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Only the most loyal ‘sneakerheads’ still have a chance of getting exclusive drops from Nike. A new scoring system calculates how dedicated consumers are, determining their chances to buy the eagerly wanted items. This way, Nike tries to stop scalpers and wants to reward real fans.
Only for devoted fans
Fans who want to buy exclusive and sought-after Nike trainers from now on will first get evaluated based on their “dedication score”. A new algorithm by the sports giant calculates the customers’ product affinity based on their loyalty and commitment. For example, to be able to order the most sought-after new drops, the algorithm will check the extent to which people follow the brand’s live streams and whether they interact with content.
New ‘limited edition’ trainers, which Nike usually launches via its Snkrs app, are a desired commodity – attracting a lot of hijackers, often automated bots, that buy the shoes and then sell them on at a much higher price. The phenomenon, called “scalping”, causes a lot of frustration among collectors. Ordinary consumers would rarely be able to get their hands on a pair.
Weekly live streams
Although it may raise eyebrows, Nike says its dedication score aims to give the power back to real brand fans, Business Insider reports. The trainer brand is even going to provide additional content to give consumers a chance to boost their dedication score: in a new space in its digital studio in New York, Nike will produce weekly live streams. The new system was first trialled last month by inviting female consumers to buy new Jordan trainers.
For Nike, it is an important step towards its ambition of becoming a true technology and data company. “We are fulfilling our vision”, says CEO John Donahoe, who “through connected member experiences and inventory, powered by connected data and technology” wants to offer consumers “more speed, convenience and connection to our brand”. As such, Donahoe recently acquired several data companies, including one that enables score calculation: the technology combines various data streams into meaningful insights in real-time.
