August 21, 2002
BOSTON, August 21, 2002 - As part of its multi-faceted focus on the basketball category for Fall 2002, New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. announces www.nbhoops.com - a basketball-specific site designed to be a resource for the everyday basketball athlete.
The four main sections of the site: Product, Courts & Hoop Troop, Events, and Retailers all contain new, innovative features including exploded illustration and 360 shoe rotation. The site is built with Flash technology which allows for animation, rollovers, hotspots, and sound accompaniment.
The most notable area of the site is the Courts & Hoop Troop section. This section features a Court Guide that profiles courts in five different cities across the country, with more cities and courts to be added over the next few months. The guide provides photographs of the courts and outlines each court's level of competition, types of players, types of games, opening times, bathroom and water fountain availability, as well as a map function for directions to the court.
"Remaining consistent with New Balance's brand strategy, and our 'Endorsed by No One' positioning, www.nbhoops.com was developed with grassroots marketing in mind, to highlight the human dimension of the sport," says Molly Driscoll, Senior Marketing Services Associate at New Balance. "We hope the entire site, especially the Court Guide, will serve as a valuable resource for real, everyday basketball athletes who love to play the game."
The development of the site was completed in conjunction with Euro RSCG MVBMS Partners, the New York-based marketing communications agency, and its interactive unit, Euro RSCG Circle.
New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc., headquartered in Boston, MA, is a leading manufacturer of technologically innovative width-sized footwear and athletic apparel for women, men, and children. The range of product categories includes running, walking, cross training, basketball, tennis, adventure sports, and kids. Work and hiking boots, sandals, boat shoes, and rugged casuals are also available through the company's Dunham Bootmakers division. Dunham joined the New Balance family in Fall 1998. New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. employs more than 2,400 people around the globe, and in 2001 reported worldwide sales of $1.16 billion. For more information please visit http://www.newbalance.com.
