Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Nike: It's not Marketing, It's Lifestyle

Groundswell, a book about digital marketing, lays the foundation for engaging customers as partners in the brand not simply wallets with money.

The message is simple, but the implementation is revolutionary (and tricky). While the book doesn't use Nike for any of its case studies, it's hard to deny that the company has turned its brands -- and particularly its Jordan brand -- into a lifestyle necessity for the hip.

In that sense, it's no different than Apple, the computer electronics company that carved its niche by convincing its users they weren't just buying a computer or an MP3 player, they were buying into a community.

Of course, not every innovative campaign has worked. Nike's Presto fiasco failed. But the idea behind it was to promote the idea of the what you do with shoes -- not the shoes themselves. If you formed a community of active people, eventually they will talk about what types of footwear to use. With some prompting.

For Nike, prompting that conversation has been less about selling shoes and more about giving, say, runners the tools they need to train, compete and excel. Out of that online training utility, you can begin to create a social network of others who think like you -- all brought to you by Nike. Soon, the Nike brand isn't simply about your next shoes, it's the idea that personifies what you do.

And emerging technologies allow companies to reinforce the brand message -- that Acme IS you -- which creates a subconscious loyalty.

My name is Brad King, and I'm a Nik-aholic.

Posted By Brad King at 03:59 PM
Permanent Link: Nike: It's not Marketing, It's Lifestyle | Comments (2)

(2) Comments on Nike: It's not Marketing, It's Lifestyle

Appreciate the link to Hard Knox Life. Nike has become such a strong and enduring brand because of their lifestyle marketing. They are one of the few brands (besides Harley and a few others) where consumers are willing to get a tattoo of the brand logo. Their digital efforts help take this relationship further with a new generation

Comments by Dave Knox : Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 05:44 PM

Heya Dave:

No problem. You're a regular part of the blog reader these days.

It's not just about a brand, though. Apple is much more about Lifestyle than each of their products. The brand is the company; however, for P&G, the brand isn't tampons -- it's girls growing up.

There's so many ways to capture and serve your customers. Not always easy. But effective, I think, if done right.

Comments by Brad King : Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 02:53 PM

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