Mass Customization: Nike v. Puma

Mass marketing and production are officially a thing of the past. With the introduction of mass customization, companies of all different industries and sizes are now able to offer customers not just a product, but personalized experiences with the product. And although the route in which the customer takes to get their customized experience differs from company to company, in the end, mass customization comes down to a successful business venture that is proving to be satisfying and profitable.

Nike has really done something truly unique to this customization process. They have not just simply allowed consumers to design their shoe. They have given Nike fans a place to express themselves, and in doing so, created a distinctive customization experience. By allowing customers to interact with the product and make it their own, they are creating a relationship between not only the product and the consumer, but the brand and the consumer as well.

Nike’s approach in shoe customization is fairly simple. First, pick the shoe, and then pick the colors. It’s easy. There isn’t too many choices where ones is sitting there wondering what the heck to pick. And, there aren’t too few choices where your customized shoe isn’t exactly original. This is what makes Nike’s customized shoes so successful. Nike has chosen to allow every person, no matter how technologically savvy to be able to create his or her own shoes with just enough say so that they are indeed customized, but without the danger of having too much.

The Nike site is also much…smoother (I guess is the word I’m looking for). I mean that the site is sleek and chic. Anyone would be attracted to such a cool looking and working site, complete with not only shoes, but apparel and accessories as well, some of which are also customizable. Man or woman, old or young, Nike has really hit the nail on the head in the design of their website. Sometimes I think there is the threat of designing a website that is too feminine or too masculine. Especially with sports related products, many times companies can run into the more masculine feel, which is a turn off to women. However, Nike has done a wonderful job with the balance of their website.

Nike even has a section of their website that is dedicated to the NikeiD studio in New York City at NikeTown. They have successfully integrated the online customization with the in-store customization, and made it possible to access each area in both places. NikeTown actually has computers in the store where people can hop on the online studio and create their customized shoes. They have brought the Internet to the store, and the store to the Internet.

Puma’s Mongolian Shoe BBQ idea is interesting to say the least. But why a Mongolian BBQ? Puma says, “…the origin of the BBQ has helped us understand that everyone has different taste. So at our BBQ we have a generous assortment of pre-cut materials, so you can cook up something that suits your style”. The idea is that Puma customers have many different choices in terms of fabric colors, patterns and prints.

However, there comes a point, which I believe Puma has reached, when too many options are offered in the customization of the shoes. It was very overwhelming to create a shoe. The changes that I made to see each of the choices was slow to reload, and the sample fabrics on the side of the screen weren’t clear. There are just far too many things for a customer to look at, which often leads to frustration and then abandonment of the design. But, at the same time, there are only three different shoe options to customize, not one of which I was exactly thrilled about.

The actual idea for the website is a little odd. Clearly Puma was trying to think out of the box on this one, and that they certainly did. But there is a very obvious disconnect between a Mongolian BBQ and Puma shoes. They abandoned the sporty feel that most people who are probably actually customizing their shoes appreciate. For those who are purchasing their shoes based solely on fashion trends, it may work. Nike appeals to both the sporty people of the world and the fashionistas.

Puma has also failed to integrate their other products with the Mongolian Shoe BBQ website. This is a free opportunity to promote all of their products, not just the customizable shoes. They pretty much missed the boat on that one. They have also missed out on a number of other marketing ideas. Nike and Puma both allow consumers to take the shoe they designed and buy the sneakers. Puma, unlike Nike, hasn’t realized the other wonderful opportunities for brand extensions. Nike allows users to take their shoe design and make it their background on their computer or share it on Facebook.

Overall, I think we can all agree that Nike has just blown Puma’s Internet shoe customization out of the water. Not only is it easier to use, but it appeals to more people, is less overwhelming with choices and has other product extensions. But, are we really surprised? There is a reason why Nike dominates this market and continues to be successful.