Out of all the sneakers in the world. . .

A Whole Lotta’ Trust and Knowledge

Stephanie Butzer has bought the same brand of sneakers for the past six years. So how did Asics win her over?

“They made sneakers specifically for toe-runners. Other brands don’t have that, they just have running sneakers.”

The fact that Asics specialized their sneakers for runners with different styles of running differentiated themselves from their competitors and made them the trusted brand. It also gave this particular dedicated customer feel like Asics really cares about her and her feet. Each year she has bought the updated pair of their sneaker and says, “I’ve never had any problems, I’ve always been comfortable, and I haven’t had any running pains”.

Asics not only won her business but they earned her trust and made her feel like they cared about her, her needs, and her feet.

The Fuel that keeps me Moving 

An Experience and A Tribe

Emily Fogg says hands down,

“Starbucks is my brand”.

 

However, she didn’t say much more about the coffee itself, it was all about the experience.

When first asked about what she liked about the brand, she said:

• Locations everywhere
• Fast
• High Quality
• Consistent

However, as Emily continued to think about the brand she began talking about how many uses there are for a Starbucks coffee shop.

“You can study there or meet up with friends. It can be business professional or completely casual and it’s always fun to go to Starbucks”. 

In addition, she began to talk about the seasonal drinks, making Starbucks a ‘different kind of special’ every time of the year. This idea could make you think about Starbucks-goers as a tribe of people with sub-tribes formed around particular drinks. Whole conversations can be started with a Peppermint Mocha at Christmas time or an Iced Passion Tea Lemonade in July. I know I’m part of the Chai Tea Latte tribe and I turn around and smile every time I hear someone ordering the same thing. I’ve even had someone suggest different ways to specialize my chai to get a different taste.

Just Do It

I wasn’t surprised that when I asked my friends about brands they love, Nike was one that came up. Archie Rufty spoke specifically of their shoes and how well they fit him and look. He said that everyone in his immediate family wears it and he’s been wearing Nike since he was young.

“I’ve loved them since I was a little kid”.

Moving away from the product focus, he went into more detail about Nike’s slogan. It was more than just what the company made, it was how the slogan connected with him and made him feel. Especially as a young athlete growing up, it made him work harder and challenge himself more every time he heard, “Just Do It”.

Nike reminds him of family, of perseverance, and of success. When he wears Nike, he’s part of something more and that’s why Nike’s the brand he loves.