My Letter to Nike+

Nike+,

Digitalizing an entire sport such as golf seems like an incredibly daunting task, but it also sounds really exciting. Imagine having a database of every golfer. Players will be able to track their improvement day by day, and year by year. I was playing golf earlier and came up with a terrific idea for an app that in essence would get rid of the need of a scorecard. When brainstorming ideas for it, I realized that my idea can stretch much farther than I originally expected and began doing research on how technology is being implemented in all aspects of golf. 

In my theoretical app, one would be able to track any and every of information about their golf game, including (but not limited to):

-score
-handicap
-weather conditions
-stats

Say for example a simple statistic noting what % of fairways a golfer hits. There's a problem; how does the app seamlessly know when a ball is hit into the rough or into the fairway? A golfer sure isn't going to input it into their phone every time. Then I thought: well what if the ball had a sensor/gps in it that paired with the phones gps to precisely locate the balls position on the course. Then I'm like: are sensors even in golf balls? 

I was specifically curious whether sensors were being embedded in golf balls or not for this type of idea. I know there is already a company (RadarGolf) that uses sensors which simply locates lost balls for you but there are obviously so many other aspects of a golf ball to consider: spin, velocity, wind, temperature, etc. that players would be interested to see. At first I was looking at Titleist then my attention directed to Nike+ products as it seems you guys are taking Big Data seriously. 

1. Do you imbed sensors into the Nike golf balls?
2. Do you see the massive opportunity in such a product? More and more want to see data regarding their golf game and be able to access it via the cloud. Putting something into your golf balls would not only give you the ability to tell players more information about the game, but it also puts your product way ahead of the others. Then imagine integrating it with your own golf app where players can see all types of info regarding their game. It's a "Big Idea" (get it?) but if executed correctly it can put you miles ahead of competition.

I think there is a big opportunity to get ahead if you were to have the perfect combination of products. Would you guys consider something like this? If yes, I would be very interested in working on this type of project with you guys :). 

Either way I'm curious about how Nike+ is tackling golf in The Digital Age.

School & Team Spirit Yoga Pants

Preface/Intro

The most important thing to keep in mind is that this is less about the product we are selling and more about the story we’re telling to our consumers. The product I talk about is only a shift into something much bigger which, if implemented correctly, has a chance to win over the hearts of the consumers.

I don’t think I need to list the advantages of yoga pants and why they are so popular, especially to a yoga pants retailer. Women & men alike are fond of them (albeit for different reasons).  As popular as they are, I realized that there is a glaring flaw which no one to my knowledge has taken advantage of; they lack variety! Sure, there is a variety of colors to choose from, but on a general level most styles lack a uniqueness that separates itself from the competition. Fashion is as popular as ever and making a differentiated product in this market has fantastic opportunity. The basic idea of my product is to create team based and school based designed yoga pants, where there is no shortage of diversity and promise.

Strategy

This is about much more than the product itself. This is about redefining the user experience and essentially creating a “social” product. Consumers, and especially millennials, want something in exchange for their loyalty (and use of data). Lucy Activewear has a massive opportunity to benefit from this. Creating a service like the one I explain will put you ahead of your competition. Lucy can become a household name that dips into the segment (sporting apparel) where your current products are targeted to. It opens up a lot of doors in terms of opportunities and reach.

My new idea for school and team spirit yoga pants provide a great opportunity to truly connect with the consumer and perhaps most importantly generate brand loyalty. The service is as important, if not more, than the product itself. It is no longer enough to take a customers money and say “Thanks! Come back again!”; no loyalty is built around such a  business model. I want to create an experience where the consumer feels inclined to participate and be a part of what’s going on. With the proper mobile and social strategy, these yoga pants can be a fun and competitive way for consumers to show their support for their respective schools and sports teams. Before I get to these strategies, I will provide the opportunity that lies within the yoga pants themselves.

Contemporary School/Team Spirit Yoga Pants

These are the most “prolific” sports related yoga pants I could find.

That’s it. I challenge you to find better ones than this; I have been looking for everything and anything and have come up with nada. The overwhelming consensus I see when searching for these types of yoga pants is that most are black with the school/team logo on them (like above), sometimes with the school/team spelled out. Almost none are school colored; the ones that are (that I have found) aren’t considered yoga pants by definition. They lack the fundamental aspect of team colors, let alone variations of that aspect.

Yoga Pants & Their Potential

As I said earlier, all types of sports can be included.

-MLB

-NFL

-NBA

-NHL

-Soccer (MLS & International)

-Nascar

-NCAA Athletics

Each sport contains its own ecosystem of competitors and competitive teams, and each team has its own unique style of colors and logos that may be used as a foundation for design. I came up with a few photoshopped examples to show what some options are.

Basic

Pretty self explanatory. Single colored pants based on team colors. Most if not all teams and school have more than one primary color, allowing for more than one option in this category.

Designs/Patterns

There is a ton of potential in this area. I created simple versions of what will be a complex but fun subject.

Themes

There are a variety of themes that professional leagues coordinate each year. Each provides an opportunity to make an array of new products.

-Throwback

-Veterans Day (Camouflage)

-Breast Cancer Awareness (Pink)

-4th of July (Red, White, & Blue)

-St. Patricks Day (Green)

-Other holidays that have a “theme” (Halloween)

Humor

Making light of unfortunate situations also provides potential further connecting with the consumer. While plenty of fans may support their respective teams when they are good, it may be hard to support your teams apparel when your team is in a slump. Creating products like the one above provides a light hearted dynamic for the consumer and for all those who see it.

Logos

Each team has a variety of logos and slogans that can be included, further differentiating a product. We are in an age where consumers want their own little flair in what they wear, and having the option to choose from a variety of team logos should prove to be popular. Personalization is a key component which will be further discussed. There is a ton of variety in the simplest of logos that can and should be utilized:

* * * * * *

Also consider when and where women will wear these. Sporting events, bar and restaurant type settings, social situations, everyday situations, and others. Part of the appeal of watching sporting events is to get together with others and have a great time. These pants can expand one's repertoire in their fashion sense and also it provides a great jumping off point for conversation.

These pants are more than just supporting your team. They are also a fashion statement (which could be more valuable in a womans mind). I noted earlier that most current yoga pants are bland and don’t provide much of a foundation for a woman to mix and match with. Providing an amplitude of design patterns, colors, and styles will solve such a problem, especially in this world where younger women constantly turn to social media as a means to show off their style and fashion. There will also be standard options such as your Hatha pants need it be. Color scheming is important, but we want users to know they can also get standard if needed.

Licensing

The first thing to note on the business side of things is the licensing aspect. We obviously need approval from schools and teams to make this even work. I am a novice in this area so I can’t comment much further than that.

Social & Mobile Strategy

Overview

When a customer decides to hop aboard, we want them to create a profile. Within this profile, there are plenty of things they will be able to do, including:

- sharing their outfits with the world

- mixing & matching product options

- the ability to “try on” their chosen product with camera technology before buying                  product

- earn points & win prizes based on certain criteria

- see other customers’ outfits (and buy/wish list the item)

Buying the Product

When searching for the yoga pants of a users choosing, there will be two ways to view the pants when deciding what to buy via your mobile device. One will be the pants as a standalone with a 360 degree panorama view. Potential buyers can view all angles of all potential designs they come up with. Color schemes/designs/patterns/logos will all be available on hand within the same screen as panorama to avoid unnecessary complexity. Second, the user will be able to take pictures of herself (by mirror) from the front, the side, and the back which will then be used as an alternate way for one to view how the pants would look on them, if technology like this exists. This will enable the user to try on an assortment of pants to compliment the design of the tops being worn. Users will be able to bookmark certain outfits so they can go back to it later.

Another way to buy product will come from the social media aspect of this product. As I said, users will be encouraged to share their outfits with the world. These pictured can be viewed by others who are looking to buy product (but maybe too lethargic to make their own) and if they see one they like, they can bookmark it for later or buy it on the spot. Someone buying the pants shown in your pictures will earn you points, which will be discussed below.

Tablets will be optimal for such a strategy because of its large screen, enabling an enhanced experience, but we also want this to be portable so making it on mobile devices should be of priority too. Screen size will be smaller, but I see no problem with implementing such an idea. Putting this on mobile devices opens up all other types of possibilities as well.

Social Media

Establishing a social media strategy from the inception is imperative to success.

It is important to understand to strength of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. They will go a long way in promoting our products, and there are plenty of ways in which to do so. It is just as important to recognize that each platform differs from one another and we need different strategies for each one. I don’t have overall strategies for each platform as of right now but I have thought of scenarios and situations for all where our product would be highlighted.

I said earlier that customers would be encouraged to share their pictures. The idea is to have compilation albums of users which are separated by teams and league (for example, all New York Jets users will be in same album, and so on and so forth). Two points should be addressed about this:

1. I see no reason why users won’t participate, especially when there are rewards/prizes to be won from sharing.

2. Men will love having a large database of women in yoga pants to look at. I don’t know how exactly to tie this into the overall strategy (and potential monetization), but rest assured that this product will be popular with men too, allowing for potential on that side.

Personalization

Allowance for personalization brings a modern approach to our product. It will give users a sense of power and control when choosing from an array of product options.

Here’s one example of the diverse nature of our product:

Notre Dame is a prestigious university whose students take much pride in showing support for their school. They also have a ton of variety for their design schemes. According to this university link, Notre Dame has a combination of 16 primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. This link shows 28 primary and alternate logos. If you were to assume 10 different design/pattern options, that is (16)(28)(10) = 4480 possible combinations to choose from.

Marketing, Advertising & Promotions

There is a ton of room for advertising and promotions through this product. I envision a type of points system for each individual that is based on a lot of characteristics. Every person will have an opportunity to earn points which leads to free product or even other offerings. I also want to attach logo on the pants so that at any angle a picture is taken, our logo is visible so viewers will automatically know whose product it is. This will go a long way when someone on social media who is not familiar with our product can figure it out on their own.

Some collective thoughts:

• If a user were to buy a product, upload their picture in it, and someone else looks at their picture and eventually buys those pants, the original user rewarded.
• Through social media, find “popular” users with many followers who would be willing to showcase our product. Offer them a free pair or two in exchange for advertising (in a native sense) our products.
• Ratings system. Uploaded pictures can be rated by viewers either through 1-10 system or thumbs up/thumbs down system or something similar. This will eventually be used as a tool for “competitive” rankings grouped by team/school.
• Collective users (say Notre Dame product buyers) will be rewarded if they as a whole are rated above other schools or teams, giving them rewards.
• Cheerleaders and female athletes. These individuals in my opinion are underrated. From a college and professional perspective, these athletes don’t get as much attention as they deserve. Getting them on board to showcase our product could go a long way in getting the public more interested in them.
• Verified accounts. College athletes, cheerleaders, celebrities, and potentially others have influential faces that should be utilized. Others such as athletes’ significant others could have possibilities also. This product should be tied heavily with the sports world and all of the people in it.
• “Subscribing” to a user (that user will be rewarded based on # of subscribers)
• Real time marketing. I can see scenarios where real time marketing can be implemented. Will comment on further if needed.

The best part about this product is that through sharing ones adventure, they will be eligible for all types of rewards. In essence, we want to “gamify” the product. There is a competitive spirit to our product so providing a gamification type experience should be considered.

Gamification: the application of typical elements of game playing (point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other areas of activity, typically as an online marketing technique to encourage engagement with a product or service.

• Who is your audience and what motivates them?
• What kind of rewards appeal to your customers?
• How will the game mechanics work in your overall strategy?
• How will you measure the success of your program?

All of these questions need to be answered and I can definitely provide further interpretation on the answers, but it is currently go in depth considering no plan is set in stone.

Design

Users will be able to submit their own design ideas, either through the app or website or other. There really is no shortage on this area and we want our users to know that if they have a creative idea, they can submit it for approval. If eventually it is used, they will reap the rewards based on how many people buy their designed product.

Design can also be outsourced. Who knows more about a college more than its students? I’m sure fashion majors would be more than happy to take on such a project, especially if they know their designs will be commercialized,  which can be put on a résumé.

Markets

• Professional sporting teams and their fans. I think almost everyone in this world likes at least one sporting team so the outreach of these products could be substantial. Sports such as soccer provide an opportunity for international market presence.

• College. I believe this will be the most popular segment. College women often show their school spirit and getting this market on board is a no brainer. I think this type of product could spread like a wildfire in the college segment. Ultimately millennials will appreciate this kind of product just as much as anyone and they are the target market we are hoping to grab the attention of.

• High schoolers are another segment to think about. Even if we don’t get into the whole high school category, these students nonetheless have favorite sporting teams and most will go to college so opportunity is definitely there.