Nike+ Developing Community & Embracing Social Media

Posted 13 Aug 2009 in Activate , Advertising , Social Media Marketing | 1 Comments

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Nike+ is a fantastic innovation whereby users, using their Apple iPod and a Nike+ sensor, can track and upload their runs to the NikePlus.com website.  Runs are compiled into charts and personal bests/goals achieved etc. With over 2 million users worldwide, it’s a great motivational tool.  It’s also a fantastic marketing and up-selling tool for Nike and a great example of companies successfully collaborating.

Over the last few weeks Nike has introduced users to the updated NikePlus website.  The new version is less Flash heavy and loads faster. The layout is clearer, there is a strong emphasis on community and crucially Nike has made an important step to integrating social media.

  • Forums are more prominent
  • Users can link their accounts to Facebook & Twitter to share their running activity
  • Users can import their contacts (currently from Gmail only) to find current Nike+ users
  • Users are encouraged to invite friends to join Nike+ and grow the community

Additionally Nike has introduced a new Nike+ running band with a lower price point than an iPod, which opens the Nike+ system up to a much larger potential audience.

Nike captured 48% of the market share for running shoes in 2006 and that rose to 61% in 2008.  The Nike+ system is largely credited with that increase.  Additionally, lets consider the data that Nike is gathering for free from over 2 million runners worldwide.  Nike knows for example that runners in the US run more often in Winter than do runners in Europe, but for shorter distances.  Nike has data based on age, location, sex and weight. Nike knows what music runners are buying via the NikePlus linkup to iTunes.  Nikes knows the world’s favourite powersongs.  All this places Nike in a very favourable position to respond to that data and develop future products and services accordingly.

Running is often a very solitary endeavour, and there is something encouraging as you log-in to see runners from all over the world log their runs.  It gives a sense of being part of something bigger – of all us runners, the Nike+ Community, clocking up our kilometers on the Nike counter.  For Nike the opportunity to harness this community spirit is golden.

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