I decided to buy a pair of true running shoes for the first time ever and I went straight to the Nike store without considering their competitors. This made me think about why we are loyal to certain brands. It’s something I work on for clients/prospects all the time, but this was a bit more personal.
We know many brands aim to ‘hook’ kids at an early age, but do you believe their efforts have a lasting impact?
Let’s try an experiment. If you’re a guy between the ages of 27 and 33, make a quick list of the popular brands you remember from elementary school through college. Include clothing, school accessories, watches, shoes, hats and more. Ladies, feel free to try this as well, but keep in mind that my list is based on the male perspective. Once you’ve made your list, continue reading and see how many we have in common.
Here’s mine in chronological order – Skidz, Trapper Keepers, Bum Equipment, Z Cavaricci, Hypercolor, Nike, Reebok Pumps, Bart Simpson t-shirts, Swatch Watches, Eastland boat shoes (at the same time we were ‘pegging’ our pants), Patrick Ewing sneakers, Guess Jeans, Starter Jackets, New Era fitted caps, Co-Ed Naked, No Fear, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, Polo, Structure, Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch, American Eagle and The Game college ‘bar’ caps.
Were slap bracelets a branded item? Those were huge for a minute.
How many did we have in common? I’m betting at least 10.
While we remember a lot of the same brands, how many of them continue to influence our buying decisions today?
For the men of Gen X and Gen Y, I believe Nike is one one of the few brands that fit into this category.
Why is this the case? It comes down to one word – Jordan.
The success of the Jordan brand has been documented before, but I’m not sure I realized the enduring impact it had until this recent sneaker purchase.
Here are my top ten reasons why this was the brand we had to have and why it still matters:
1. The Man – While Jordan was clearly dominant on the court, he was also a solid actor, a likable personality and an extremely savvy marketer. Who else could have gotten away with waving their tongue around like that without being called a showboat?
2. From Hype to History – Many athletes dominate their respective sports on a personal level, but few win as many team championships as Jordan. Each time we saw him hugging the trophy (six!), it paid off on the premise that he was the greatest and worthy of icon status.
3. ESPN – What MTV did for music, ESPN did for sports. SportsCenter enabled Jordan’s acrobatic shots and game-winning heroics to become the viral videos of our time.
4. Commercial Appeal – Nike wasn’t the only brand working with Jordan, but they certainly benefited from the collective exposure of his endorsements. Some of the other memorable spots came from Gatorade (who made us say ‘I want to be like Mike’) and McDonald’s (who turned ‘nothing but net’ into a trash talking staple).
5. Jumpman – Originally Nike used a pair of wings, but soon a silhouette of Jordan himself, known as “Jumpman,” became the official logo. The mark was sleek, stylish and a huge hit. Nike quickly expanded the Jordan brand beyond shoes and never looked back. If you couldn’t have a pair of $125 sneakers, at least you could rep the Jordan brand on your socks. Everyone was sporting the logo, including recognizable cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny! To this day Nike produces an extensive line of Jumpman merchandise and they sponsor professional athletes in basketball, baseball, football and track.
6. Exclusivity – The shoes were expensive and each new design presented something revolutionary in the category (the air bubble, toggle, patent leather, etc.). Rocking the new Jordans became a status symbol and made you part of an exclusive club. In some cases this even led to violence as Sports Illustrated documented with a controversial cover story.
7. Retro – As the anticipation for new Jordans faded, Nike announced a program to re-release the original shoes in order. Thus beginning the same virtuous cycle of demand all over again. At seemingly just the right time, kids who were previously at the mercy of their parents were now old enough to make their own buying decisions. Nike gave them another chance to own the sneakers they couldn’t have the first time around.
8. Living Color – Once the original line was back on the market (with each shoe in limited supply to ensure high demand), Nike began releasing new color combinations. This gave loyalists yet another reason to purchase the same shoes for a third or fourth time. At this point I couldn’t resist getting in on the action and decided to purchase a pair of Mars Blackmon ‘Brooklyn’ Jordan IV’s. These rarely make it out of the box but I love owning them for all the reasons listed in this post.
9. Mash-ups – Nike is currently releasing a number of ‘mash-ups‘ that combine design elements from different sneakers. It’s one more way they leverage nostalgia while innovating at the same time. It also helps them fuel the growing sneakerhead market.
10. Relevance – While we’ve seen some of his contemporaries fall from grace and their marketability ruined by off-court antics, the Jordan brand remains strong. As a result, his close association with Nike continues to drive significant business.
Do you attribute your love of Nike to Mike?
Is there another brand that had an early impact and continues to influence your buying decisions today?