I’ve stated continuously and even came up with a marketing strategy titled Niche Out, that in order for brands to compete with Nike they will have to look at the places where Nike isn’t placing an emphasis. Note I said ’emphasis’; Nike is in every lane. Some lanes they aren’t focused on and that is a…
Source: New Balance Signs Sprinter Gabby Thomas to Multi-Year Endorsement Contract The former Harvard sprinter is now signed to NB. I don’t often fall into the discussion on politics because ultimately the decision of companies to align with a president or a policy is built on a completely different set of values than regular people….
Source: https://no-one.la/ A few weeks ago one of the only Bespoke sneaker brands in the world completely erased their website and social media. The only thing that remained was a logo being burned with a voice delivering a message: What Are They Up To? No.One New Edition 10 – 03 – 18 No.One is back and…
Source: NEW BALANCE USES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO CELEBRATE HOW PEOPLE EXPRESS THEIR INDIVIDUALITY DURING FASHION WEEK Neither did I. Fashion Week, as large as it is and as important as it tends to be for brands, really doesn’t resonate outside of certain circles. While I tout the niche areas for marketing, New Balance is in…
Photo: Joan Smalls by @DexterNavy Source: The Making of the Jordan x Vogue Collaboration. air.jordan.com While an “okay” from Anna Wintour is verification of style and high fashion, what the AWOK (Anna Wintour Okay) means for Jordan Brand is an additional stamp of approval from the fashion world that sneakers are no longer to be avoided…
The sneakerhead community is often considered an isolated, niche market, a bunch of pimply faced, teenage boys who go to conventions to barter, buy and trade. The reality is this, sneaker culture began in the 70s when B-Boys began taking shoes created for basketball to break, or simply to get fresh. Those same boys…
While details of the deal were not disclosed, the partnership will help expand Stadium Goods, the streetwear and sneaker resale store and e-commerce site that’s grown quickly over the past two years. Jed Stiller and John McPheters founded StadiumGoods.com and opened its SoHo shop in October 2015. Stiller previously worked in hospitality and was a partner…
How one woman went from an everyday exerciser to one race away from being Africa’s first female Olympic skeleton athlete in less than four months. Source: Sleigh, Simidele Adeagbo, Sleigh I have to be honest here… I don’t think this story will go viral or be shared multiple times. I also don’t think that a…
Source: Under Armour Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results; Announces Outlook for 2017 There is so much information here to be considered that I will take the time to break down each section over the next few days. My overall assessment still remains that the Stock market overreacted to the announcement in October that…
If you landed on this page via the donation button, thanks for keeping quality content rolling. If you didn’t donate, check out info on me and this site below. Christopher D. Burns, MFA (Founder/Owner of ARCH & ARCH Consultation) ARCH (art + research, culture-hype) provides visitors with an experience built around business discussions and analysis,…
The recent announcement that New Balance hit 6 billion in revenue has been touted by sneaker culture as evidence of the power of Joe Freshgoods and ALD. The reality is New Balance hit a low point 9 years ago due to the TPP and a conflict with the Obama Administration on a contract to provide…
Source: Reebok and JJ Watt Debut the JJ IV Training Shoe Actually, it isn’t really unlikely. Reebok took the time to drop sections of an interview between Allen Iverson and JJ Watt. On the surface, Watt and AI have very little in common. JJ Watt isn’t exactly a rabble rouser who pushed the envelope of…
Times may change but dreams never waver. We support and understand the decision made now, so we can come back stronger later. Keep the torch burning. We’ll see you in 2021. Source: READY FOR SPORT: WHAT’S ONE MORE When I developed Niche Out as a concept it was to sit down with brands to move…
M.O.M stands for Missed Opportunities in Marketing. I often write about marketing strategies that went awry or missed the mark. It’s easy to armchair quarterback on the work being done in-house and by ad agencies for brands. What’s difficult is actually pulling together a campaign from scratch. In these M.O.Ms I plan to introduce concepts…
It’s never advisable to try and take on a giant at the height of its powers. The goal is to chip away at the giant via small attacks. Nike pulled off one of the biggest ad campaigns in history with the launch of Just Do It on the back of Colin Kaepernick’s protest. This…
Project + Exec is a new series where I’ve decided to seek out footwear executives who are minorities (Black, Latino, Indian, Native American, Asian men and women) who are doing some dope work, but are being overlooked by the larger media outlets. It’s my small part. I really hope you look more into the brands and…
Source: http://www.newbalance.com/otruska/?ICID=LSHUB_OTRUSKALS_S_H1_5803 The privately held New Balance has made no qualms at all about abandoning basketball to be number one in cleated sports. The brand has on its roster a host of professional baseball players and has invested heavily in branding in the sport. Their focus on cleats has enabled them to establish themselves as…
A few weeks ago I stated that Under Armour had a unique opportunity for storytelling and I was frustrated that the brand continues to overlook “niche out” in building narratives that will engage a base that hasn’t really looked to UA as an option. It appears that someone in the marketing department heard me…
Under Armour $UA, $UAA Current Share $14.75/$15.92 2017 Recap: I was speaking with an analyst/writer for Benzinga and we were discussing Bitcoin and he asked me what I thought. I said I didn’t know enough, but if I had any money in pocket (which I don’t since I basically lost half a million a year ago)…
The #Curry4 “More Rings” Championship Pack drops Tuesday at 10AM EST. I hate the “What are those?” pointing and laughing that happens with stupid sneakerheads. When UA dropped the Curry Lows that were labeled “Dad” shoes, and joked on by Jimmy Kimmel and the entire internet, honestly it didn’t make any damn sense. What did…
Anime controls the screen time of people of all ages. The CrunchyRoll App has seen explosive growth since 2021. The Anime streaming service, according to Statista, is at 13 million subscribers. Anime is no longer a niche, subgenre in the shadows of the Pixar, Disney and Imagination machines. This has contributed to a decrease in…
Timberland… has been a disappointment for VFC since it was acquired in 2011. We believe that VFC should consider the sale of Timberland, though we know not who the buyer might be. Timberland’s 2010 revenue was $1.4B, and we estimate it’s FY24 revenue will be ~$1.6B. VFC bought Timberland for $2.3B. – Sam Poser, WTCO…
