Founder Tim Brown is a former member of the New Zealand national football team. New Zealand is rich in wool, but no one has ever applied wool material to sports shoes. He brought in another founder, Joey Zwillinger, who is an expert in renewable materials. The two have targeted a niche field, although the competition in sports shoe technology is very close, there are not many brands currently increasing their research and development efforts in casual shoes.
In terms of material innovation, American casual shoe consumers who focus on lifestyle are currently most concerned about whether materials are environmentally friendly. According to the brand, the Allbirds wool series saves 60% of energy compared to using synthetic materials, while the eucalyptus series saves 95% of water resources and cuts carbon emissions in half. The sole material of SweetFoamTM is processed from Brazilian sugarcane, and even the shoelaces are made from recycled plastic bottles.
The comfort created by wool and the sustainable development concept favored by middle-class consumers have made Wool Runners hit the extremely picky Silicon Valley circle in the United States, including Google co-founder Larry Page and Apple CEO Cook Timothy Cook. Many technology leaders have personally promoted Allbirds on social media platforms such as Snapchat and Twitter. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and NBA star Andrei Igodara became brand investors directly.
Behind this is the rise of emerging technology enterprises, leading to the integration of work and life scenarios, changes in consumer dress habits, and an increase in the pursuit of comfort and product adaptability to multiple scenarios. More importantly, unlike the group of consumers who pursue fashionable styles, these people are often highly fascinated by the material revolution.
Lululemon also relies on LUON patented fabrics and Slivere scene odor prevention technology to achieve a soft, comfortable, and comfortable user experience that feels like it hasn’t been worn. That is to say, although the lululemon effect more or less contains the identity foam of the middle class, this addictive wearing experience is also the key to success.
The celebrity effect leverages a niche audience to continue the influence of Allbirds from small opinion leaders to the general public. The brand adopts DTC’s direct consumer oriented business model, gradually expanding from online to offline, interacting with consumers through user data collection and feedback, and being enthusiastic about operating social media platforms and consumer communities.
Therefore, within the first two years of the brand’s establishment, Allbirds, who was just starting out, sold over one million pairs of shoes without spending much money on celebrity endorsements.
This situation is equally familiar. Unlike traditional sports brands like Nike and Adidas that invest heavily in advertising, lululemon also relies on community operations as a low-cost way to establish a loyal consumer base and compete with giants.
