Hey Ben, thanks alot for shedding some more reality on this situation. You made alot of good points that I agree with.
I can understand people being unable to grasp what the real scope of the situation is realistically without the proper background. I always wind up feeling like a dick when I do or say something negative (like discouraging someone with passion) but I just felt like the timing of this was wrong. Not that *it* was wrong.
Nike Sponsorship/Demo
You are wrong if you think multi nationals don't care about $250,000. multi nationals care about every dollar they can make.
I also disagree that making a footbag shoe would be problem because there are only 1000 freestylers - or however many there are. Do you really think that everybody who wears basketball shoes plays basketball? Everybody who wears clothing made by a surf brand knows how to surf? If nike (or anybody) bring out a new pair of shoes - there's a good chance people will buy it to some degree. If there is a good advertising campaign with a hot freestyle footbagger from Tasmania doing tricks with those shoes will it get people's attention? Have you ever played footbag in a public place? Of course it gets peoples attention. People will remember the add so they'll remember the shoes - so they'll buy them. It doesn't matter if they make any effort to play footbag in those shoes or not.
I also disagree that making a footbag shoe would be problem because there are only 1000 freestylers - or however many there are. Do you really think that everybody who wears basketball shoes plays basketball? Everybody who wears clothing made by a surf brand knows how to surf? If nike (or anybody) bring out a new pair of shoes - there's a good chance people will buy it to some degree. If there is a good advertising campaign with a hot freestyle footbagger from Tasmania doing tricks with those shoes will it get people's attention? Have you ever played footbag in a public place? Of course it gets peoples attention. People will remember the add so they'll remember the shoes - so they'll buy them. It doesn't matter if they make any effort to play footbag in those shoes or not.
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hotstepper
- Shredaholic
- Posts: 156
- Joined: 29 Jul 2002 20:15
- Location: nanaimo BC
Hey,
I never post on this thing but here I feel I can contribute something. As a footbagger and someone who works in international sales I feel it would be difficult to convince nike to do it. I live in Shenzhen China and if you go down the road towards Guangzhou you can see one super "nike" mass production compound. After seeing that your quickly realize the numbers of shoes they are producing so as everything esle goes in sales it is really just a matter of mass production. If you could convince someone in Nike that they could "push out" like two million pairs over say five years then they might bite but otherwise I don't think it is realistic. Nevertheless, I applaud the effort and I wish you the best.
Tom, you should really consider doing some sourcing outside of North America for your shoe. Try to find some small scale factory, for example, here in China that would take the project on for you. It would not really cost you anything and if you can demonstrate to them that you have a market, say show them the statistics of people attending worlds and its increase of the six years since 2000 and the increase in the international interest in footbag it would be easy for you to find someone to take that project on. Then you would not have to deal with the headache of a "brand" name company. Maybe then you could make you own brand if you wished.
Finally, the footbag community alone keeps the rod laver in existence due to the number of footbaggers, which I believe easily outnumbers the number of people who use it for tennis or casual wear, keep the shoe viable. There is no reason to get rid of a product that is doing ok sales, at the same time there is no reason to advance it either. That I believe would be the corporate thinking on it.
Yes, ping pong is a major sport here. Just consider I live in a city of about ten million people and the number of hardcore ping pong players here easily outnumbers the whole footbag community globally.
Tom, if you truely desire to persue your shoe dream post a response here and I will see if I can not source something out for you here.
Nick, best of luck. I hope that you can convince them.
I never post on this thing but here I feel I can contribute something. As a footbagger and someone who works in international sales I feel it would be difficult to convince nike to do it. I live in Shenzhen China and if you go down the road towards Guangzhou you can see one super "nike" mass production compound. After seeing that your quickly realize the numbers of shoes they are producing so as everything esle goes in sales it is really just a matter of mass production. If you could convince someone in Nike that they could "push out" like two million pairs over say five years then they might bite but otherwise I don't think it is realistic. Nevertheless, I applaud the effort and I wish you the best.
Tom, you should really consider doing some sourcing outside of North America for your shoe. Try to find some small scale factory, for example, here in China that would take the project on for you. It would not really cost you anything and if you can demonstrate to them that you have a market, say show them the statistics of people attending worlds and its increase of the six years since 2000 and the increase in the international interest in footbag it would be easy for you to find someone to take that project on. Then you would not have to deal with the headache of a "brand" name company. Maybe then you could make you own brand if you wished.
Finally, the footbag community alone keeps the rod laver in existence due to the number of footbaggers, which I believe easily outnumbers the number of people who use it for tennis or casual wear, keep the shoe viable. There is no reason to get rid of a product that is doing ok sales, at the same time there is no reason to advance it either. That I believe would be the corporate thinking on it.
Yes, ping pong is a major sport here. Just consider I live in a city of about ten million people and the number of hardcore ping pong players here easily outnumbers the whole footbag community globally.
Tom, if you truely desire to persue your shoe dream post a response here and I will see if I can not source something out for you here.
Nick, best of luck. I hope that you can convince them.
michael wiwchar
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smokefree
- Atomsmashasaurus Dex
- Posts: 750
- Joined: 25 Feb 2006 09:25
- Location: Tijuana, Baja California MX
Very good points! Anyway, hotstepper, remember that Nike does supply a lot of people, with lots of different brands of shoes... theres a bunch of factories all over the world supplying that area. Btw: its table tennisJeremy wrote:You are wrong if you think multi nationals don't care about $250,000. multi nationals care about every dollar they can make.
I also disagree that making a footbag shoe would be problem because there are only 1000 freestylers - or however many there are. Do you really think that everybody who wears basketball shoes plays basketball? Everybody who wears clothing made by a surf brand knows how to surf? If nike (or anybody) bring out a new pair of shoes - there's a good chance people will buy it to some degree. If there is a good advertising campaign with a hot freestyle footbagger from Tasmania doing tricks with those shoes will it get people's attention? Have you ever played footbag in a public place? Of course it gets peoples attention. People will remember the add so they'll remember the shoes - so they'll buy them. It doesn't matter if they make any effort to play footbag in those shoes or not.
Anthony
MONKEY CLAW!
MONKEY CLAW!
One good way to promote footbag to the big corporations would be promoting it to the corporations' football (soccer) "department" or whatever it's called.
Freestyle football isn't that much different from freestyle footbag, just go check Nikefootball.com.
There are lots of amateur footballers' video clips on the site - it'd be sooo easy to just send them a small footbag clip. I actually consider doing that.
It would be watched there I'm sure.
Besides, many amateur football kickers would start crying if they knew how great skills some shredders have.
edit: By the way, it's June the 1st. Should I send an e-mail to Nike like the original plan was or not?
Freestyle football isn't that much different from freestyle footbag, just go check Nikefootball.com.
There are lots of amateur footballers' video clips on the site - it'd be sooo easy to just send them a small footbag clip. I actually consider doing that.
It would be watched there I'm sure.
Besides, many amateur football kickers would start crying if they knew how great skills some shredders have.
edit: By the way, it's June the 1st. Should I send an e-mail to Nike like the original plan was or not?
Lauri Jaakkola
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shredzilla
- Post Master General
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