BUS631: Brand Management

Sneakerheads

Sneakerheads are defined as individuals who collect, trade, and/or admire sneakers. In addition, most are knowledgeable about the history of sneakers, and are passionate about the nostalgic factors the sneakers possess. Upon their first introduction into the marketplace, Sneakerheads were thought to be a fad group that embraced compulsive shopping behaviors. However, over the years, Sneakerheads have had a financial impact within the marketplace given the sale and resell activity within the sneaker community. That is, Sneakerheads seek out rare sneaker collections and celebrity collaborations that are exclusive in nature and create a sense of scarcity among Sneakerheads. This, in turn, drives purchase behaviors and also unique values and practices that endure within their Sneakerhead community. To better understand the Sneakerhead culture, sneaker heritage and collections must be understood. The next section will explain the historical context of sneakers with regards to the Sneakerhead community.

Sneaker brand heritage and collections

As mentioned, one keen characteristic of a Sneakerhead is their knowledge about the origins and history of sneakers. In fact, this historical understanding of the background and evolution of sneakers is often thought to be a mark of membership within the sneaker community. Thus, this level of knowledge is essential to be deemed a true Sneakerhead.

Most Sneakerheads credit the advent of the Sneakerhead subculture to the late 1970's/early 1980's and the introduction of the hip-hop era. During this time, footwear became synonymous with streetwear, and notable sneakers, such as the suede Puma Clydes, Adidas Shell Toes, Converse Chuck Taylors, and Pony David Thompsons were introduced to the streets. Yet, a large majority of Sneakerheads attribute their introduction to the sneaker community to the 1985 release of the Nike Air Jordan 1s. Arguably one of the biggest sneaker introductions, the shoe gained its notoriety because of its connection to the athlete Michael Jordan, but also because the shoe was initially banned by the NBA after Michael Jordan wore them on the court.

The Air Jordan series has continued to gain popularity since its introduction in 1985, and accounts for more than half of the basketball shoe market (Choi and Kim 2019). The series now has several collections or "shoe drops" (as referred to by Sneakerheads) that entails retro marketing of Retro Air Jordan releases that create a sense of exclusiveness within the sneaker community. To date, over 100 million pairs of Air Jordan have been sold since 1985. However, in recent years, Air Jordans have not been the only sneaker collection to gain a following. Millennial Sneakerheads (i.e. those born between 1981 and 1993), for example, seem to have an affinity for celebrity collaboration sneakers such as those with Travis Scott, Kanye West, and Pharell Williams to name a few. The appeal of the celebrity sneaker collections, along with the appeal of Air Jordans, may point to a deeper relationship and connection Sneakerheads have with their sneaker collections. Essentially, Sneakerheads may identify with the brand images and brand personalities of the unique collections and brands, along with the celebrities who these sneaker companies collaborate with. With this in mind, it is appropriate to assess the conceptual theory of the Social Identity Theory to further examine Sneakerheads as a group, especially given the unique orientations and practices that may exist regarding sneakers and the brands they have a passion for. The next section will highlight the Social Identity Theory and its connection to the Sneakerhead culture.

Social identity theory

Social identity entails an individual's self-concept based on their membership in a particular group. Tajfel and Turner's Social Identity Theory extends this notion of social identity by positing that individuals categorize themselves in certain social groups to define their membership within society at large, thereby differentiating their group from other groups based upon their unique group characteristics and norms. According to the Social Identity Theory, as individuals establish membership in a group a sense of identification leads to behaviors that, in turn, serve to reinforce the group's interests. Given past research that shows evidence of the distinctive community orientation of Sneakerheads, application of this theory within this research study may reveal additional dynamics within the subculture.

The Social Identity Theory has also been used to examine the relationship consumers develop with brands. The application of this theory is useful because it illustrates how the notion of brand identification can evolve from relationships that consumers form with a brand. Specifically, brand identification is defined as a consumer's connection with a brand - such that there is a perceived oneness with the brand. For instance, Kuenzel and Halliday apply the theory to understand how positive brand reputation and brand personality congruence will lead to brand identification, thereby resulting in brand loyalty. In addition, if a consumer has a personal association with the personality of the brand, this will also result in brand identification. Further exploration of the Sneakerhead culture may shed light on the brands and specific shoe collections they innately identify with. Moreover, through the Social Identity Theory, brand preferences and loyalty may be attributed to their relationship with the brand's image and their own individual identities, as well as the identity of the Sneakerhead subculture. In that token, the tenets of the Social Identity Theory were employed within this study.

While most academic literature has not extensively captured the culture of Sneakerheads, one specific article has highlighted the practices and values of Sneakerheads. The article "Sneakerhead Brand Community Netnography: An Exploratory Research" particularly captures the information sharing behaviors of Sneakerheads within the online medium. That is, it assesses Sneakerheads through the method of a netnography. A netnography is defined as an "ethnography adapted to the study of online communities". The process involves gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data within the confines of an online culture. Through this method, the authors revealed keen behaviors Sneakerheads exhibit within their culture, predominantly online - especially with regards to how they interact and their decision-making processes. Thus, the current study seeks to explore the Sneakerhead community within the offline and physical confines of the Sneakerhead activities, predominantly within the stores where they purchase the sneakers. It is believed that within this environment, the distinct essence of the Sneakerhead community can be further understood. Moreover, prior research has not examined brand preference motivations of Sneakerheads, and how individuals within the Sneakerhead community may demonstrate brand identification. It is imperative to understand the in-depth role of brand during the decision-making process for Sneakerheads, particularly because identification with sneaker brands may reveal unique motivations of Sneakerheads. Therefore, the current research considers the brand preference and brand identification, and how social identities may impact the Sneakerhead community. The next section discusses in detail the methodology used for this research study.