As one of the best known sneaker retailers in Germany, Asphaltgold has already celebrated a decade of successful company history. Since 2008, the popular sneaker store from the Rhine-Main area has been jointly responsible for many of the shoes we all wear, on our feet, every day. In addition to the creation of a huge community, the opening of a second store in 2016 and the establishment of a perfect social media presence, it is above all the aesthetic, a friendly and transparent way, in which the team of the store from Darmstadt communicates with its community and every other sneaker enthusiast through all channels. We think that that's what makes Asphaltgold so popular.
When you read it like this, it's hard to imagine, that the CEO, Daniel Benz, got the whole thing up by only himself. In fact, Asphaltgold has now developed into a well-known, medium-sized company.
Resting on success does not fit the mentality of Daniel Benz and his company. That's why the team Asphaltgold wants to finally reflect this huge process in their public image.
In our new interview with Daniel Benz from Asphaltgold, you can find out what the whole thing will look like in the end, what surprises there will be for all of us, with this new presentation to the outside world and above all what the team wants to convey with the new design of Asphaltgold. Let's go! ⚡
Asphaltgold re-branding - "sneaky cat" was yesterday
KEV: Let's talk about your baby: What stands behind the name Asphaltgold and how can the cat, which you had almost 12 years as a logo, be associated with it?
DANI: The sneaker culture is an urban culture. Accordingly, asphalt is the dominant surface for running. Furthermore, our product is symbolically as desirable as gold for real heads. And who sneaks over the roofs of the city at night?
I wonder who?! Everybody who has ever ordered a pair of new shoes from Darmstadt knows it: The well-tried cat logo, which accompanied Asphaltgold for almost 12 years and adorned every single delivery box that landed at the home of a lot of sneakerlovers. But now the cat is a thing of the past, which brings us to our next question:
KEV: The "sneaky cat" has now been replaced by an even more aesthetic "stack logo". What was the reason for the change to the new corporate design and what is behind it?
DANI: Of course, a lot has happened since our founding. Asphaltgold has developed from a one-man business to a medium-sized company, structures have grown. We wanted to reflect this process in our external image. In addition, the cat with its delicate structure has presented us with problems from time to time, especially in apparel productions. This belongs to the past now with our new stack logo.
Alright. So we can surely expect a lot of new shirts with the fresh stack logo! But let's stay with your new external image. Especially social networks like Facebook and Instagram are probably the most active link between you and the world outside of your store. So I already have the next question:
KEV: Asphaltgold is considered as a perfect example of good marketing via social media. How has your strategy developed and what are its basic principles?
DANI: We had a pretty good intuition and also the luck to be at the right place at the right time. Many years ago, we started with pure product photos, but now we have also created our own formats, which consist of a mix of knowledge and entertainment. The customer wants to be informed in the most entertaining way as possible. We follow this principle on our social channels.
I think everyone who follows you on Instagram knows exactly what formats you are talking about. There really is a lot of entertainment with a good pinch of knowledge!
KEV: Our team likes how personal and transparent you interact with your community through Instagram. Through Instagram story formats like staff picks and many challenges you made the time during the worldwide quarantine a lot more fun for everyone. Wasn't it a difficult time for you?
DANI: Yes, this was and is not an easy time for us either. Thanks to the online store, this does not affect our sales that much, but more the social restrictions. We really like this crew thing, both among colleagues and the personal exchange with the community. The fact that we had to cancel our annual SoulSole party due to the Corona pandemic is a real downer. We would also like to celebrate a nice campout release again, but unfortunately our hands are tied at the moment. Of course, we also had a longer home-office phase, which not only complicated the workflow, but also the collegial cooperation, which significantly enhances the office routine. With the challenges & co. mentioned above, we tried to make the time more bearable. We are happy, that this has been successful!
Of course, the home office phase has been also a little difficult for us on the one hand, but on the other hand it has been very creative. Personally, I'm definitely grateful for the many cool formats of you, like the "Flip-Your-Box" Challenge. I still wonder how many tries you needed for your wicked boxflip! 😂
Speaking of Instagram formats, we might as well come back to your new CI:
KEV: With the launch of the new corporate design you have recently released new Instagram filters, including a "stack logo"-AR-filter. Why?
DANI: Instagram is our most important channel because it fits best with our product. That's why we wanted to offer our community something beyond the classic photo content. With the "STACK LOGO"-filter we opened the door to the 3D-world. We also often use the filter ourselves to place our new logo smart in our stories. The "KEEP 'EM CLEAN"-filter is for gamers. The shoe of choice has to be maneuvered past obstacles. Already cracked the 100 meters? For those who are not afraid of tricky questions like "Favorite sneakers of all time?", "REAL TALK" is the right filter. Another filter is already in the starting blocks. Be curious!
We are curious in any case! And you, dear community, should have a quick look at the Instagram account of Asphaltgold, if you want to try out the many cool filters yourself. >>Here you can head directly to the Instagram page of Asphaltgold<< (You can only use the filters on your smartphone).
Alrighty, now we are almost at the end of our interview about your new corporate design. Before we finish the interview, we wish you all the best for the future! ♥️ But now enough cuddling, we come to the last question of this interview:
KEV: Where do you see the scene in 5 years and what goals do you and your team have until then?
DANI: The topic "sneaker" is now ubiquitous. The real core scene has changed. New school with the joy of reselling and old hand collector's meet each other. I think it is becoming more multi-faceted and that makes it exciting. We, too, will continue to expand our brand and provide one or the other digital innovation and sneaker fun.
This is a statement that radiates motivation and anticipation! We are looking forward to upcoming projects and hope that the whole sneakerhead community will soon be able to celebrate many in-store releases and casual release parties at Asphaltgold and at all the other sneaker stores/sneaker boutiques again! 🎉
Before I forget: The guys from Asphaltgold indeed have super fresh, new tees with the stack logo! >>Here<< or by clicking on the picture you can head directly to the complete selection:
Now back to you dear community: I hope you enjoyed the interview with Daniel Benz, the CEO of Asphaltgold from Darmstadt. I even had the chance to ask him a few more questions! Be sure to check out our >>Sneaker News<< tomorrow if you want to know more about Daniel, his store and especially his answer to the question "Do young people still have a chance on the sneaker market and what tips would you give a budding young entrepreneur? Stay tuned, and see you tomorrow! ✌🏼
