Many companies are using Web 2.0 to their advantage, and to the customers’ advantage as well. The NikeID and Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ web sites offer customization for shoes available for purchase. The concepts are similar on both sites, however the execution and marketing of each site differs. After designing shoes on both sites and analyzing these executions, NikeID is decidedly more exclusive, creating a custom Kobe Bryant sneaker that is both functional and stylish, but mostly just impossible to get a hold of. On the other hand, Puma’s sneakers are much more customizable, with the theme of the Mongolian BBQ executed throughout the site, and the shoes can be better suited for females or for just casual wear. Puma’s shoes are also functional athletic sneakers, but they serve more than one purpose.
NikeID
Once at the NikeID website, the user will choose their language and nation- signifying that Nike is an international brand and present all over the world. Next, the user finds the link to customize the shoe- the Zoom Kobe IV iD.
There is only one style to choose from, but the user can choose from other pre-made styles and customize them or start on a blank canvas shoe. The shoes are basketball sneakers and they’re Kobe Bryant’s signature sneaker. His design is the “Power Tie,” in the LA Lakers colors- gold and purple with red laces. The shoes also offer Kobe Bryant’s “logo” at the top of the tongue. Nike’s approach to selling these customizable shoes is that is extremely exclusive. Only 24 pairs are sold per day worldwide until February 1, 2009. Also, the fact that they’re Kobe’s shoe definitely gives the shoe more prestige and creates buzz.
Users are allowed to go on and customize their own shoes; they just can’t actually buy the shoe. This marketing technique is meant to draw attention and give exclusivity to the product, but for Nike sneaker fans who just spent 20 minutes designing a shoe that they would like to purchase, this is just annoying and can exclude these customers. In addition to choosing the material for some parts of the shoe, most parts of the shoe are customizable by color and there’s a pretty good selection of colors. Also, there is custom lettering embroidered on the outsides and back of the shoe, with a limit of 10 characters on the outsides and 2 characters on the backs (mostly used for sports numbers).
Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ
Puma’s marketing technique is to compare the creation of a shoe with creating a dish at Mongolian BBQ- mixing in all the ingredients for an awesome end product. The website is much more tailored to those who wish to create a custom shoe- with three types of shoe to choose from and many more material, color and actual pieces to customize, the shoes can be stylish and casual or sporty and functional. The shoes have many more options that females would like to see in a stylish sneaker rather than just the traditional functionality of a sneaker for athletics. In addition to the multiple options for a custom shoe, Puma offers their customers to actually buy the shoe they have just designed.
Both web sites offer similar interface when it comes to designing their shoe- it’s not so much designing a shoe but more picking the colors for everything. Both sites allow for a virtual shoe to be shown, and the shoe is visually changed as each color choice is made. Nike shows that there are 13 options to customize while Puma breaks it down by top, side and back of shoe for parts to design. One reason why Puma offers more customization in their shoes is that Puma shoes are a bit more intricate compared to Nike. Also, once again, Nike’s custom Kobe shoes are exclusive while Puma’s custom shoes are designed by the customer and available for purchase for everyone.
Both Nike and Puma offer the customer to name their shoe, save their design, print it and send it to a friend. Nike offers the customer the option to share their design on Facebook and Myspace while Puma allows for five background choices, a chance to name the inspiration for the design, and the chance to upload photos to your account.
Price range for the two companies’ shoes is comparable. Nike’s Kobe shoe is $140, while the Puma shoes’ costs vary depending on the style. I designed two types of Puma shoes- one pair cost $130, while the other cost $110.
In my opinion, Puma is using technology to their advantage in a better way. I think that even though both Puma and Nike produce athletic shoes, their target markets are different. Nike is definitely aimed more toward the actual functional sneaker for athletic use; though the shoes can be marketed as a casual and style shoe. However, Puma’s materials, colors and designs are more lending toward the fashion shoe, while the shoes are still functional as athletic shoes.
Shopping on the Puma site was definitely more user-friendly than the Nike site, mostly because Nike doesn’t allow everyone to buy the shoe they have just designed. While exclusivity has its place and is a valuable tool to use, it is not always the best tool to use when marketing items that most Americans (and sneaker-wearers worldwide, for that matter) purchase. The Puma web site had a concept, explained the idea, and executed this concept through the web site perfectly. The theme is present in all aspects of shopping- so far as to call the shopping cart the doggie bag.
Both Nike and Puma have used Web 2.0 to better serve their customers through mass customization. Perhaps mass customization is the new future of shoe production for relatively high end athletic shoes.
Want to customize your own shoes?
Try NikeID or Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ
