What can marketers learn from the Jordan brand?

This past weekend Jordan brand has opened its third flagship store worldwide, first one in Canada. This is a big deal for die-hard Jordan fans in Toronto who began to line up almost 24 hours before the doors opened at 6:23 am on Saturday. But even if you are not following the sneaker culture which is largely influenced by a Jumpman silhouette of MJ, there are lots of things to learn from the brand he built. If marketing is your field, then knowing how Jordan brand creates amazing customer experiences both online and offline could motivate you to step your game up.

Before Instagram Hit the Court

I remember the times when Instagram and Facebook did not exist, but everyone still knew about the latest Jordan releases because people talked, sneaker stores were publishing release dates on their (crappy messy) websites, and Jordan website was doing a great job with providing rich details and quality images of the next much-anticipated shoe. All the hype was there, but it wasn't that magnificent and fluid in its form. The overall customer experience was narrowed down to a handful of touch points and interactions with the brand: maybe a teaser on YouTube, a mini landing page on their corporate site, and few articles on sneaker culture community pages. I could hardly say it was a rich experience. My perceived value of the brand was high, but not nearly as high as after the social media entered the equation.

He Changed the Game. Social Changed Marketing.

Jordan changed the way the game was played. He added creativity, more drama, more performance elements, and more AIR time. He turned the basketball era of 90's into Jordan era of counting rings and trophies. His products, namely shoes, benefited as well. In the same fashion, Instagram and Social Media have changed the way marketing operated by adding social interactions that are co-owned and co-developed into the picture. And Jordan brand took full charge of the social game. Starting with a winning product that carries the legacy of one of the best athletes in history, Jordan (and Nike) began bringing fans and consumers closer to product development, design, surrounding culture, and the embraced lifestyle. Their social media strategy has mastered the art of storytelling and branding, as well as fan inclusion. While attending one of the Jordan product launch events in Las Vegas, I was able to enter an Instagram contest for the best slam dunk and created short animated videos with branded effects. No, I never went to buy those shoes, but my digital and non-digital experiences were seamless on that day. A game changer and the experience to remember for life.

The brand is a story containing a lot of intrinsic value. Social media is the book where you go read that story.

As soon as I step into the store at 306 Yonge Street, I am awashed with the stories of the greatest basketball player. There is a basketball court in the middle of the store, a wall-size painting (that reportedly cost $22K) of the infamous Jordan "Wings" poster, and glass-covered collection of all 31 signature shoes starting with a 1984 pair of Jordan I's. Everything is spotless and inviting. The key aspect of my visit was that it really felt like a déjà vu because of the multiple experiences I've already received from the social media. People told me and showed everything, so sales associates couldn't tell me anything new about the products or the store because Jordan brand already brought me up to speed on everything. I just went in to confirm my expectations and witness it live.

Some Takeaways:

• Connecting to bloggers and media influencers and inviting them to your store opening or product launch before the public pays out
• Leveraging the power of social for storytelling could help your sales department connect to potential customers easier and focus more on very personal, emotional conversations rather than product pitches
• Give out just enough information on social media to pre-heat interest, but always have ways to excite new customers when they visit

You won't win in it without the attention to details.

Joining the social media game is easy for practically any brand, store, or company- just create an account, paste your logo, write a compelling bio, and start posting great content while keeping your hashtag game strong and relevant. The keys to winning on social, as illustrated by Jordan brand, are much bigger though. It's all in the details. It starts with a great story that you want to tell with imagery and videos. A great story is then supported with quality photography (demand only quality) and videos. Posting quality shots is more important than posting frequently. For example, there are times when Jordan brand does not post for days, and I as a fan feel very anxious waiting on the next post notification. Another detail is complete and flawless synchronization between online and offline experiences. Timing has to be perfect for making product or store opening announcements, then supporting it with teaser video campaign, photography, or other digital activations. The loop closes when the information has reached the target viewer and he/she walked into your store or office. Your staff has to be ready to quickly extend that digital experience and elevate it with a human interaction. My Jordan store visit was a great example of how the digital experiences merge with non-digital. During my visit, which lasted about 20 minutes, I had 3 very personable interactions with sales representatives who found ways to connect with me and quickly discover that I was a knowledgeable fan of their product, so our discussions were mainly centered around our common love for the brand and the thrill of having this store open in Toronto. All three sales guys provided interesting details about the store that I could never spot from following social media (check mark to elevating my non-digital experience). To be specific and to show that I can recall the topics of our conversations, the three things they told me about were: the cost of the painting and that it was done by a Denver artist, the way to get access to the upstairs' Centre 23 training zone, and which agency is handling the brand marketing for the Jordan store (great job, Momentum Worldwide).

Some Takeaways:

• Train your sales staff to learn how to be customer-focused with their small talk
• Hire good storytellers and people passionate about your products
• Scan your store or office environment for the opportunity to make customers' visit longer and more convenient, more entertaining and more valuable. You don't need to be building basketball courts, but offering coffee or additional experiences that will be remembered is a good idea

Follow Jordan brand on Instagram: @jumpman23

Visit Canada's only Jordan brand store in Toronto at 306 Yonge Street

What other brands provide similarly great digital and non-digital experiences? Comment with your opinion.

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