Case #1: Mass Customization
1.) Compare and contrast the approach used by the two companies to offer consumers customized athletic shoes.
From visiting both Puma and Nike’s homepages, I find that Nike’s site offers a more noticeable customization offer. Nike’s homepage is straight forward, clean, and user friendly. You notice their customization offer right away, because there is an informational icon saying, “CUSTOMIZE your gear” directly below the main video streaming. You don’t have to look around for this option-like on Puma’s homepage. When I went to www.puma.com I was reluctant to search around for the customization link. I only knew that there was an option of customization because I was told so in this case study. If I had gone to this site on my own, it would have taken me a while to figure out that “Mongolian BBQ” was the catchy title for the option of creating your own shoe. And, when I finally found the icon saying “Mongolian BBQ,” I clicked on it, and it only gave me a description of the feature, and didn’t take me to the site. I had to actually google search “puma Mongolian bbq” to take me to their launch window. I found this process draining, and I was not really interested anymore.
I found NikeiD to be clear, simple, to the point and the look stayed within the Nike’s branding image; it didn’t diverge from the look of the rest of their site. As for Puma, I feel like they really went out on a limb to make their customization option to be catchy and story-like. Puma stayed within this theme of Mongolian BBQ the entire time, and also gave you an option to have an almost video gaming experience in building your own shoe. This seemed pretty cool in the beginning because it was an experience in itself, but got tiring and confusing after a while, so they had a simpler version, which more resembled what NikeiD was doing. They seemed to share the same interface.
From creating my shoes, I found that NikeiD offered much more variety in shoe styles to start from. Puma only had two styles you could customize. Also, NikeiD allowed me to personalize my shoes with my initials, or even my favorite school’s logo or mascot. Puma didn’t have an option like this.
After I created my shoe at NikeiD, I had the option to create a ‘locker’ where I could save my shoe and create various other ones. I also had the option to turn that shoe into personalized wallpaper for my computer, which I could choose from several graphics to place my shoe on, as a piece of art. Puma only had a shopping cart to hold my shoe in for purchase.
2.) Analyze first-hand the customer experience on each of their websites. Which company is using technology to create the best customer experience?
From my personal experience with the two sites, I found NikeiD to be fun, user friendly, and it made me feel like I was the artist creating the shoe, which in turn, was a piece of art. It was an interactive experience, and I liked how they made it feel like this was a special experience. Their wallpaper and locker options were very cool, and appealed to me. Also, being able to see what the shoe looked like (at the angle of my choice) instantly when I chose a different color or pattern was gratifying.
I found that Puma’s site was confusing and went out on a limb with the theme of Mongolina BBQ. I didn’t really understand the relevancy of this idea to shoes. After reading the description I sort of understood the theory behind the cuisine and the comparison between creativity in food making with making shoes. Once I finally found their launch window, I initially liked this idea. It was interactive, and it was like a video game. I got to choose a style of shoe from a menu, and read about how shoes are made, and I even got to stand in a faux Chinese buffet from which I could choose colors and patterns. This was cool, and then got old really fast. It was hard, and quite a process to keep doing this to build a shoe. Also, the shoe was not a shoe, but rather the pattern of a shoe, which got really confusing. I liked the instant gratification of seeing the shoe and then see it change when I picked a color or pattern.
I think Nike was smart in making this option simple, fun, interactive, easy to find, and easy to use. Puma had an interesting idea, but didn’t quite execute it successfully. I think a huge downfall was that they didn’t have a direct link from their homepage-or at least one that was easy to find, because I couldn’t figure it out. I may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but I am comparable in intelligence to an average consumer who is visiting these sites. Also, I feel like Puma should have played up, or explained their Mongolian BBQ cuisine more fully and much more clear.
3.) Build and save a custom she on one of these sites that you will be able to share with the rest of the class. Can you design the coolest shoe?
