Nike Used Me...And I Liked It

Purple laces, blue sole, red swoosh... whatever my little mind can think of! That is the beauty of Nikeid, the customer can design their own shoe. Customization is an important quality to many consumers, and Nike smartly brought customization to the consumer by creating their Nikeid website.

Now, according to this article in BusinessWeek, Nike is incorporating Nikeid into their stores. The virtual world is an important part of the shopping experience. Many customers shop or pre-shop online. By adding this feature to their stores, Nike is likely to increase customer satisfaction.

Let's just say I want to buy a shoe to match my bright pink exercise pants, but then I go into the store and alas there is no such shoe. Instead of turning around and leaving with money in hand, I can just log onto Nikeid and create the perfect shoe.

There are several reasons why this was an excellent play for Nike. Of course, they have the chance of gaining more purchasing (and happy) customers, but also the nikeid is a great way for customers to interact with the brand. It creates buzz around Nike.. "Johnny have you seen this wicked sweet shoe I created at Nikeid? Check it out!" Not only that, but Nike can gain market research just from seeing what their customers like on Nikeid. Also, Nike creates limited editions of their best customer designs. What a perfect way to find hot new designs without having to search for hot new designers.

Other stores should really take a hint from Nike. This is a great way to enhance a brand's product, increase sales, and allow customer's to feel more fulfilled. Wow, now that I think of all the benefits Nike gains from bringing the virtual world into their store... I feel so used.