I love the Nike+ product. Anything that integrates technology into everyday life always floats my boat. I thought i’d spend some time today breaking down what I would do next with the strategy of the Nike+ product.
In the “interactive” space, agencies always seem to fit the word “conversation” into a pitch. “Have a ‘conversation’ with your user.” Blah, blah, blah. I say forget that, don’t have a conversation with the user. Instead, let the user have conversations about your product. Or better yet, let your users have conversations enabled through your product. Your product should be something exciting to talk about in their everyday life.
Ok, so what does this have to do with the Nike+ digital strategy? Nike+ has to give their users as many opportunities to talk about their product as possible; to create as many platforms or venues where they can do so. But the only way they can do that is by opening up their data to other systems through an API. I believe that this is the phase of innovation that would bring the Nike+ product to the next level.
By setting the user’s data free, Nike would allow an eco-system to develop around their core Nike+ product beyond what is currently available. Imagine, Nike+ opens up their data via an API (go look it up) and allows all the fitness websites out there, all the facebook/myspace/bebos etc. to develop products and communities around user Nike+ data. Imagine all the mashups via google maps, the online races via facebook and via the IPhone that would develop because of THEIR PRODUCT. People would talk about the online race they had. “What, you had a race online? How did that work???” Conversations would begin to evolve around the Nike+ product.
Make your most avid followers your evangelists, or “sneezers” as Seth Godin likes to call em. In order to do that you need to give them the tools and the opportunities to do so. Creating the eco-system where this can flourish by opening up their data, you give users the opportunity to spread the word about your product, the Nike+.
