The Best idea in the room Wins

Over the past months in various industry seminars and publications I have seen a particular case study pop up again and again. It has been held up as a best in show example for almost anything. From social networking, to conversational marketing and Web 2.0, to content strategy and consumer participation, to emerging, non-traditional media, to consumers in control. Any guesses as to this phantasmagorical marketing example? It is of course Nike+, (I suppose the picture might've been a giveaway) possibly the most successful mash up of all time. The meeting of super brands- Nike and Apple, to create a product offering linked to an online portal come social network for runners from all over the world. So what is it really?

Well the short answer is, all of the above.

The longer answer, and the more interesting answer, is that it is just a great idea. It grows out a very a simple equation. What is the consumer need or want that the brand can fulfill? The most important piece of the puzzle is that the consumer is at the heart of the equation. Take a pre-existing brand and product offering and seek to make it a better experience for your customers. From a consumer point of view there was a pretty obvious need, "wouldn't it be nice if I knew how far and fast I was running. This is where the second piece of great thinking kicks in. There were already products on the market that solved this need/want. Companies such as Polar and Garmin already had products on the market that could tell you this data, with even more detail to boot, including heart rate, calories burnt, even linked to GPS to give an altimeter and mapping facilities. The problem with these applications is that they were expensive and lacked universal appeal. They were too niche. So how could Nike solve this need with universal appeal? What Nike did was to add additional insights on top.The second important insight? That a huge number of people these days were running listening to music on their IPod. Wouldn't it make sense to utilise this pre-existing behaviour to solve the consumer want? And use it they did!

Now people are using it as an example of marketing 2.0 or next generation marketing (or whatever other buzz word you want to call it really). But it isn't a marketing or media execution at all. Don't get me wrong, it is now being used to generate communication with the consumer and in turn market NIke products. But essentially it is a just a really good product offering driven by what was then an unmet consumer want. What came first was the value created for the consumer. What resulted was the connection with the brand. Firstly Nike creates an offering that enhances the running experience, off the back of this they build elements into the portal so that consumers spend more time with the brand and also so that Nike call sell them more products.

Importantly if you want to create a relationship with your consumer, give them a reason, give them some value. Here Nike gives you ra eason to spend time with their brand. The take your current behaviour- running, and build something to make it better. Sure you have to buy the product first, but the rest you get for free! The portal, the data housing of your personal stats, the facility to challenge your mates (and the data to prove you are the fastest!), not to mention the ability to link with other likeminded people- all this is value add. And in an added twist Nike also took an important step by making the technology available to all runners. The product can be used on shoes other than Nike. OK so Nike made sure the experience is that little bit better on Nike shoes but they did something very clever by making the product inclusive not exclusive- Authentic even?! (See previous post)

But above all the key to the success of Nike+, is that is a great idea where the consumer was put first.