Recently came across a video that was both hilarious and fascinating. I couldn’t help but admire how clever this boss is.
In the video, a 50-something boss and several of his male executives are all dancing in high heels. Yes, you read that right—men wearing high heels, and they’re actually pretty good at it. What’s even more impressive? They claim they can dance for 6 hours straight without getting tired.
My first reaction was: Is this a joke? But after watching it, I realized this guy is selling shoes, and he’s doing it pretty smartly.
Today, let’s talk about this case and see how he does his marketing. Honestly, I found it quite inspiring.
From “High Heels” to “Balance Shoes”—What a Brilliant Name
This boss runs a shoe factory in Dongguan, Guangdong. They make all kinds of shoes—children’s shoes, men’s shoes, women’s shoes, you name it. But guess what he mainly promotes? Only high heels, and he even gave them a new name: “Balance Shoes”.
At first, I was puzzled. High heels are high heels, why call them balance shoes? Then it hit me—this name is genius.
Think about it, what’s the biggest problem with high heels? They’re tiring, painful, and easy to twist your ankle in. Many women want to look good but don’t want to suffer, so they avoid wearing them when possible.
But this boss reframed it: Our shoes are called “balance shoes” because they give you such good balance that you can dance in them for 6 hours straight.
See the difference? The original selling point was “beautiful,” now it’s “so comfortable you can dance in them.” This instantly solves the biggest pain point of high heels.
And he actually made a video to prove it—dancing in high heels for 6 hours. Who wouldn’t believe that?
Focusing on One Market Segment, But Doing It Perfectly
Honestly, I really admire this boss. His factory makes all kinds of shoes, but he only promotes high heels, specifically targeting business women.
Why this group? Simple, because they need it the most and are most willing to pay.
Think about it, who needs to wear high heels the most?
- Career women who need them for meetings and client visits
- Female business owners who wear them for negotiations
- Women attending events, dinners, and receptions
What’s their pain point? They want to look professional but don’t want to suffer. If there’s a pair of high heels that’s both beautiful and comfortable, they’re willing to pay more.
So this boss seized this opportunity and focused on this market. This is what we call market segmentation—not trying to serve everyone, but finding the people who need you most and serving them well.
All-Male Dance Team—This Creativity Is Brilliant
What I admire most is his marketing approach.
How do typical high heel ads work? Hire female models, have them walk the runway in heels, make it look beautiful. But this boss didn’t do that. He got a group of male executives to dance in high heels.
And these guys weren’t randomly chosen—they’re all company executives: Production Director, Logistics Director, management trainees, all young and good-looking guys.
Isn’t this creative brilliant?
First, the visual impact is incredible. Men wearing high heels is already rare, and they’re dancing? And dancing well? Who wouldn’t be curious? Curiosity drives clicks, and clicks drive shares.
Second, it matches the target customers’ aesthetics. Who are his target customers? Business women, especially wealthy women. What do they like watching? Young, handsome men dancing. So he got a group of young guys to dance for them. Some joke this is “rich lady aesthetics,” but you know what, it works.
Third, it’s the best proof of product quality. If women danced in heels, people would think “maybe she’s used to it” or “maybe she’s a professional.” But when men dance in heels, and dance well, people think: “These shoes must really be comfortable—if men can dance in them, women definitely can.”
See? One video addresses the product’s selling point, target customers, and viral potential all at once.
Still Learning to Dance at 50—That’s What’s Most Impressive
Honestly, after watching this video, what I admire most isn’t how smart his marketing is, but that this boss is in his 50s and still learning new things.
Think about it—a 50-something person learning to dance for a video, and dancing in high heels. How much courage does that take? Many people at this age already think “I can’t do this,” “I can’t learn,” “This isn’t for me,” or “This is embarrassing.”
But not this boss. He not only learned himself but brought his executives along to learn and make videos together. And after making them, he shares his experience, encouraging everyone to make short videos to face current business challenges.
What is this? This is learning ability, this is an open mindset.
I’ve been in the packaging equipment industry for 20 years and have seen too many bosses. Some get older and refuse to learn new things, thinking “the old ways worked fine, why change?” As a result, business gets harder and they don’t know what to do.
But this boss is different. At 50+, he’s still learning short video marketing, still learning to dance. This is true entrepreneurial spirit.
Some joke: “If he stops making shoes, he can always go dance.” But I think this isn’t a joke—it’s a mindset: not afraid of failure, daring to try, always learning.
What Can We Learn?
After seeing this case, I’ve been thinking: What can we learn from it?
First, market segmentation is really important. Business is tough now, price wars are fierce—what do we do? Don’t try to serve every customer. Find a market segment and go deep. Like this boss—he makes all kinds of shoes but only promotes high heels, only targeting business women.
Second, short videos are really a great tool. Advertising used to cost a fortune, now you can make a short video—low cost, fast spread. The key is having “conflict,” having “contrast,” being eye-catching. Men dancing in high heels—that’s the ultimate conflict.
Third, marketing must hit pain points. Don’t say how good your product is, say what problems it solves. The pain point of high heels is “tiring and painful,” this boss’s solution is “comfortable enough to dance in for 6 hours.” That’s pain point marketing.
Finally, learning ability is really important. A 50-year-old boss is learning short videos and dancing—what excuse do we have not to learn? Times are changing, we need to change with them. Don’t resist new things, embrace them.
Final Thoughts
This case really inspired me.
As someone who’s been in the packaging equipment industry for 10 years, I’m also thinking about how to adapt to the new market environment. Price wars are fierce, customer needs are changing, traditional marketing doesn’t work as well anymore.
But after seeing this case, I think there’s still opportunity. The key is:
- Find a market segment and go deep
- Learn new marketing methods, like short videos
- Hit customers’ pain points, provide real solutions
- Keep learning, keep an open mind
Honestly, I want to try making short videos too. I can’t dance, but I can film the factory, film equipment, film customer cases. The key is to start, to take action.
If a 50-year-old boss can dance in high heels, what can’t we do?
Right? 😊
Video Link:
I have to say, this boss could really go dance professionally! Haha!
P.S. If you’re also thinking about how to do market segmentation and short video marketing, feel free to connect with me. I’ve been in the packaging equipment industry for 10 years and I’m also learning new marketing methods. Let’s explore together.