John McEnroe, Rebel with a Cause.

‘You can not be serious’ screams John McEnroe in 1981 on the Centre Court at Wimbledon's magnificent stadium. The unseen and inappropriate outburst of anger at this prestigious tournament turned the tennis world upside down. However, his frustration is justified: 'The ball was on the foul line, chalk flew up'! He denounced the authority of the referee who misinterpreted the rules. Nike contacts John McEnroe and will cleverly play off his character in marketing communications. The 'rebel with a cause' campaign became a huge success and footwear sales took a phenomenal boost. Nike dares to choose athletes who go against the flow. They are strong personalities who challenge the status quo!

It is inherent that strong brands and market leaders continuously question the situation as-is. The context today is forcing many entrepreneurs and policymakers to reinvent themselves or at least to rethink their strategy, execution, and timing. Marc Fauconnier puts it sharply: 

• It's high time for countercyclical marketing. This means daring to invest against the grain. More than ever, customers reward companies and brands that exude confidence. These are typically companies that are optimistic about the future.  
• You’ll also see leading companies further betting on customer experience. A personal, meaningful experience with a brand is a sustainable investment in the relationship with the customer, it will survive the crisis and guarantees continuity.
• Finally, technological innovation and a digital strategy should receive full attention.

Let’s take a look at the successful 2017 launch of Nike’s Consumer Direct Offense program, a new strategy that enables Nike to serve consumers personally, faster and better. 

By combining digital transformation with product development and technological innovation, we see Nike perpetuating its continued growth. User Experience research and strategy are really essential to connect with consumers 'one on one' and digitally.

In addition, 72% of our customers indicate that they want to reflect on their customer journey in the coming period. Common questions here are:

• Who is our digital customer? Who is buying from us online?  
• What are the common purchase triggers online?
• What search terms are being used when searching? Relevant SEO?
• What does the competitive landscape look like? What is your market share? 
• What are your strengths, USPs versus your competitors online?
• What are the key trends in the market digitally? Has a benchmark already been conducted?