Atish HemadeLast year, I set out on a quest to find the perfect pair of running shoes. The contenders? Adidas Ultraboost and Nike ZoomX Invincible Run, both premium range products priced around Rs. 16,000. However, the experiences I had with these two brands were different.
At Nike, their sales guy didn’t seem that convincing in selling these shoes. And this behaviour I noticed at couple of their branches. But, when I stepped into Adidas, the sales rep offered me the opportunity to test the shoes on different surfaces including a treadmill. He took the time to explain how robust the shoes were. And he shared an interesting perspective -
"It's an investment. It's just 8 rupees a day for the next 5 years."
As a marketer myself, I was thoroughly impressed by his pitch.
Later, a friend told me a story of how good Adidas’s after sales marketing was. Now, I am not saying that Adidas's customer experience is universally better than Nike's - after all, it’s just my personal experience.
Nike's strategic investments suggest that India is not their primary market for substantial profits. They're relying on their brand legacy and affective advertising for their Indian operations. Their focus is on international cities where they already generate substantial revenue, and they intend to double down on those.
On the other hand, despite being a late entrant, Puma has managed to surge ahead to become the country's top sports brand. One of their key strategies? Leveraging Salesforce as their CRM (https://lnkd.in/eft9Qi9Q) to understand consumer demands, provide a seamless shopping experience, and deliver top-notch customer service.
Fast forward to the present, and Adidas's move to be Indian cricket team's kit sponsor couldn't have come at a better time. They're set to unveil the team's kit during the upcoming World Test Championship finals, and later we have the ICC World Cup in India this October. I am eager to see fresh, engaging ads from Adidas, clever marketing tactics, and a whole lot of sportswear promotion through their brand ambassadors. I hope that they maintain their exceptional customer service as they scale.
Designing a customer buying journey can help brands understand what prompts a desire for a product or service and how that can translate into a sale. The key lies in understanding the customer's needs and wants, and delivering a customer experience that meets or exceeds those expectations.
All that being said, despite my positive experience with Adidas, the loyalist in me won out. I had done fair amount of research and as a fan, I ended up buying the Nike shoes.