Since the beginning of 2026, Clothette has orchestrated three activation campaigns for Salomon Sportstyle. Whisper in Marseille then in department stores, ACS Shell at Labo Store, Pink Pack at Family in Aix-en-Provence: three distinct trade marketing strategies, from targeted commercial launches to capsule storytelling. These activations illustrate the agency's ability to translate a brand's vision to different communities and environments.

Clothette's role in Salomon activations

The agency interprets the brand's vision to adapt it to the identity of each partner (boutique) on the ground. "The agency's added value lies here in its ability to identify how to activate products. Each boutique has its own universe, audience, and way of telling its story," analyzes a trade marketing representative from the agency.

This adaptation work is a two-way street. On one hand, boutique partners take ownership of the brand's briefs and campaigns to give them local resonance. On the other, their feedback helps adjust and enrich the global strategy of Salomon Sportstyle.

Whisper: launching a targeted campaign, then adapting it to wider distribution

Marseille as a strategic starting point

The year begins with the launch of the Salomon Sportstyle XT Whisper with two partners from Marseille: Corner and Goudron. Why Marseille? The city has established itself in recent seasons as a strategic territory for fashion and lifestyle brands, with an influential local scene on a national scale.

The approach at Corner and Goudron is consistent: boutiques whose identity and community create an ideal welcoming context for the Whisper, prior to any broader rollout.

From targeted to commercial, a controlled progression

The campaign is then rolled out to department stores, which are by nature more commercial and mainstream. Clothette's approach: build desirability in niche contexts, then extend distribution without diluting the product's positioning.

"This activation shows the agency's capacity to launch a campaign with targeted partners and then adapt it to wider retail environments." A concrete example of supporting a brand from the independent boutique all the way to key accounts.

ACS Shell: repositioning a product

The challenge: renewing the perception of a priority model

The activation around the ACS Shell addresses another challenge. The model is a priority for the brand, and the goal is to refresh how consumers perceive it. To achieve this, Clothette chooses Labo Store as a partner, following a deliberately experimental angle.

"The goal was to bring a sharper, more desirable energy to the product." A product can change its status depending on the environment in which it is presented. The entire approach lies in selecting a relevant environment.

What this activation illustrates about the agency's approach

Identifying Labo Store as the right partner illustrates the agency's fine-grained knowledge of French retail. "This activation shows how to reposition a product and renew its perception through the choice of the right environment, the right partner." A result built on a precise reading of the field and its communities.

Pink Pack: building a capsule narrative and celebrating its partners

Family as a space for expression

The third campaign of the year accompanies the launch of the Pink Pack, a capsule built around a color declined on each model. To express this capsule, Clothette identifies Family as the most relevant space.

"Family is the most relevant space to express the capsule and give full play to its universe." The choice is also an opportunity to celebrate the opening of Family's new space in Aix-en-Provence: an activation that simultaneously serves the interests of the brand and those of the boutique, keeping in close step with the development of its network.

A narrative approach that adapts to each community

"This activation illustrates an ability to build a coherent narrative and adapt it to the identities and communities of different partners." This is the difference between an activation that plasters a message onto a venue and one that lets the partner reclaim the message for their own community. This ensures an authentic result.

Although quantitative results are not disclosed, one indicator speaks for itself: the products highlighted during these local activations rarely reach the end-of-season sales racks.

Three approaches, one same logic

These three campaigns illustrate three distinct activation registers: a progressive commercial launch with Whisper, a product repositioning with ACS Shell, and a capsule narrative with Pink Pack. Three examples, one method: each activation is conceived from the partner's perspective and for their community.

Clothette brings Salomon an ability to read the ground and build moments that make sense for the targeted communities, season after season. An expertise built over the long term.

Interested in this type of approach? Contact the Clothette team.

FAQ: brand activations and trade marketing with Clothette

What is a brand activation in fashion wholesale?

An activation is an operation conducted jointly by a brand, a wholesale agent, and a retail partner to create a key moment around a product or collection. It goes beyond simple shelf placement: it builds an experience, a narrative, or an event around the product in a context selected for its relevance.

Why choose targeted independent partners over key accounts to launch a product?

Independent boutiques with strong identities help build a product's desirability within a specific community before wider distribution. This is a sequence that The Clothette regularly applies for Salomon: create the right context first, then expand.

How does Clothette select partners for a Salomon activation?

By combining product knowledge and objectives with a deep understanding of French retail: the boutique's identity, its community, its local anchoring, and its capacity to take ownership of a brand brief to give it local resonance.

Do activations work just as well outside of Paris?

Yes. Marseille is a concrete example of a strategic territory for lifestyle brands today. Ultra-local activations outside of Paris consistently generate strong engagement, often higher than in major metropolitan areas.

How can a brand benefit from this type of activation with Clothette?

By contacting the agency to discuss its distribution and activation strategy on the French market. Clothette supports brands from order placement to on-the-ground activation.