The Belarusian Automobile Plant (BelAZ), known for its giant mining dump trucks, has unexpectedly expanded its product range to include footwear.
“Timberlands” from BelAZ, which are Chinese copies of American boots, cost 120 Belarusian rubles (40 euros). For comparison, the original Timberland Premium 6-Inch Boot cost about 200 euros. It is noted that the BelAZ version is made of genuine leather.
According to human rights activists, because of these shoes, a wave of detentions at BelAZ, detentions are associated with criticism of new shoesissued by the company. According to available information, BelAZ employees created a chat, where they ridiculed "Timberlands" made in China with a dump truck badge. This criticism, apparently, was the reason for the detentions.
BelAZ positions its shoes as an affordable analogue of the American brand Timberland, seeking to create an image of victory over Western capitalism (despite the fact that the boots are made in China).
In this context, Negative feedback from employees could be perceived as undermining this propaganda campaign, which explains the harsh reaction of the authorities.
Screenshots from the satirical Telegram group “Soviet Belarus” / @sovbelarussia
On the BelAZ website, in addition to dump trucks, you can also buy T-shirts, caps, jackets and belts.
Why did BelAZ start producing boots?
Most likely, it's simple Marketing Campaign.
It may also be due to the expansion of the target audience, because the sale of boots allows BelAZ to go beyond its traditional audience associated with the mining industry. This can contribute to increased profits and brand awareness.
It’s worth noting that there are already many positive initial reviews of BelAZ boots on social media. Judging by these reviews, a lot of people are eager to get their hands on these boots, which are in no way inferior in quality. You won’t be able to place an online order, though—the company’s online store has been down since the news broke. So all hope lies with construction supply stores.
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