Sharing an except from Nike founder Phil Knight’s book Shoe Dog:
“…when he [Johnson] wasn’t selling, he was beaverishly building up his customer data files.
Each new customer got his or her own index card, and each index card contained that customer’s personal information, shoe size, and shoe preferences. This database enabled Johnson to keep in touch with all his customers, at all times, and to keep them all feeling special. He sent them Christmas cards. He sent them birthday cards. He sent them notes of congratulation after they completed a big race or marathon. Whenever I got a letter from Johnson I knew it was one of dozens he’d carried down to the mailbox that day. He had hundreds and hundreds of customer-correspondents, all along the spectrum of humanity, from high school track stars to octogenarian weekend joggers. “
This where Nike’s superior customer relationship management came from… two years after Nike was founded.
More recently, Nike’s SNKRS app launched in 2015 was a hit. The app is where many head for a chance to get Nike limited releases and special products.
It’s become Nike’s latest way to game supply and demand of hyped products. SNKRS keeps shoppers hungry by sending out regular push notifications about drops every week. When consumers inevitably flood the app for the release, many take an L, walking away empty handed. A share of those who do get the shoes never wear them. Instead, they immediately resell them for multiples of what they paid, fueling the burgeoning resale market. [Quartz]
And Nike just launched Chinese version of its Nike App in November, with Nike Fit and Nike App Retail expected to launch next year in China.