PRODUCT STORY Back in 1980, we introduced the Fast Rider:
Source: PUMA x CHINATOWN MARKET Future Rider B Men’s Sneakers | PUMA US
The Rider is a product that was born in the 80s and Puma has decided to update the model. This is a decision based on the trend of retro and modernizing classic footwear so a new generation can be introduced to products which should generate a feeling of nostalgia and newness. The model above was styled by Chinatown Market. It’s 120.00 dollars. The GR Future Rider retails at 80.00 dollars. That picture is below. The Future Rider OG retails at 90.00. The blue and yellow is below as well.
The sneakerhead side of things will look at this model and see Puma as biting adidas with the block at the lateral heel counter. The unknowing customer who discovers this shoe won’t think about adidas, they will wonder why the shoe has three different prices although the 120.00 dollar Chinatown Market is a more stripped down version without padding on the interior. The unknowing customer not worried about influencers or streetwear will also look at the two shoes at 80 and 90 and wonder why Chinatown Market is worth 30-40 dollars more. Puma’s goal should be to deliver copy that engages both the novice sneaker fan and the more informed sneaker fan. Instead the copy for the shoes, shared below, does very little to inspire interest in the shoes.
120.00 description
Today, the Fast Rider is revamped as the Future Rider – it’s reborn full of casual-cool street style, with a slimmer outsole and ultra-comfortable Rider foam. LA-based clothing brand Chinatown Market puts their signature spin on this updated silhouette, fusing heritage with grit and accenting bold material combinations with thier (spelling) signature graphic detailing for kicks that were born to ride.
80.00 description
Today, we’ve revamped the Fast Rider as the Future Rider – reborn for casual-cool street style with bold material play and colorblocking, a slimmer outsole, and ultra-comfortable Rider Foam. Ride on.
90.00 description
Today, the Fast Rider is reborn as the Future Rider – blending casual comfort with retro style. We’ve added bold new materials and colorblocking, as well as a slimmer outsole design and ultra-comfortable Rider Foam for a little extra spring in your step.
What is it that I’m diving into here?
First, I think the Future Rider is a dope shoe and I wanted to introduce it to you. I’m not an influencer or a cool person that everyone should follow because I’m famous. If I like something I like it and I share it.
Second, I’m explaining that Puma has a real opportunity to shine light on their product in a way that any person visiting would gain an understanding of why there are three different variations in price. Puma could educate their visitor with a better UX.
Third, I’m always intrigued by the idea that brands have to be aligned with entertainers or create collaborative efforts with brands to be considered cool. I’ve discussed in detail why the relationship with influencers is a shaky road for sportswear brands. Notice I said sportswear. Puma is rooted in sport. Signing athletes is a symbiotic, natural relationship arrangement. Athletes also tend to be brand loyal once they sign deals. Working with brands vs influencers is a different thing altogether…
Chinatown Market has a considerable following. They have 477,000 followers on Instagram. What many people assume is that a brand with this amount of followers can generate engagement, and they can and they do, but that is a niche relationship. The reality is those 477,000 followers only create a funnel to Chinatown Market’s site. While CM’s site gets 107,000 visits per month, the 477,000 doesn’t directly generate these visits. CM’s traffic is 53.53% Direct, 36.58% Search and 8.64% Social. IG is 54% of that social funnel. IG, their biggest social platform, is about 20,600 visitors a month.
- The good thing about their website traffic is it derives from direct and search.
- The bad thing about this traffic is in the last six months it’s dropped from 200,000 in August 2019.
- The good thing is they don’t have to advertise so they have an organic following and they don’t rely on social to drive traffic to their sales channel,
- but the bad thing is my ten percent rule.
10% of the visitors to the site will actually stay long enough to be interested. These are impressions. 10% of those interested will be reached and become the actual audience. These people can be considered those who click through. 10% of the actual audience will engage and possibly will garner a sale. In other words, their IG has very little conversion to the website. It does help with branding. The website traffic is the most important aspect of Puma’s relationship with Chinatown Market (unless the product is being sold on another site).
Ten Percent Rule
With 107,000 visits 10% of that is 10,700. 10% of those people will actually see the information by clicking through. That’s 1,070. 10% of those people will engage and potentially buy. That’s 107 visitors who could buy the products on the site. That’s not a bad number, but abandoned cart rates have to be factored in. According to website Barilliance, “In 2019, Black Friday saw global cart abandonment rates of 73.78%. Just a few days later on Cyber Monday, cart abandonment rate dropped to 68.94%.” These are the best shopping days of the year. On days that aren’t built around shopping the abandoned cart rate tends to be higher. For the sake of this discussion what you have in Chinatown Market is a site and brand in collaboration with Puma that probably has an abandoned cart rate of 70%. 32 people might be buying the Puma shoes from the Chinatown Market site.
Why did I write all of that?
It wasn’t to dog Chinatown Market. That’s an okay collaboration for Puma because at least the brand has website visitors. This is the unfortunate thing about collaborative efforts, it generates brand recognition and validity for the collaborator. Chinatown Market benefits more and they expand their reach. It’s a completely different thing with influencers who aren’t even as vital as a brand collab. Influencers tend to only operate on social platforms.
We all know that Rihanna was amazing for Puma. Women entertainers I tend to believe are brand loyal in a similar fashion to athletes. Male entertainers, are not. Take for instance Puma’s alignment with Big Sean. I like Big Sean as an artist. The Detroit based emcee has been a long time endorser for Puma. He even has his own collections. I’ve been writing for a long time about how brands need to make a conscious and informed decision when choosing non-athletes for their connection to fans. I’ve written about this as it relates to Puma and Meek Mill. I’ve written about this with every brand (like Kendrick leaving Reebok for Nike). The most recent was a discussion on Ivy Park and adidas and the fact that Beyonce won’t create moments that sustain for adidas. In another recent discussion I talked about Saucony and Vans.
Vans ‘waffleheads’ vs Saucony (or insert brands) Influencers | Influencing Must Be Authentic
Above is a picture of Big Sean and his trainer in a Men’s Health video. This is Big Sean in his own element, where he is being natural. In this video Big Sean and his trainer can be seen wearing Jordan Brand (Big Sean is wearing the Jordan 13 and his trainer is wearing the Jordan 4. Neither shoe is good for training in my opinion). This is the issue with influencers. Most influencers are Jordan Brand loyal, but they will take a check from another brand for business purposes. These relationships aren’t like Chinatown Market because often an entertainer doesn’t even have a website where the products they endorse can be purchased and dropshipped. Big Sean’s website doesn’t even have any of his Puma drops on it right now. The Men’s Health video was released two days ago on January 29th. On January 31st the video is close to 300,000 views. Puma doesn’t have a recent video on their channel of Big Sean, but there is a video of The Weekend and his collection and that has around 50,000 views.
What is the point of this post?
There is a constant struggle for brands to decide if they are going to collaborate with brands and people or if they are going to endorse entertainers and athletes. That struggle should be constantly evaluated, but what doesn’t have to be considered is the fact that brands have under their control how visitors to their site view their product. At the beginning of this post I said that Puma needed a better UX for the Future Rider. A shoe that looks that sleek should carry its own weight. Chances are it won’t. It won’t catch fire at retail or in resale, but it’s not because Chinatown Market isn’t hot and it’s not because Big Sean in his natural environment wears Jordans. Puma will hit a wall in North America on a product, that should definitely be selling, because they haven’t taken the time to educate their consumer and create a better story around the product. Merchandising has to take place online just as much as it does in brick and mortar. What’s the point of making a dope casual product only to write stilted copy, or leave the website blank of design and looking like a page on Amazon? The brand has the ability to create an interactive experience: 360 degree photography, video, engaging copy, or on-foot photography.
The reliance on the collaborator to drive engagement is part of it, but I still have to state that influencers remain a challenging approach to marketing that has to be monitored continuously. Just today on LinkedIn retailer Chiappetta Shoes posted that “during the Super Bowl intro The Rock wore On Running Shoes.” For Under Armour it can’t be a good feeling to see a major endorser wearing another brands shoes.
Should endorsements be exclusive? Is it a negative when a brand like Chinatown Market releases a collab with Puma and Converse during the same week? What do you think?
