From Information Experience to Consumer Engagement
Brand managers rely on qualitative research to gain insight into the dynamics of their most significant consumer segment. This research provides a real-world example of the study of "Sneakerheads", an important group of consumers within the athletic footwear sector. The research study was guided by a Consumer Behavior model called the Social Identity Theory lens. The Social Identity Theory model assesses the impact of group identity and norms on consumer behaviors' purchase intention. Read the results of this study to identify how consumer sentiment developed into this phenomenon.
Results and discussion
Three topical areas were identified from the interviews: (1) Back in the Day, (2) All About the Jumpman, and (3) For Members Only. The Back in the Day theme revealed the nostalgic nature of the sneakers for participants, and how this nostalgia evoked a desire to attain certain sneaker collections. The All About the Jumpman theme represents the strong brand preference of Nike among sneakerheads, especially as it pertains to Jordans and brand identity. Lastly, the For Members Only theme entails the exclusive culture of sneakerheads, and the unique practices and social community that exists among this group.
Back in the day
Qualitative analysis of the data exposed unique details about the characteristics of Sneakerheads. One distinguishing characteristic most of the participants exhibited was a sense of nostalgia towards sneakers. Specifically, many participants spoke of their affinity for sneakers beginning when they were a very young age. Jason described how his initial interest in sneakers occurred during his early elementary school years:
Jason: I probably can date it back to the first grade when the first Air Jordans came out. I wanted them so bad! They looked so different. That was the first time that I really noticed them… like wow, I like these sneakers.
Similar to Jason, Elijah also made reference to the different look or aesthetic of sneakers that sparked his interest. In addition, Elijah credited the presence of pop culture in the 90's for igniting his passion for sneakers:
Elijah: [Sneakers] interested me at a young age. So, like the Jordan 3s for example, were one of the first shoes to really use the elephant print. They were also one of the first shoes to remove the swoosh from their design. Then, there's a lot of references to Jordans in pop culture. Everyone's growing up watching the movie "Do The Right Thing," and the guy in "Do The Right Thing" has on a pair of Jordans, and somebody scuffs them with a bike. So, he gets in an altercation with him. You know, it really kinda supported and reinforced the love people had for their shoes and for style during that 90's era.
For Elijah, the nostalgic influence comes from a 90's movie that highlighted the significance of sneakers in a particular scene. In that same token, Justin attributed the 90's pop culture for his enthusiasm towards sneakers. However, consistent TV references are what drove him:
Justin: I feel like I'm telling my age now, but I watched shows like, "MTV Jams" or "BET Rap City," and I really fixated on what they wore and the exclusivity of what they wore. Then later in the mid-90's you had like Will Smith from "Fresh Prince of Belair" and he would wear Jordans. Then on "Martin" there was the episode where Martin gave the kid a pair of [Jordan] 13s… that was big to me as a kid.
More often than not, the nostalgic references from the participants included a discussion of how they were not able to attain the sneakers they desired when they were younger. This unattainable factor, therefore, seems to drive their current appetite and purchase behaviors for sneakers. Marlon discussed this notion further:
Marlon: So, growing up, I didn't have the option of being able to go to the store and get the latest Jordans and all of the expensive basketball sneakers that all my friends had. So, I said when I became an adult and have some means to be able to buy what I wanted to buy, I would do that. That's how I got hooked into the sneaker game. I just, you know, had the opportunity to be able to buy what I wanted. So, I took advantage of making up for all of those times when I was a kid where I couldn't have what I wanted.
Like the majority of sneakerheads, it is almost as if Marlon is making up for lost time, and this fuels his sneaker purchase behavior. The same is true for Eric, whose love for sneakers lead to him opening a successful sneaker retailer. He explained his past and how it impacted his sneaker journey:
Eric: Growing up from a family that didn't really have too much, my parents didn't have the means to buy me certain sneakers. You know, it was my dream as a child to have those sneakers. I guess when you don't have a lot of something, it grows your passion more for it. Then, I guess finally being able to attain it, it just really blew up for me. So, then it basically got to the point where I was always searching [for sneakers]. Like my wife was yelling at me one day and she was like you're always on your phone looking for sneakers… you should just open up a business.
Eric followed through with the challenge from his wife and has since opened and operated his sneaker store for several years. To that end, he has now turned his dreams of back in the day into a reality that is a staple for key merchandise in his local sneaker community.
All about the Jumpman
Across all twelve conversations with participants, the Jordan brand was a core topic of discussion. Many credited their fascination with sneakers to the athlete Michael Jordan. Thus, the allure of the athlete and the shoes he performed in were a novelty to participants. Richard explained his earliest recollection of Michael Jordan and his sneakers:
Richard: I think my earliest correlation [to sneakers] was the greatest player of that time or arguably ever, and the whole branding associated with the mystique of Michael Jordan. I wanna be like Mike! You know, specifically, it must be the shoes. So, everything kinda aligned with his performance on the court.
Eric also alluded that being a fan of Michael Jordan incited his sneaker infatuation, which led to wanting to emulate the athlete:
Eric: Basically, growing up playing sports, and growing up in the era of Michael Jordan, I always was a big Michael Jordan fan as a child. So, growing up and seeing him on TV… basically every kid wanted to emulate him. You know, we just all wanted to have his shoes.
In fact, most of the Sneakerheads interviewed considered the Jordan brand of sneakers to be the introduction or base line for being a part of the sneaker community. Christian discusses this unwritten principle in detail:
Christian: Jordans are kind of like base line for most Sneakerheads, and you kind of go upward from there. He [Michael Jordan] kind of popularized athletes having their own signature sneaker, and it also became more than basketball with Jordan. It became like a lifestyle sneaker as well. You know, people wear them casually. They're not just for basketball purposes anymore. So that's why I say it's [Jordans] like the base line.
Christian's perspective of the Jordan brand as a part of the Sneakerhead lifestyle is reminiscent of what is seen in Brand Identity literature. That is, when a consumer has a personal connection to the brand, this drives loyalty towards that brand. Thus, the personal connection and aspirational icon of Michael Jordan then compels participants to purchase the brand - so much so that it is deemed a staple brand for Sneakerheads. Chad, for instance, likens the Jordan brand to the high-end level of a luxury car. He describes how this motivates his loyalty to the brand:
Chad: I am a big Jordan guy. I think Jordans are probably like the Bentley or Aston Martin of the shoe game. If anybody has a pair of Jordans, it's got to be somebody. And my mom always told me, you know first thing a woman looks at is your feet. So, if you have some dusty old shoes on, you won't get no play!
It is important to note, however, there are differences in the production and manufacture of types of Jordan sneakers. Given this, participants made it very clear that the Retro Jordan sneaker is preferred, while the Team Jordan sneaker is not. Melvin expounded upon this notion:
Melvin: So, like Team Jordans… I don't know, if you guys are familiar with them. Well, Team Jordans are not valuable at all. Even though they have the Michael Jordan tag and name attached to it, it is not actually something [a shoe] he [Michael Jordan] played in. So, people only want particular shoes that he played with. So, if he did not hoop in that shoe, color and model, then people will not want it.
While the discussion of the Jordan brand was consistent across all participants, the two youngest participants interviewed did not actually tout the Jordan brand as their favorite. This confirms what has been noted in recent sneaker literature regarding other brands being more notarized by younger sneaker enthusiasts. Particularly, the older Sneakerheads may be all about the Jumpman (name used to refer to Jordan logo silhouette), but younger Sneakerheads may not be. Zeke and Rodney made this clear in their statements:
Zeke: Older generations are more of like… basketball oriented which is more of the Jordan and Nike brand. Their biggest models are basketball shoes. For instance, me, my brother, and cousins are the younger ones. We kinda like everything. And a big thing now is runners [running shoes]. Adidas is kinda over the runner market right now… they have the leading runners - Ultra Boost, and NMDs.
Rodney: I never really liked Jordans like that. I became interested in Adidas. I like the Ultraboost. You know, stuff like that. And also the Pharrell Human Races.
For members only
It was not uncommon for participants to talk about fellow Sneakerheads as if it were a community or even family. Certain practices and norms were described as commonplace within the community, which then seemed to cement the bonds that existed within the subculture. Eric described the unique elements of the culture that is present within his sneaker shop:
Eric: We sit around and chat for hours, kinda like a barbershop. Because that same barbershop culture this is what we try to keep within the sneaker culture. You know we're here to talk about sports, we talk about sneaker history, certain [sneaker] releases that came out, and what people are wearing.
The barbershop community culture that Eric described aligns with the Social Identity Theory literature which highlights group characteristics and norms that are commonplace among a group's identity. While this sharing of information and keeping up-to-date about sneakers is done in-person within Eric's shop, a huge part of the Sneakerhead community involves being connected online, specifically through social media and various sneaker apps. These apps are their connection to the pulse of what's up and coming within the sneaker community and is a must. Christian, for instance, described it as "the chase":
Christian: So, basically the chase is really being updated on information as far as sneaker release dates and what stores are getting them. Because certain stuff only comes out certain places. You have to just really be in tune with the social media and the internet and keeping up with those blogs that continuously post what's coming out and where it's coming out at. You have to really be on it! That's part of the chase.
Elijah takes part in "the chase" and described which apps and blogs he used to get his information:
Elijah: Nike has an app, Reebok has an app. Then there's a bunch of retailers. I mean Footlocker, Foot Action, Flight 23, and Finish Line. I mean, you can get sneakers from all these places and then there's a ton of secondary markets like GOAT, Flight Club, and StockX. You go everywhere. Sneaker blogs… sometimes the company will give a direct to consumer in like a sneakers app. There's a ton of information on different shoes and when they're gonna release and at what time. And whether you have to enter a draw or do some kind of a ticketing or lotto system to get it, or if you can just buy it. And sometimes you'll get a text from a friend, who also is a Sneakerhead. He'll give you information about a sneaker release that's coming as well.
Based on Christian's and Elijah's dialogue, "the chase" is an essential part of the Sneakerhead community, and, thus, provides the group somewhat of a sense of identification. That is, the behavior of "the chase" reinforces the group's interests thereby strengthening the culture.
While connections clearly persisted within the sneaker community, participants discussed a division of sorts that was also present within the sneaker community. Specifically, this division existed between what was referred to as "True Sneakerheads" versus a group called "Hypebeasts." Eric was passionate about this subject, as he is often exposed to both types of sneaker enthusiasts within his sneaker store. He defined what a True Sneakerhead is:
Eric: A True Sneakerhead is somebody that really loves the shoe. They are passionate and can tell you history about it. They can tell you about the culture and they love the culture… that is a true sneakerhead to me.
In contrast, Christian and Chad describe the characteristics of a Hypebeast and how it differs from a True Sneakerhead:
Christian: Hypebeast. So basically, that's a big word in the sneaker culture. True Sneakerheads say it a lot. It's the person who only buys things that other people like. They only buy them because of the hype. You buy only hype stuff. So, that's like a subdivision of the sneaker community that's frowned upon.
Chad:… the Hypebeast, they call it. They are like hype over shoes, not really knowing the true history of a shoes. They buy them just to resell them and overcharge [people].
While this division within the sneaker community is surprising, it is akin to what is mentioned within the Social Identity Theory literature. Specifically, an aspect of the theory called Group Distinctiveness entails a social group differentiating their group from other groups based upon their unique characteristics and norms. Given this, the True Sneakerhead is embodied by the norm of understanding sneaker history, and possesses a true love for the culture. While a Hypebeast does not embrace these unique norms. Therefore, there is a "for members only" distinction that exists within the Sneakerhead community.