Kara Goucher to Oiselle?

Oiselle is chic clothing for the 2 hour half marathoner who reads runners world and has the disposable income to buy it. Of course some of you aren't going to see a lot of women wearing their clothes unless you happen to be jogging a race with your wife or girlfriend.

They probably sell a lot of clothing that isn't even used for running.

I would hate to see Kara end up with Oiselle. There's something about them (owners, marketing managers, ambassadors) that just screams prissy sorority girls. I know Kara is nearing the end of her career, but I still think she has a couple of years of solid running before she has to throw in the towel. It would be nice if she took the route of Joanie and become a competitive masters runner way down the line, but it looks like she'll end up in the opposite direction trying to appeal to the mommies and 2 hr half marathon bloggers.

Why are you convinced that they will drag her down? Could she be the personality they need to raise them to a higher level?World-class athletes have a tendency to take mediocre companies to new levels of success.

unimpressed by the flock wrote:

I would hate to see Kara end up with Oiselle. There's something about them (owners, marketing managers, ambassadors) that just screams prissy sorority girls. I know Kara is nearing the end of her career, but I still think she has a couple of years of solid running before she has to throw in the towel. It would be nice if she took the route of Joanie and become a competitive masters runner way down the line, but it looks like she'll end up in the opposite direction trying to appeal to the mommies and 2 hr half marathon bloggers.

I think it is wrong to say 'kara won't make an olympic team so she will struggle to get a sponsor' or some other formulation of her being over the hill being the problem.

well, maybe

But she is the best known us distance runner, or close to it - almost at ryan hall level, and probably above shalane level.

That's not going away - she will be interviewed, she will be on camera, she will be on posters, she will be sought after by races. And who knows - maybe she has another 2:25 in her. That is sort of a bonus.

point is, she is a rock star, distance running version, and she will bring a brand higher exposure than a Kim Conley, even if Conley is now a better runner.

It's not all about speed and medals.

Anyone at December's Running Event (biggest running tradeshow) can attest.. the Oiselle booth was packed the entire time, and they had one of the worst booths at the expo. I think people are attracted to the colors and the lululemon "alternative". Now if Kara was REALLY smart she would look for a sponsorship with Lululemon. #richmoms #bigmoney

You definitely have a point - and unfortunately when I think of Oiselle, I think of all the ambassadors, and not the elite runners they currently sponsor. I am impressed by Kate Grace, Amanda Winslow, and of course Lauren Fleshman. I don't know the other "elites" they sponser very well, but Kara Goucher would definitely be the one to take them to the next level.

think outside the box wrote:

Why doesn't someone like NB cut a deal with Oiselle to make a line of NB Oiselle shoes designed by women for women? This is assuming Oiselle has no interest in creating their own line of women's shoes. I just think having a reputable shoe brand would give consumers a belief that the shoes are quality. In this case it seems like a win-win. NB gains Oiselle fans who didn't already run in NB shoes and Oiselle is able to capture a part of their customers' whole running ensemble so to speak.

Because they would not make any money off this scenario. Most brands don't make their own shoes as it is, why would you want to further dilute the profit by "making" shoes for a different brand when you buy your own shoes from an Asian factory yourself?

GM is bigger than Honda, why doesn't GM have Honda make a motorcycle for them? and market it as a GM motorcycle made by Honda?

Honda is clearly very good at it?

Use your fooking head.

Why wouldn't NB make their OWN line of "shoes designed by women for women"? They are in the shoe business after all.

agip wrote:

I think it is wrong to say 'kara won't make an olympic team so she will struggle to get a sponsor' or some other formulation of her being over the hill being the problem.

well, maybe

But she is the best known us distance runner, or close to it - almost at ryan hall level, and probably above shalane level.

That's not going away - she will be interviewed, she will be on camera, she will be on posters, she will be sought after by races. And who knows - maybe she has another 2:25 in her. That is sort of a bonus.

point is, she is a rock star, distance running version, and she will bring a brand higher exposure than a Kim Conley, even if Conley is now a better runner.

It's not all about speed and medals.

Wow, you couldn't be more wrong. Kara is probably recognized by less than 1% of all runners and joggers. No company could get a ROI by subsidizing her. She is old, not very good looking, not very intelligent and not likely to ever go sub 2:30 again.

it's all relative, but her facebook page has 118,000 likes and she has 48,000 twitter followers.

not too bad really

unimpressed by the flock wrote:

. . . I know Kara is nearing the end of her career, but I still think she has a couple of years of solid running before she has to throw in the towel. It would be nice if she took the route of Joanie and become a competitive masters runner way down the line, but it looks like she'll end up in the opposite direction trying to appeal to the mommies and 2 hr half marathon bloggers.

I just can't see the point of her being a "solid runner" for a couple of years if it does not maximize her lifetime income.

She achieved quite a bit as a runner for an American, especially given her talent, she is extremely good looking and people say that she is personable--at least she gives a good interview. She could be very rich for the rest of her life if she makes the right sponsorship choices precisely now--and the right choice certainly isn't to stay with nike.

And this article shows why KG would be making a mistake, IMO, to entertain lulumon (other than it is not a running-oriented business).

http://www.businessinsider.com/outrageous-remarks-by-lululemon-founder-chip-wilson-2013-12

She's empty, she's got nothing. When she was 3rd in NYC, who was there? Paula, yeah, but where's the Olympic type field...there wasn't one.

Those of you saying she's marketable, give it a rest. She's washed up and as one poster said, is an opportunist.

It's not about the sport of running or her love for it, it's about HER making money. Ask her to come in for a high school talk and see what happens. It's about $$$$$

Agreed. Ask mid-pack runners at next Sat's race to name a single US runner who is still competing. Bank on someone naming Pre. Ask them what NOP stands for. Ask them the ballpark WR time in the men's marathon. Kara should be on every Wheaties box; she's potentially huge box office for fitness-oriented middle-age women. She could have a cable fitness/jogging/recipe show. These are righteous ways to make a living.

Cover of Wheaties? I thought Wheaties only had Olympic champions? Your opinion is the "give everyone a medal" culture.

Nothing against KG, but if she's on Wheaties, that is really "milking" it.

I coach a women's college team full of girls who couldn't tell me what NOP stands for or the men's marathon record but they talk about Kara and Shalane and Emma and Jenny and Brenda and Jordan on first name basis almost daily.

You all are severely under valuing the impact the pros have on high school and college girls who might not be running nerds but are extremely serious runners.

Kara would immediately take Oiselle to a new level, I have a girl on my team who bought an Oregon running jacket because she idolizes Jordan Hasay. The same will happen for people who look to Kara as a role model, they'll take Oiselle seriously when buying apparel.

I don't disagree with you. Very famous, likeable, and a good person. She'll get sponsored.

The Wheaties comment was a bit odd. Wheaties has been always about gold medalists like Bruce Jenner and Mary Lou Renner. If they put an NHL Lady Byng winner on the cover, it'd be different.

Your post makes no sense. Jordan is their hero and they don't know what NOP stands for or the WR? Obviously these girls aren't too serious no DI athlete would wear another schools jacket.

No they won't. Economics and reality will stop your prediction. You are talking about a very small percentage...one girl bought a U of O jacket because of Jordan...give me a break. Economics and Reality 101, learn it.

"all American pretty"

Is that what they say when someone isn't "pretty" pretty?

I don't care if someone is a "great family woman." I care how they perform as an athlete since that's her job. As of lately, she is underperforming and I'm sure she knows Nike will not be offering her as much as they did in years prior. She is not Paula Radcliffe.