Nike’s new strategy to their world marketing has had their opponents and fans alike questioning whether or not a brand new period in massive-brand marketing has come about. In that case; is it working?
Nike is among the few main sports activities labels that has actually embraced the digital technology. They just lately modified their core goal market to seventeen-year-olds, citing that the age group spends 20% extra on shoes than their older counterparts. This shift in perspective has caused a wholly new strategy to their communication with their fans as a result of marketing these days is all about communication. As Mark Parker (Nike CEO) stated, “Connecting immediately is a dialogue.”
Nike launched the Fuelband, a wristband that permits sports-lovers to trace their progress by means of an interactive website. Not solely did the Fuelband obtain huge success nevertheless it additionally spawned an online group that revolved round Nike bringing sports activities into individuals’s on a regular basis lives. One other optimistic (and somewhat sneaky) profit to the Fuelband online group is that it acts as a continuing marketing survey for Nike products and Nike’s market, often letting Nike know what individuals like about what they promote and which sports activities are hottest.
In 2006, Nike+ was conceived. Partnering with Apple and using on the wave of success the iPod created, Nike added yet one more facet to their online interplay. Fortune’s Scott Cendrowski explains it finest:
“Powered by a sensor inside working shoes, the service each displays a runner’s efficiency and supplies digital teaching. A voice lets runners understand how a lot farther they need to go; the PowerSong perform generates a musical blast for further motivation. On the finish, it logs particulars of the exercise onto Nikeplus.com, the place customers can retailer and analyze the info, get training ideas, and share exercises with pals.”
One other online group, one other solution to discover out Nike customers’ exercise and behavioural patterns and musical tastes and usually one other solution to learn the way they stay their lives. Nike has perfected the art of getting in contact with the those that assist them.
Nike realised that they needed to go the place their goal market was going and speak to them on their stage – fundamental marketing rules nevertheless it result in a totally new brand character for Nike. Their worldwide Fb page now has 8,938,010 likes. Their Nike Footballs Fb page boasts a staggering 11,807,328 likes. The Nike Fb app has 360,000 month-to-month customers – that is 360,000 individuals updating Nike’s market analysis each single month and that is not even your entire image. Their Nike Probability Fb app has 250,000 month-to-month customers and their Nike Free Run iD has 80,000 month-to-month customers. A really spectacular transition into the digital world and it reveals that Nike actually perceive how the social networking world operates.
On Twitter, they’ve a barely disappointing 377,367 followers. Then once more, the tweets outcomes page is continually flooded with mentions.
In 2010, Nike actually put their stamp on the social-media map once they hosted their ‘Write the Future marketing campaign’. Working from their Nike Football Fb page, the marketing campaign revolved round listening to what their fans needed to say about their favorite football gamers. A tab on the page let customers select from a number of internationally-recognised footballs gamers and write a 43-character tag-line. The most well-liked or catchy tag-lines had been screened at a pre-determined time on the Life Centre, utilizing an LED screen the approximate measurement of half a football subject. Tag-lines may be entered by means of Twitter, utilizing the #NIKEFUTURE hashtag 거품제로 후기.
The marketing campaign not solely let Nike know who their fans’ favorite football gamers had been but additionally used the idea of recognition as a reward as an alternative of tangible give-aways, which most likely labored higher than any Nike bundle might have.
Not solely did the marketing campaign obtain worldwide popularity of being progressive, edgy and trendy nevertheless it additionally ensured Nike’s place as an enormous brand name within the South African market – a market that’s too usually uncared for. Write The Future confirmed the world that Nike was in-tune with the brand new digital age that has lead many different worldwide manufacturers to overlook out on the youthful market.
Nike has now drastically diminished the portion of their marketing funds spent on conventional, off-line advertising. Nevertheless, this does not imply that they’ve diminished their marketing funds usually. Quite, Nike has poured their funding into marketing that works now as an alternative of marketing that labored earlier than. They spent a record-breaking $2.4 billion {dollars} on marketing in 2011, the vast majority of it for his or her online interplay. Adverts for Nike now flight first on their Fb stage, versus the normal manner of placing them on TV and later making the advert out there online. It is an strategy that different firms are sometimes far too scared to strive – nevertheless it’s working.
The world now awaits Nike’s subsequent transfer. We’re all betting it will likely be a totally new tackle the social media connection, undoubtedly a subject of dialog and as soon as once more wow Nike fans and purchasers throughout the globe with its interactive strategy and edgy design.
