“If we asked you what Nike sells, some of you might say shoes or apparel,” Ramonita Smith, senior director of strategy at ONA Creative and co-founder of the Focus Group, said at the Inc. 5000 Conference in Phoenix last Thursday.
The reality, however, is different. Here’s what Smith says she and Sanja Komljenovic, founder and CEO of ONA Creative, learned the brand truly sells by working on its marketing team for 10 collective years: “The belief in human potential.”
By tapping into intrinsic motivators like belonging, identity, aspiration, and goal setting, Smith adds, Nike is able to avoid chasing trends to get this message across. In fact, according to her, Nike has been telling its consumers the same story for 50 years. “Somebody sets out with an audacious goal, then at some point in the journey, they hit this massive setback or this massive obstacle, and then there’s this defining moment,” Smith says. “Do they try again, or do they give up?”
That’s where the brand’s famous slogan, “Just do it,” comes in—and the athlete defies all odds.
When, like Nike, your business roots itself in “human truth,” Smith says “you go beyond selling” and become a company that truly serves its customers. Here’s a five-step framework you can use to do so.
1. Listen to your customer
If you have a brick-and-mortar location, go there and “just watch people pass through your spaces,” says Smith. If you don’t, spend time reading social media comments and customer service emails.
2. Dive deeper
Ask yourself why your customer feels the way they do. Smith recommends taking customers through the five-whys exercise by asking them why they do or believe something five times in succession. “It is so simple,” she says, “but when you make somebody continue to tell you why, you actually get to the core of what you’re observing, and that’s oftentimes how you’re unlocking an insight.”
3. Boil the insight down
Once you understand what’s driving your customer, you need to boil it down to a simple statement. Nike’s “Just do it” slogan, for example, is the answer to the dilemma its athletes face on their journeys.
4. Translate it into action
Next, make it actionable. Build your campaigns and your messaging around this human truth—then deliver it. “This is really where creativity comes alive,” Smith says.
5. Test it out
Last but not least, test out how the message is resonating with your customers. If all fails, go back to the first step and try again.
Annabel Burba
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