Monday, May 5, 2014

Six keys for Nike to coach FuelBand to all-star success


Wearables like Nike’s FuelBand and Fitbit’s Flex and Force have tremendous potential for athletes and non-athletes alike. By stopping development on FuelBand1 Nike could be walking away from a potential all-star that only needs sound coaching.

Here are six ways the FuelBand could still lead the wearables market either on the current hardware or through partnership other manufacturers and device platforms.

1.    Make the FuelBand for elite athletes: Nike keyed in on the Bill Bowerman quote; “If you have a body you’re an athlete” in designing the FuelBand. Nike’s proven path would be to design the FuelBand for highly trained athletes. Nike should deliver a tool for elite athletes and everyday athletes will follow.

2.    Inspire through social competition: With the launch of FuelBand SE Nike has attempted to qualify points based on activity type. This needs to be fully developed to enable cross discipline competition. Currently the value of points so greatly skews toward some activities like running any other sport type doesn’t stand a chance. Make the cross discipline competition social to ignite the users.

3.    Tighter integration with other Nike tools: Nike Training Club app is a serious tool for athletes not a toy. The app gives approximate Fuelpoint value to workouts, but you can’t earn Nikefuel unless you are wearing the FuelBand. That is a mistake. Nike should allow for users to take those Nikefuel as qualified versus those who wear the band and earn non-qualified Nikefuel. Discount them by 25% perhaps… but get more people using Fuel through various apps. Integrate and expand.

4.    Convert Nikefuel to targeted sales: You shouldn’t have to be a “fuelionair” to unlock special purchase opportunities. Now that Nike is collecting information on what kind of sport activities FuelBand wearers are participating in, very targeting buying opportunities can be provided to consumers by sport. Nike can leverage the ID program and connect with consumers is a sport specific and personal way using existing capabilities.

5.    Improve form and function: Nike doesn’t need to reinvent the technology or function of the FuelBand to consistently offer more beautiful options. One of the projects killed was development of a sleeker FuelBand. The FuelBand in its current state is a good first step, however the band is too large and not aesthetically pleasing enough through color options alone. Sleeker, more beautiful, more flexible and dressier options would all be ways the form could be improved.

6.    Integrate with off-platform tools: Several activity types needs to be added and appropriately valued. The technology to integrate with Garmin is there and used to great success by the likes of Strava. Nike has thus far not wanted to use other tool API to calculate Nikefuel. Making a waterproof FuelBand for swimmer and allowing for integration with Garmin would be quantum steps forward for this underserved population of athletes. While these are not core to Nike’s business, leaving them out of Nikefuel slices off a key segment of athletes who are potential customers.

The good news for Nike? Development continues on the digital consumer applications the FuelBand and other applications leverage. Perhaps as Google and Apple enter the space, Nike decided to exit rather than fight. Using the current “If you have a body you are an athlete” mass market strategy, it makes sense not to compete with Google and Apple. Or perhaps Nike’s exits tips towards a future partnership with one of the electronic giants.

Nike has a huge advantage for market penetration in the form of highly trained athletes that lead trends in virtually every sport segment. Once captured, I can think of only one way for Nike to become stickier in the lives of consumers than integrating via a wearable device. And that is actually transforming their lives through exercise.
1 http://www.cnet.com/news/nike-fires-fuelband-engineers-will-stop-making-wearable-hardware/

 

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Six keys for Nike to coach FuelBand to all-star success

Wearables like Nike’s FuelBand and Fitbit’s Flex and Force have tremendous potential for athletes and non-athletes alike. By stopping development on FuelBand1 Nike could be walking away from a potential all-star that only needs sound coaching.

Here are six ways the FuelBand could still lead the wearables market either on the current hardware or through partnership other manufacturers and device platforms.
 

1.    Make the FuelBand for elite athletes: Nike keyed in on the Bill Bowerman quote; “If you have a body you’re an athlete” in designing the FuelBand. Nike’s proven path would be to design the FuelBand for highly trained athletes. Nike should deliver a tool for elite athletes and everyday athletes will follow.

2.    Inspire through social competition: With the launch of FuelBand SE Nike has attempted to qualify points based on activity type. This needs to be fully developed to enable cross discipline competition. Currently the value of points so greatly skews toward some activities like running any other sport type doesn’t stand a chance. Make the cross discipline competition social to ignite the users.

3.    Tighter integration with other Nike tools: Nike Training Club app is a serious tool for athletes not a toy. The app gives approximate Fuelpoint value to workouts, but you can’t earn Nikefuel unless you are wearing the FuelBand. That is a mistake. Nike should allow for users to take those Nikefuel as qualified versus those who wear the band and earn non-qualified Nikefuel. Discount them by 25% perhaps… but get more people using Fuel through various apps. Integrate and expand.

4.    Convert Nikefuel to targeted sales: You shouldn’t have to be a “fuelionair” to unlock special purchase opportunities. Now that Nike is collecting information on what kind of sport activities FuelBand wearers are participating in, very targeting buying opportunities can be provided to consumers by sport. Nike can leverage the ID program and connect with consumers is a sport specific and personal way using existing capabilities.

5.    Improve form and function: Nike doesn’t need to reinvent the technology or function of the FuelBand to consistently offer more beautiful options. One of the projects killed was development of a sleeker FuelBand. The FuelBand in its current state is a good first step, however the band is too large and not aesthetically pleasing enough through color options alone. Sleeker, more beautiful, more flexible and dressier options would all be ways the form could be improved.

6.    Integrate with off-platform tools: Several activity types needs to be added and appropriately valued. The technology to integrate with Garmin is there and used to great success by the likes of Strava. Nike has thus far not wanted to use other tool API to calculate Nikefuel. Making a waterproof FuelBand for swimmer and allowing for integration with Garmin would be quantum steps forward for this underserved population of athletes. While these are not core to Nike’s business, leaving them out of Nikefuel slices off a key segment of athletes who are potential customers.
 
The good news for Nike? Development continues on the digital consumer applications the FuelBand and other applications leverage. Perhaps as Google and Apple enter the space, Nike decided to exit rather than fight. Using the current “If you have a body you are an athlete” mass market strategy, it makes sense not to compete with Google and Apple. Or perhaps Nike’s exits tips towards a future partnership with one of the electronic giants.

Nike has a huge advantage for market penetration in the form of highly trained athletes that lead trends in virtually every sport segment. Once captured, I can think of only one way for Nike to become stickier in the lives of consumers than integrating via a wearable device. And that is actually transforming their lives through exercise.

 


 

Sunday, November 14, 2010

New Title Sponsor for 2011

I have some great news to share. For 2011 Presbyterian Sports Medicine has come on as team title sponsor. Even better, we are receiving continued support from the Stratos Restaurant group, continuing and deepening the relationship we have with Big View Diner!



Stratos Restaurant will also be supporting us via sponsorship from Big View Diner, Ilios Noche and Nolen Kitchen.

We are also receiving continued support from Bicycle Sport in 2011. I am excited about how the team is coming together. Another great piece of news, we are taking a step up the line of Sugoi’s clothing into their premium custom line.

I’m thrilled about the new and continued sponsorship we are receiving for 2011. 

Welcome to the Presbyterian Sports Medicine Cycling Team!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Salisbury

Fast and highly technical the Salisbury NC Crit championship was a great race.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

High Point

Great weekend of racing out at High Point. This is the first year for the event and I am sure it is going to grow to be a huge event on the Carolina calendar if not on the national calendar for racing.


Mark and Ben held it down in the CAT 3 race for Big View Cycling in what was a very fast and difficult criterium. At the end of the day a break went away with 3 people in it so it came down to a field sprint for 4th.

I raced the CAT 4/5 combined 35 plus looking to stay in for the duration and see how the form is coming leading up to the state crit championships June 12th. The pace was pretty high averaging 40kph on a six turn course. Each lap of the .7 mile course brought us back under the giant glass and steel structure that makes up a transit terminal. It is open air and there was a band playing and the crowds were out actually cheering us on, which is pretty impressive for a 4/5 event.

http://www.highpointcitycrits.com This event is definitely on the calendar for next year.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

It's race season!

5/1   Dilworth Criterium – Dilworth NC
5/2   Dylan Mitchell Criterium – Fort Mill SC
5/29 High Point Criterium – High Point NC
6/6   Greenville Criterium - Greenville NC
6/12 NC Criterium Championship, Salisbury, NC
6/26 NC TT championships – Lexington NC
6/27 NC State Games Road Race – TBD
7/17 French Broad road race – French Broad
7/30 24 Hours of Booty – Special option to get involved coming soon!
8/3-8/7 Cross Roads Classic -Various Local
8/29   NC RR championships
9/12   Carolina Cup –
9/18   SC RR Championship – Greenville SC

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Cari Higgins sporting the kit in Beijing



Cari Higgins is friends with our title sponsor Stratos and was gracious enough to sport a Big View kit in Beijing.  Cari was in Beijing competing at a world cup event.

Now I just need to figure out how to get Cari to put on a clinic for us next time she is in Charlotte!

Thanks for the great photo. 

http://carihiggins.blogspot.com/

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/01/news/peanut-butter-co-twenty12-pro-cycling-team-looks-ahead-%e2%80%94-way-ahead-%e2%80%94-in-2010_103076