online marketing psychology

October 26, 2010

Into the city and beyond

The popularity of start to run programs has got people from all over the world off their couches.

But as with most things, after a while it is hard to stay motivated and keep going. An mp3 player or even drawing out your runs on Google maps (personal tip of mine) to track your progress can help.

Take Antwerp, a campaign by Nike that is running in my hometown, helps people stay excited about running in a different way.
Running the same trail over and over again gets boring after a while. By offering runners alternative trails, running will become surprising and motivating again.
Rachel Wouters, Nike
An application on Facebook using Google maps allows users to create their own trails. Already created are trails with exciting sounding names such as the Skull, the Fries, the Diamond, the Dog, and so forth. Afterwards the maps can be printed or imported into a smartphone to help you find the right streets.

To increase awareness about the different trails, posters have been put up all over the city. The posters are equipped with a QR code which when scanned automatically like the trail and share the content on Facebook.

Outdoor poster of the Nike Take Antwerp campaign with a QR code

Nike is committed to making running exciting in other cities as well.

Take STHLM, the campaign running in Stockholm, works a bit different. Each runner is associated with a certain neighborhood of the city.  Whenever they go running, they earn kilometers for their part of town. And a map on the Nike site, shows the competition in real time. With a ranking between the neighborhoods and the individual runners.

I find it a great digital campaign mixed with a lot of user interaction. And it is more profound then clicking a Like button or becoming a follower on Twitter. It gets people out of the house and I think more connected to the Nike brand.

So what can be the possible objectives of a campaign like this? The main objective of the campaign is to associate Nike with running. By doing that the whole product portfolio is promoted. As people perceive Nike stands for innovation in running, a product which integrates running with technology, Nike+, will definitely sell better.

How can you get your hands dirty?

Your marketing should about more than just your product. Sure, your products might not be as cool as Nike's. But one thing you can learn from this is to increase the pie before claiming your piece. Nike is not pushing its products, the main focus is on getting more people to run and to keep them running.

And this has its effects on their brand. The running association is strengthened and maybe even innovation in running.

Are you about more than just your product?

The Facebook page or website offers runners a platform to come together, to engage further. And of course the shop is only one click away.

Do you have a place for to meet with your clients?

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