Synthesizing Converse’s deep hoops heritage and utilizing the latest in NIKE, Inc., innovation, the all-new shoe releases in May.
Source: The Converse All Star Pro BB with Drop-in Nike React midsole
When I began to write about marketing I developed a concept and used that concept to discuss Nike’s drop of the Kyrie 4.
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Over the last few years I’ve expanded many of my discussions on the footwear industry based on my Niche Out & E.N.D.E.A.R.S. Marketing strategy. I found that developing a checklist for a campaign increases the potential for the campaign to succeed.
Converse is arriving back on the scene in basketball after a small run in the late 90s and early 2000s with shoes worn by Dennis Rodman and even D Wade. As D Wade exits the NBA as the endorser of his own line with Li Ning, Converse is making a return, under Nike, to the game and the shoe appears to be the best of both worlds because Converse took one of my primary points on footwear, performance informs fashion. The design of the latest model from Converse actually expands on Nike’s use of Lunarlon in Converse footwear.
Less than a week ago in a discussion I was involved in on LinkedIn, I was asked what the difference was in Nike owning Converse and adidas owning Reebok. This was my statement:
Converse has been elevated by Nike. Nike has shared tech across platforms. Chucks with Lunarlon are actually a thing. Nike has also applied themes and concepts to Converse and Converse is integrated throughout the sites with Converse being indistinguishable from Nike when you visit. Reebok and Adidas…not so much.
Nike hasn’t simply added Converse under its umbrella, Nike has been consistently creating campaigns and new tech for the classic Chuck Taylor. They have utilized Flyknit and various weather proofing designs and as I stated, the Star is so closely related that even on this new design of the Pro BB the information for this post is on Nike News.
What Nike has done here is utilize a strategy that I’m not saying I’ve helped to establish through this blog, but the company continues to deliver their releases with a consistency that can’t be found in other brands trying to walk into basketball. Taking a moment to look at two extremely important basketball releases and we see how other brands are failing to utilize the E.N.D.E.A.R.S. strategy.
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When you dig into the above articles you find a completely different strategy from what Nike has done. In each roll out of a basketball model, Nike leads with the E from E.N.D.E.A.R.S. Educate. For the new Converse model Nike jumped ahead by leaking photos and creating the N=Narrative and S=Story. The sneaker blogs posted pictures of why and how this shoe is a modern update on the classic Chuck. Instead of relying solely on the blogs Nike/Converse created a dedicated subsite for the Pro BB. On this site they delivered a breakdown of the shoe and this is the best aspect. The most street friendly model from Nike Basketball are the high end Eric Avar designed Kobe 360. This introduction to the designer is the D aspect of the marketing strategy and allows for the education of the consumer to take place. It creates familiarity and instead of the Converse Pro BB arriving without a true segue from classic Chucks, the customer knows exactly what they can expect from an Eric Avar designed silo. More important, the subsite delivers a visual breakdown of how the Converse BB is designed to remind us of the Kobe comparisons.
If you take a moment to read through the posts on the release of other basketball shoes on the market you’ll find an interesting topic for dialogue. Here are the design specs of the upcoming Pro BB. Use the link to read more about this upcoming release:
The ideals of the most storied basketball silhouette, the Chuck Taylor All Star — minimal construction and maximum benefit — were guiding principles when reimagining a modern basketball sneaker from Converse today.
Nike React Technology
Nike Quadfit Mesh
Nike Cupsole Configuration