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nike-entering a new era? (40.01078714046552 , 116.54296875) Nike is a brand that was built on the back of raw emotion of sports, but is it about to change?

Are product performance and technological innovation going to be the drivers from now on?

Take a look at the amazing exhibition the brand is putting on in Beijing that celebrates the 100 most important innovations in the company's history.

In the past, the company has been reluctant to let technology dominate the story, but in this show, it's the star.

Perhaps, the brand feels it needs to demonstrate the substance that lies at the heart of the company and put fear into anyone, especially the smaller Chinese upstarts, that Nike's success isn't something that can be easily copied.


Posted by Ed Cotton R/GA's Nike+ site, although created in 2005, has been much heralded this year as the gold standard in "Brand Utility".

It has been the marker to judge this new hybrid world between the banner and the website, sadly, nobody, not even R/GA has come close to the excellence of the Nike site.

So, while we wait for another contender, it's worth taking a look at what's happening on the Nike + site today.

Interestingly, in common with every diet product and fitness center, Nike + is now in full resolution mode.

The site is allowing its users to upload their resolutions, to track them and send notes and encouragement to others making resolutions.

It's a great example of the dynamics of the site and how the experience can be flexible enough to respond to short-term needs like New Year's resolutions.



Posted by Ed Cotton As brands give consumers the opportunity to personalize and create, it's clear that some of us are going to need expert help to translate our desires into design reality.

Nike is doing this with its design consultants in its new ID studio stores that have now opened in London and New York.

Here's a quote about these consultants from an article on the recent London store opening.

"The Design Consultants, amongst the most creative and cutting edge individuals in the capital, have been handpicked from London's cultural elite and include graffiti artists, musicians and sneaker freaks. Each has undergone a 14-week training programme that included sessions at Claridges and a meeting with a colour psychologist."

Clearly, these people take brand service to a new dimension and bring design to the front line of the brand experience.

It will be interesting to see who else can follow Nike's lead.


Posted by Ed Cotton "I have a personal interest in popular culture and the influence of culture on the consumer landscape.."

Quoted in the Wall Street Journal today

Posted by Ed Cotton