You may have heard it said: “If you're not first in your category, create your own.”
I find this law fascinating, because it lets creative entrepreneurs find their place in the sun, even in markets that might look saturated or impenetrable, especially when the giants give the impression of taking up the whole field.
Take athletic footwear – those sneakers that seem to be in every closet in the world. Every major luxury brand has its signature trainers; even the most fashionista of influencers has fallen into line, wearing them with dresses and skirts.
But let’s get back to the Law of Categories, because I wanted to draw your attention to the On Running brand. They’ve been winning market share by, you guessed it, creating their own category.
The company was founded in Switzerland in 2010, and it’s managed to scoop up an over 40% market share of running shoes in Switzerland, and 10% in Germany. And now they’re spreading their wings around the world. The On Running brand currently has locations in 55 countries and more than seven million customers.
How can a new sneaker brand make a place among the giants of this world like Nike, Adidas, Reebok and New Balance?
By creating its own category, of course, where it’s in the lead: making running shoes that give you the feeling you’re running on clouds!
Simple, you think. That’s why I’m fascinated by this idea. You immediately think about how extremely comfortable these shoes are and, even if you’re like me and have never wanted to take up running, you want to give them a try!
Recipe for success:
1 – The founders:
- A world champion in duathlon, winner of many Ironmanraces
- A Swiss engineer
2 – Engineering applied to running
3 – Shoes that win international prizes (ISPO BRAND NEW) – ISPO GOLD –one of the most coveted awards for innovation
4 – A steady stream of public relations:
On in the Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journalpresents On as a revolutionary running shoe.
5 – Other champions and celebrities adopting the shoe
After his Oscars for Birdman and Gravity, Emmanuel Chivo Lubezki took his third consecutive Oscar for his work on The Revenant. For an Oscars photo shoot with Variety, he wore his favourite pair of sneakers: On Clouds
6 – Combining PR and social media
I hope you enjoyed this episode, and that this PR/marketing moment stimulates your creativity.
Reach out to me so we can continue the conversation!
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