BUS631: Brand Management

An exploratory study was conducted to address the lack of academic research concerning Sneakerheads, their motivations, and brands they may identify with. A qualitative research design was employed which included primary data collection. A grounded theory approach was utilized to understand the lived experiences of the participants, and gain an understanding of the meanings, actions, and motivations of the Sneakerhead culture. Thereby, this approach resulted in an analytical interpretation of the participants' "world" in the context of their identity as a Sneakerhead. Primary data included twelve semi-structured interviews with males, aged 25–44, who self-identified as Sneakerheads or Sneakerhead enthusiasts. For this study, males were chosen as the purposive sample, as Sneakerheads are predominantly of the male gender, although females are slowly becoming a more visible part of the Sneakerhead community. The average age of the participants was 33.6 years old, and the men resided in the southeast region of the United States. Furthermore, 75% of the participants were African American; two participants were Hispanic (17%); and one participant was Caucasian (8%). African-Americans are historically and currently the heart of the Sneakerhead culture, as first exhibited in the late 1970's and early 1980's through its alignment with black youth culture. Given this, it was essential that this ethnicity be widely represented within the participant sample. Upon IRB approval, participants for the interviews were recruited via a snowball sample, initially through the word-of-mouth of local sneakerhead retailers. This method of sampling was appropriate for this study as the Sneakerhead community maintains a level of exclusiveness. Thus, snowball sampling allowed for introduction from participants into the unique population.

Each interview lasted between 30 and 60 min and was audio-recorded with the participant's consent. Moreover, a large majority of the interviews took place within sneaker retail stores, as the researchers wanted to interview participants within an environment that was reflective of Sneakerhead culture. This oftentimes helped to supplement and enrich the discussion, as participants frequently referred to specific sneakers and athletic brands within the retail stores. The few interviews that did not take place in sneaker retail stores took place at neutral, public locations or over the phone. The following statements and questions, among others, were posed during the interviews: (a) Share your journey of how you first became interested in sneakers; (b) How often do you purchase sneakers? (c) How many pairs of sneakers do you own? (d) Would you say you have a favorite brand of sneakers, and if so, what brand?, and (e) What is it about the brand that makes it your favorite? Participants were also asked at the end of each interview if there was anything the researchers did not ask that might be important to understand about the topic. The different ethnicities and ages allowed for diverse viewpoints on the topic. Table 1 provides details regarding the name, age, and ethnicity of the participants. To protect the anonymity of the participants, pseudonyms were used.

Table 1 Name, age, and ethnicity

Name	Age	Ethnicity
Richard	38	African-American
Marlon	42	African-American
Melvin	25	African-American
Eric	34	Hispanic
Chad	40	African-American
Christian	25	African-American
Elijah	41	African-American
Zeke	27	Hispanic
Mark	30	Caucasian
Justin	35	African-American
Rodney	23	African-American
Jason	44	African-American

All interviews were transcribed verbatim. Interview responses were assessed by four members of the research team, and an analyst triangulation process was employed, where each of the researchers reviewed findings individually to avoid selective perception in the interpretive analysis process. Thereafter, the data was categorized based on common issues that emerged from the data. The categories were then compared and contrasted, and themes used to explain each category were clearly identified.