Marketing Tools Used on Sports Shoe Sites
Three of the top names in sports shoesùNike, Reebox, and Adidasùhave web sites where their products can be purchased online. A study of these web sites reveals the marketing tools and approaches each company uses to market its products, as well as the type of customer service each offers.
At NikeÆs ôNiketownö web site, http://niketown.nike.com/niketown/home.jsp?ref=global_home, the most prominently featured shoe is the Nike Air Max 360, which is pictured with its apt slogan, ôRun on Air.ö To invite the browsing customer to take a closer look at the shoe, the ad provides the option to click on ôExplore the lightest and most cushioned Air Max shoe ever at nikeair.com.ö Clicking on the line or the arrow that follows brings up a full-page ad for the shoe. Macromedia Flash Player is used to provide a multimedia ad for the Air Max 360, showing it suspended several thousand feet above the earth, above the cloud layer, surrounded by style variations of the model, with new age music lending to the feel of space travel. The scene is captioned with ôAir Max 360: Explore the worldÆs most cushioned ride.ö The shoeÆs name, slogan, and picture of the shoe hovering above the clouds convey very effectively the air-cushioned aspect of the shoe, suggesting that it feels like running on clouds.
The other two shoes featured on the home page are the Nike Shox and the Nike Shox 2:40, which the fine print underneath says can be customized. Clicking on ôMenÆsö or ôWomenÆsö brings up a photo of the shoe in white with a ôStartö bar that does nothing when clicked and a ôSelectö arrow. After clicking ôselect,ö the user is asked to choose a size. This sounds a tone and brings up a flashing ôDesignö bar that must be clicked to customize the shoe. The customer is then prompted to choose the colors desired for various parts of the shoe, from the base to the shox. As each selection...