Don't Chase the New, Innovate the Old': Four Lessons
From Nike
Like
most
great
CEOs,
Mark
Parker
sought
the
counsel
of
some
wise
mentors
when
he
first
took
the
helm
at
Nike.
One
of
those
mentors
happened
to
be
Steve
Jobs,
who
shared
the
following
piece
of
advice:
"Nike
makes
some
of
the
best
products
in
the
world.
Products
that
you
lust
after.
But
you
also
make
a
lot
of
crap.
Just
get
rid
of
the
crappy
stuff
and focus on the good stuff."
The
problem
with
focusing
on
the
"good
stuff"
is
that
most
of
that
stuff
isn't
shiny
or
new
anymore.
For
your
top
talent,
whether
they
are
marketers,
designers,
or
innovators,
working
on
version
4.0
of
a
tired
franchise
is
the
equivalent
to
being assigned corporate latrine duty.
Yet,
that's
exactly
what
the
best
companies
in
the
world
do.
Instead
of
chasing
the
new,
they
innovate
the
old.
They
take
all
of
their
shiny
new
ideas
and
apply
them
against
existing
products
and
services
that
already
have
tremendous
market momentum and consumer goodwill, with the goal of making them even more iconic.
Innovating
your
existing
products
and
services
leverages
your
existing
staff,
structures,
processes,
manufacturing
facilities,
distribution
channels,
retail
outlets,
and
customer
base
in
a
way
that
"radical"
new
innovation
never
can.
It's
a
smart
use
of
resources
and
energy;
it
leads
to
increased
gross
margins;
and
it
has
a
far
higher
chance
of
success.
It's
also
simpler
to
do,
and
you'll
start
seeing
results
faster.
But the most important reason to innovate the old is to protect your iconic status, the highest and most profitable form of branding.
There
is
plenty
of
evidence
that
iconic
status
leads
to
greater
customer
loyalty,
greater
demand,
and
stronger
testimonials.
Research
from
WPP,
one
of
the
world's
biggest
advertising
agency
groups,
has
determined
that
people
find
it
far
easier
to
remember
iconic
brands.
Its
studies
have
revealed
that
iconic
brands
have
over
60%
better top-of-mind awareness than non-iconic brands. That's because iconic brands connect more deeply with their audiences.
Four Lessons from Nike's Air Max
As
a
classically
trained
designer,
Mark
Parker
fully
understood
the
value
of
iconic
design
and
was
able
to
apply
this
thinking
against
one
of
the
most
successful
franchises in the Nike portfolio, the Air Max.
Having just celebrated Air Max Day (March 26) and the 31st anniversary of the shoe, let's consider four ways Nike has been able to innovate this ever-popular product.
1. Protect signature elements to maintain familiarity
Iconic
products
enjoy
a
stronger
connection
with
their
audience,
and
consistency
is
an
important
element
of
that
connection.
Iconic
signature
elements
act
as
solid
anchors, giving believers something to define themselves by. If your brand is wildly inconsistent across its touch points, it's unlikely to make it to the iconic level.
Consistency
leads
to
familiarity,
familiarity
leads
to
confidence,
and
confidence
leads
to
trust.
Trust,
in
turn,
leads
to
more
sales,
more
recommendations,
and
more
profit. Consistency is essential if you want to earn status as a symbol in your industry.
Over
the
past
three
decades,
Nike
has
carefully
protected
its
key
signature
elements,
including
the
Nike
Swoosh
and
the
unique
air
pocket
in
the
sole
of
the
shoe.
These elements are not merely distinctive; they also connect each generation of the Air Max with its audience in a way that is both familiar and reassuring.
2. Evolve your story and heritage to create meaning
If
a
stranger
handed
you
a
Montblanc
pen
along
with
a
scrappy
BIC
pen
with
a
chewed-up
lid,
you'd
have
a
pretty
good
idea
which
one
was
more
valuable
to
them.
If
he
then
told
you
that
he
and
his
wife
had
signed
their
marriage
certificate
with
that
BIC,
they've
held
on
to
it
for
12
years,
and
they
use
it
only
once
a
year
to
write
anniversary cards to each other, you'd probably change your mind.
That's the power of stories to create meaning. Story can totally transform the value of a product.
Nike
has
constantly
evolved
the
story
of
the
Air
Max,
from
the
origins
as
a
space-age,
NASA
technology
used
to
protect
astronauts
from
head
trauma,
to
the
elevation
of the brand along with each leap of every child who just wanted to "be like Mike."
3. Innovate the benefits to deliver delight
As
I
noted
earlier,
the
best
companies
innovate
the
old.
They
look
at
their
existing
products
and
look
for
ways
to
draw
attention
to
them
more
clearly,
add
more
theater
to them, and increase the amount of delight they deliver.
Think
of
the
Nike
Air
technology.
The
air
pocket
was
originally
hidden
inside
the
sole.
When
Nike
innovated
to
make
it
visible
in
the
first
Air
Max,
the
shoe
suddenly
took off. Nike continued to innovate on the product until the air pocket extended beyond the heel to cover the entire length of the shoe.
This process has continually added drama to the product and kept it fresh.
This
constant
innovation
has
also
made
it
harder
for
competitors
to
get
a
leg
up.
Reebok
launched
its
Pump
sneakers
the
year
after
the
Air
Max
1
was
released,
in
an
attempt to claw back some market share, but it's never had the same success.
4. Reimagine design to build excitement
Keeping
your
iconic
product
fresh
and
contemporary
requires
reimagining
it.
If
it
doesn't
change
over
time,
it
sends
the
message
that
you're
not
that
interested
in
it,
so maybe your audience shouldn't be either. That means it will slowly slip out of relevance, and you'll lose your audience.
Refreshing
your
product
is
about
more
than
just
keeping
it
up
to
date.
A
2006
study
at
University
College
London
found
that
novelty
activates
dopamine
pathways
in
the
brain,
making
us
feel
good.
Our
brains
crave
dopamine.
But,
over
time,
the
effects
of
new
stimulation
wear
off
and
less
dopamine
is
produced.
Products
quite
literally become less rewarding over time.
Without frequent refreshes, even the most iconic product will gradually lose its wow and become just an everyday object.
With
each
iteration,
Nike
didn't
merely
capture
the
zeitgeist
and
trends
of
each
era;
in
many
instances,
its
designers
were
given
license
to
push
the
envelope
on
design aesthetics to blaze a new path on the fashion runways.
Marry the old with the new
Innovating
the
old
is
not
merely
more
profitable.
For
your
top
talent,
it
can
be
an
opportunity
to
showcase
their
innovation,
storytelling,
and
design
chops
in
a
way
that
is both motivating and rewarding.
The key to success is marrying the best of the old—signature elements and heritage—with the excitement and delight of the new.
Over time, that approach creates greater longevity and more sustainable competitive advantage, allowing you to up the lust to deliver more of that iconic "good stuff."
by Soon Yu | March 28, 2018
Soon Yu is the author of Iconic Advantage: Don't Chase the New, Innovate the Old, an international speaker on innovation and design, and an adjunct professor at Parsons
School of Design.
Twitter: @SoonSpeaks
LinkedIn: Soon Yu
Like
most
great
CEOs,
Mark
Parker
sought
the
counsel
of
some
wise
mentors
when
he
first
took
the
helm
at
Nike.
One
of
those
mentors
happened
to
be
Steve
Jobs,
who
shared
the
following
piece
of
advice:
"Nike
makes
some
of
the
best
products
in
the
world.
Products
that
you
lust
after.
But
you
also
make
a
lot
of
crap.
Just
get
rid of the crappy stuff and focus on the good stuff."
The
problem
with
focusing
on
the
"good
stuff"
is
that
most
of
that
stuff
isn't
shiny
or
new
anymore.
For
your
top
talent,
whether
they
are
marketers,
designers,
or
innovators,
working
on
version
4.0
of
a
tired
franchise
is
the
equivalent
to
being
assigned
corporate
latrine
duty.
Yet,
that's
exactly
what
the
best
companies
in
the
world
do.
Instead
of
chasing
the
new,
they
innovate
the
old.
They
take
all
of
their
shiny
new
ideas
and
apply
them
against
existing
products
and
services
that
already
have
tremendous
market
momentum
and
consumer
goodwill, with the goal of making them even more iconic.
Innovating
your
existing
products
and
services
leverages
your
existing
staff,
structures,
processes,
manufacturing
facilities,
distribution
channels,
retail
outlets,
and
customer
base
in
a
way
that
"radical"
new
innovation
never
can.
It's
a
smart
use
of
resources
and
energy;
it
leads
to
increased
gross
margins;
and
it
has
a
far
higher
chance
of
success.
It's
also
simpler
to
do,
and
you'll
start
seeing
results faster.
But
the
most
important
reason
to
innovate
the
old
is
to
protect
your
iconic status, the highest and most profitable form of branding.
There
is
plenty
of
evidence
that
iconic
status
leads
to
greater
customer
loyalty,
greater
demand,
and
stronger
testimonials.
Research
from
WPP,
one
of
the
world's
biggest
advertising
agency
groups,
has
determined
that
people
find
it
far
easier
to
remember
iconic
brands.
Its
studies
have
revealed
that
iconic
brands
have
over
60%
better
top-of-mind
awareness
than
non-iconic
brands.
That's
because iconic brands connect more deeply with their audiences.
Four Lessons from Nike's Air Max
As
a
classically
trained
designer,
Mark
Parker
fully
understood
the
value
of
iconic
design
and
was
able
to
apply
this
thinking
against
one
of
the
most
successful
franchises
in
the
Nike
portfolio,
the
Air
Max.
Having
just
celebrated
Air
Max
Day
(March
26)
and
the
31st
anniversary
of
the
shoe,
let's
consider
four
ways
Nike
has
been
able
to innovate this ever-popular product.
1. Protect signature elements to maintain familiarity
Iconic
products
enjoy
a
stronger
connection
with
their
audience,
and
consistency
is
an
important
element
of
that
connection.
Iconic
signature
elements
act
as
solid
anchors,
giving
believers
something
to
define
themselves
by.
If
your
brand
is
wildly
inconsistent
across
its touch points, it's unlikely to make it to the iconic level.
Consistency
leads
to
familiarity,
familiarity
leads
to
confidence,
and
confidence
leads
to
trust.
Trust,
in
turn,
leads
to
more
sales,
more
recommendations,
and
more
profit.
Consistency
is
essential
if
you
want to earn status as a symbol in your industry.
Over
the
past
three
decades,
Nike
has
carefully
protected
its
key
signature
elements,
including
the
Nike
Swoosh
and
the
unique
air
pocket
in
the
sole
of
the
shoe.
These
elements
are
not
merely
distinctive;
they
also
connect
each
generation
of
the
Air
Max
with
its
audience in a way that is both familiar and reassuring.
2. Evolve your story and heritage to create meaning
If
a
stranger
handed
you
a
Montblanc
pen
along
with
a
scrappy
BIC
pen
with
a
chewed-up
lid,
you'd
have
a
pretty
good
idea
which
one
was
more
valuable
to
them.
If
he
then
told
you
that
he
and
his
wife
had
signed
their
marriage
certificate
with
that
BIC,
they've
held
on
to
it
for
12
years,
and
they
use
it
only
once
a
year
to
write
anniversary
cards to each other, you'd probably change your mind.
That's
the
power
of
stories
to
create
meaning.
Story
can
totally
transform the value of a product.
Nike
has
constantly
evolved
the
story
of
the
Air
Max,
from
the
origins
as
a
space-age,
NASA
technology
used
to
protect
astronauts
from
head
trauma,
to
the
elevation
of
the
brand
along
with
each
leap
of
every child who just wanted to "be like Mike."
3. Innovate the benefits to deliver delight
As
I
noted
earlier,
the
best
companies
innovate
the
old.
They
look
at
their
existing
products
and
look
for
ways
to
draw
attention
to
them
more
clearly,
add
more
theater
to
them,
and
increase
the
amount
of
delight they deliver.
Think
of
the
Nike
Air
technology.
The
air
pocket
was
originally
hidden
inside
the
sole.
When
Nike
innovated
to
make
it
visible
in
the
first
Air
Max,
the
shoe
suddenly
took
off.
Nike
continued
to
innovate
on
the
product
until
the
air
pocket
extended
beyond
the
heel
to
cover
the
entire length of the shoe.
This
process
has
continually
added
drama
to
the
product
and
kept
it
fresh.
This
constant
innovation
has
also
made
it
harder
for
competitors
to
get
a
leg
up.
Reebok
launched
its
Pump
sneakers
the
year
after
the
Air
Max
1
was
released,
in
an
attempt
to
claw
back
some
market
share,
but it's never had the same success.
4. Reimagine design to build excitement
Keeping
your
iconic
product
fresh
and
contemporary
requires
reimagining
it.
If
it
doesn't
change
over
time,
it
sends
the
message
that
you're
not
that
interested
in
it,
so
maybe
your
audience
shouldn't
be
either.
That
means
it
will
slowly
slip
out
of
relevance,
and
you'll
lose
your audience.
Refreshing
your
product
is
about
more
than
just
keeping
it
up
to
date.
A
2006
study
at
University
College
London
found
that
novelty
activates
dopamine
pathways
in
the
brain,
making
us
feel
good.
Our
brains
crave
dopamine.
But,
over
time,
the
effects
of
new
stimulation
wear
off
and
less
dopamine
is
produced.
Products
quite
literally
become
less
rewarding over time.
Without
frequent
refreshes,
even
the
most
iconic
product
will
gradually
lose its wow and become just an everyday object.
With
each
iteration,
Nike
didn't
merely
capture
the
zeitgeist
and
trends
of
each
era;
in
many
instances,
its
designers
were
given
license
to
push
the
envelope
on
design
aesthetics
to
blaze
a
new
path
on
the
fashion runways.
Marry the old with the new
Innovating
the
old
is
not
merely
more
profitable.
For
your
top
talent,
it
can
be
an
opportunity
to
showcase
their
innovation,
storytelling,
and
design chops in a way that is both motivating and rewarding.
The
key
to
success
is
marrying
the
best
of
the
old—signature
elements and heritage—with the excitement and delight of the new.
Over
time,
that
approach
creates
greater
longevity
and
more
sustainable
competitive
advantage,
allowing
you
to
up
the
lust
to
deliver more of that iconic "good stuff."
by Soon Yu | March 28, 2018
Soon Yu is the author of Iconic Advantage: Don't Chase the New,
Innovate the Old, an international speaker on innovation and design,
and an adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design.
Twitter: @SoonSpeaks
LinkedIn: Soon Yu
Articles
Don't Chase the New, Innovate the Old': Four
Lessons From Nike
