In addition to their undeniable admiration for the Kabaka of Buganda, the 800,000+ participants in the just-finished #KabakaBirthdayRun provide excellent marketing insights for both small and large brands too. #BrandCommunity
In Mid-2000, Nike desired to create a valued brand experience and a DEEP BRAND COMMUNITY. In addition to its substantial marketing expenditure, Nike launched Nike+ and began utilising community-focused, digitally-driven social networking platforms to further its objective. Through its digital platform, NIKE has now established connections with over 300 million customers who are enjoying personalized fitness experiences. #NikeRunClub
By fusing the physical and digital worlds, the 2008 NIKE+ #HumanRace connected nearly 1 million runners across 25 cities and provided NIKE customers with an exceptional interactive experience. This was described as the day the world stopped running.
No matter how tiny your brand is, it is feasible to build a deep brand community and enable your customers to not only use your services or products but also experience them. This is exactly what Nike accomplished roughly 13 years ago, and what Airtel and MTN are doing now.
Perhaps it's time these brands tapped into integrating the digital aspect in the mix.
