Digital Strategy
Goal: To revitalise Roger’s Shoe Repairs with digital strategies that preserve its legacy while equipping it for a sustainable future under new ownership.
Academic project as part of the Digital Revolution unit in the Master of Interaction Design and Electronic Arts programme at the University of Sydney
10 Weeks
Completed March 2024
In-class Presentation
Digital Strategy Report
Kesnavi Parammanandhan
Divya Ravi
Dayal Sebastian
Rully Zakaria
Roger’s Shoe Shop, Redfern, NSW 2016
Design Lead
Background Research
Stakeholder Analysis
Strategy Development
Strategic Design Thinking
Stakeholder Analysis
Digital Strategy Development
Ethnographic research
Service Design
Communication
Roger’s Shoe Repairs has been a fixture in Redfern for over 60 years, making it one of Sydney’s oldest businesses (The Old Shops of Sydney, 2014). Known for its quality craftsmanship and dedicated customer base, the shop has retained a traditional approach without adopting digital tools or online engagement. Our goal was to create a strategic framework that preserves Roger’s legacy while positioning his son, Nathan, to lead the business into the future.
Roger doing his thing (The Old Shops of Sydney, 2014)
1. Background Research and Stakeholder Analysis
We began by interviewing Roger to understand the business’s culture and values. An online ethnography of Google Reviews revealed that Roger’s primary marketing tool is word-of-mouth, with a strong 4.8 rating based on 246 customer reviews (Brennan, 2023). However, the absence of a broader online presence limits Roger’s ability to reach new customers.
2. Competitor Analysis
To understand Roger’s position in the local market, we examined three primary competitors with a strong digital presence. These competitors offered conveniences such as websites, online booking, and delivery options, providing insights into the gaps in Roger’s current strategy. By establishing a more accessible digital presence, Roger’s could strengthen its competitiveness.
Competitor positioning map
3. Theatre of Service: Front Stage and Back Stage
Using the “Theatre of Service” model (Zomerdijk & Voss, 2010), we conceptualised Roger’s as a performance space where customers are the audience, and Roger and Nathan are the actors. This framework allowed us to pinpoint key touchpoints in the service experience, where customer expectations interact with operational realities:
Front Stage: The customer’s experience begins by calling out to Roger or Nathan, as they are often occupied in the back—a potential point of friction. The use of a small yellow stub to track repairs, though functional, could be updated for better customer retention and engagement. While Roger’s conversational style creates warmth, these touchpoints could benefit from enhanced efficiency (Woolliscroft, 2020).
Back Stage: Behind the scenes, Roger and Nathan work on repairs with minimal formal tracking or customer engagement processes. Implementing a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system could improve efficiency and ensure a consistent service experience from beginning to end (Zomerdijk & Voss, 2010).
Front Stage backstage analysis (Woolliscroft, 2020)
4. Identifying Pain Points
The research identified four critical challenges for Roger’s Shoe Repairs:
Lack of digital presence
Competitive disadvantage
Limited distribution channels
Low engagement outside in-store interactions
Our proposed strategy consists of three levels, each building upon the last to establish Roger’s as a modern yet tradition-honouring brand:
Level 1: Establish a Digital Foundation
Website Development: A website would serve as the primary contact point, showcasing services, customer reviews, and Roger’s legacy.
Distribution Channels: A partnership with a service like Uber could facilitate shoe pickup and delivery, adding convenience.
CRM Integration: A CRM system would enable repair tracking and notifications, enhancing customer communication and service transparency.
Immediate Outcomes: Improved accessibility, increased customer engagement, and alignment with competitors.
Level 2: Rebranding to Roger’s Shoe Studio
Artisanal Rebranding: Transitioning to “Roger’s Shoe Studio and Repair,” the shop could offer customisation options, emphasising its heritage.
Social Media Presence: A social media strategy focused on showcasing craftsmanship could build brand loyalty and attract a wider audience.
Website Customisation Tool: Allowing customers to design custom features online fosters personal engagement.
Enhanced Outcomes: A unique brand identity, expanded digital presence, and enhanced community engagement.
Level 3: Experiential and Community Integration
Pop-Up Repair Stalls: Mobile repair stalls in high-traffic areas would increase visibility and connect Roger’s with new audiences.
Workshops and Community Events: Hosting workshops supports local craftsmanship and engages the community, creating a memorable, experience-centric brand.
Local Partnerships: Collaborating with local brands could cement Roger’s as a quality repair destination with a focus on heritage.
Long-Term Vision: Position Roger’s as a community-centric, experiential brand, preserving a traditional craft in a modern context
Strategic Impact
The combined impact of these strategies is transformational. With Level 1, Roger’s can achieve essential digital foundations. By Level 2, it repositions as an artisanal brand, and Level 3 establishes it as a community landmark and symbol of craftsmanship, balancing heritage with modernisation.
This project highlighted both the opportunities and challenges in revitalising a legacy business. Roger’s long standing approach and deep personal connection to the shop make him resistant to change, which we observed during our interactions. The primary focus of our strategies was thus on his son, Nathan, who is poised to take over and may be more receptive to adopting modern methods. In retrospect, a more effective approach might have included specific elements that appealed to Roger’s values, such as emphasising heritage through storytelling or creating physical, in-store changes that align with his traditional methods. Bridging the old with the new in a way that respects Roger’s legacy could have encouraged him to embrace incremental digital changes himself, building a foundation for Nathan’s future leadership.
This project also underscored the importance of adaptability in design strategy. Moving forward, I aim to further refine the balance between respecting established business practices and introducing innovation, ensuring recommendations resonate with each stakeholder’s values.
References
Brennan, P. (2023). [Review of Joe's Shoe Repair]. Screenshot of Google Review. Retrieved from https://g.co/kgs/JheZmVt
The old shops of Sydney. (2014). In The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2014/OldShops/roger-shoe-repairs.html
Woolliscroft, T. (2020, September 28). Applying Theatre Within Service Design [Image]. Ideasmiths. https://medium.com/ideasmiths-blog/applying-theatre-within-service-design-d3aed1a8bbbe
Zomerdijk, L. G., & Voss, C. A. (2010). Service Design for Experience-Centric Services. Journal of Service Research : JSR, 13(1), 67–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670509351960
dayalsebastian@outlook.com
Dayal Sebastian - Design Portfolio 2024