benefit
The actual benefit of Dr. Martens shoes is that are comfortable and giving the sense of freedom
and revolution. Can be worn from people with no social limits.
Emotional Benefit:
This brand gives to the consumer the sense of freedom of doing something different over the social
stereotypes. By wearing these pair of shoes you have the sense of power and difference.
Self-Expressive Benefits:
DMs products are creating a unique self concept. You are join another social world more alternative
more independent and revolutionary.

15. Complexity: Minimal
Representation: Realistic
Movement: Static
Potency: Strong