How Brand Loyal Are You?

Brand loyalty has always been a fascinating subject for me. What makes someone make a connection with a brand and become a devoted follower has always been an interesting topic. My degree is in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing so this side of business, relating to the consumer and creating a relationship, is a key part of my job and is integral to the success of any business. 

I'm not quite sure when it happened, but I have been brand loyal to Nike since I was a child. My parents even found an old paper of mine from grade school where I wrote my goal of what I wanted to do when I grew up and I had written "work for Nike." I've often tried to pinpoint the exact moment when Nike became the brand I focused on for my workout gear and shoes, but there are actually quite a few. 

For one, I'm a tall girl and I have larger feet. When I was in grade school I couldn't find any stylish women's running shoes unless they were Nike. Most companies have now expanded their sizes and 11 - 12 are common women's sizes, but I still contribute my stylish grade school kick's years to Nike. They were the first to cater to me and make me feel like I fit in. 

In high school they were the brand that made my basketball shoes. Basketball was who I was and shaped my future goals and opportunities. It wasn't the shoes that defined me, or that very recognizable swoosh, but it was the self esteem, pride and accomplishment I felt when I laced them up. Nike understands athletes and they understood what I wanted. 

In college I continued to wear Nike's for the college team and by then I just wouldn't have any other shoe on the court. I wouldn't say I made a mistake in college, but if I could go back and do it over I would have focused on researching what Nike looked for in an intern and pouring my heart and sole into getting the experience I needed to be hired on after college. I had one internship interview and my lack of experience in a few areas is what I feel like was lacking on my resume. I placed too much faith in the brand I love simply seeing my devotion and wanting to hire a kid excited about the brand. 

I don't blame them. They are a great company because they hire only the best and often that comes with experience. However, what I don't have in experience I make up for in heart. I have been relentless in pursuing different angles at Nike and working with members of their team when I get a chance. 

I was lucky enough to be featured on their Nike Women blog, make it to the top 10 of a Nike Women Field Reporter Competition, become a Nike Women's Marathon Training Ambassador in 2012, participate in the Nike Running Epic Run Competition last year with my #RUNIRISHLUCK run  (I came in third) and now be a Captain of their new online Community Forum. 

My interactions with Nike have all been positive and I know they care about runners, dreamers and athletes everywhere. Sure, they are in it to make a profit, but the bottom line is that making athletes better products and offering them amazing free services such as the Nike Running app and NTC app, is one of their top goals. 

So, I would have to say that my brand loyalty comes from a combination of my Oregon roots, dedication to sports, positive interactions and opportunities within the brand and my burning desire to work for the Swoosh. 

Nike's expansion of their live NTC classes are making more brand enthusiasts like myself around the world. Bottom line: Nike is doing everything right. They are offering free training, product trials and a community to keep you coming back for more. They are giving the consumer an experience - not just selling them a shoe or new running shorts. You want to come back because of the value you place on the experience. 

When I'm not near a Nike store I can do NTC at home with the app and interact with Nike on Twitter and Facebook. They always respond with motivational words and keep me motivated to continue training even at a distance. The community they have built is strong and keeps getting stronger. 

Fitness is a part of my life and Nike just seems to fit in. My car even has a four-foot swoosh sticker on the rear window. It's been there for six years. In essence - I am already branded. It seems to me that brand loyalty is a result of continuous relationships and creating value to a customer. If Nike ever stops creating value for me then my brand loyalty will end. 

I don't have complete exclusivity with Nike, I still enjoy wearing other brands. I have a love for Athleta's girly fitness style and Under Armour Women impresses me with their I WILL campaign and commitment to women in sports. Nike just has my heart. It was my first love and I do not have a negative thing to say about them. I have become brand loyal due to nearly two decades of interaction with them and positive memories and experiences from sporting the Swoosh. 

Nike is just one example of my brand loyalty, just ask my hubby! He's a bit baffled by my commitment to the brands I love. Pocketfuel, Nuun Hydration and Feetures! socks to name a few. But what these companies all have in common is a commitment to quality, interaction with customers no matter who they are and amazing customer service. I stay committed to those companies that create value for me. Companies earn my loyalty. They earn it and maintain it with their actions. 

Am I brand loyal? Absolutely. I am also loyal in every other aspect of my life and that is who I am. If you have my back, I will have yours every time. 

Nike Takes to the Studio

This past week has been very busy. With running, basketball, and watching the Australian Open tennis tournament every evening, I have been extremely busy! Sorry that I have been neglecting the blog, but here's a quick post to catch you up to date!

This past week I have experimented with becoming vegan, and so far so good. I really haven't struggled much, except when a huge pizza was sitting on the counter - covered in cheese, but I held strong. I must say I have felt a bit better and my skin seems to be clearer. I am enjoying the challenge and can't wait to see what this does for my running ability. I have found a lot of great recipes to try, so I am looking forward to giving them a shot soon.

I just found these crazy shoes on the Nike Pinterest page. The Nike Studio Wrap looks like such a great idea. I love doing barefoot classes at the gym, such as kickboxing, taekwondo and yoga. These shoes would offer great traction and be a unique sight at the gym. I can't wait to try them out in February when Nike releases them online and in stores. What do you think?

How has your training been going? I know some of my friends have been crushing their mileage recently and are beginning to train for upcoming races. I have hit 70 miles for this month and am hoping to be close to 100 my January 30. 

Strength out of Weakness

I am no stranger to pushing my limits, but this summer I will be stretching my running limits and seeing how far I can go. I never considered myself a runner until after college. I always played basketball and so I had to do sprints, sprints and more sprints (commonly referred to as suicides). I was always a quick sprinter, but distance was never my thing. Last year I ran my first Marathon. Before that I had never run more than 10 miles. But that was not going to stop me. 

The thing that you have to realize about me is that I never write myself off. I just won't let that happen. I find a way to conquer my goals even when no one else thinks I can. In high school my coach didn't see any potential and thought I wouldn't even make the Varsity team by my senior year. I did not let this stop me. I practiced, hard. I was in the gym for hours every day shooting, doing drills and playing with the guys during pick up games. In only a few months I was a swing player for the JV and Varsity team and Varsity starting center by junior year. I led my team to two back to back championship wins in our small league and a stellar season. I had a lot of weaknesses going into my basketball career, but those weaknesses made me a better player. Because of those weaknesses I practiced hours more than others and advanced at a much quicker rate. I learned, adapted and grew my basketball skills into those worthy of the college level. My weaknesses became my strengths and made me the strong athlete I am today. 

Nike Women gave me the amazing opportunity to run with them for the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. I am a Nike Women's Training Ambassador for 2012 and I am living one of my biggest dreams - training with Nike and spending the weekend with them in San Francisco. I get to document my journey, push my limits and find my strength in my weaknesses. My training plan from Nike Master Trainer Marie Purvis is challenging and exciting and I am getting the best gear to train in courtesy of Nike Women. I have a busy few months in the future, but I will give 100% to my training. I have no doubt that these next few months will be some of the most challenging, exciting and limit-crushing that I have ever experienced. 

What I Learned from Baylor

Did anyone see the amazing championship basketball game that Baylor played to with the NCAA National Championship? I'm sorry to say that I missed it and I will be looking up highlights and replays online to catch myself up.

It was an amazing accomplishment and one that teaches lessons I hope to apply to my life. There are many lessons to be learned from this team. They reached perfection and completed a record perfect season. But it's not about the perfection or even the incredible coach behind this team. It's about how they played the game, how they practiced and how they sacrificed to reach a common goal.

Discipline is what it takes to make a great basketball team. This team was incredibly talented, disciplined and trained. They had the drive and fire to win. I wish my college basketball team would have had even half the discipline that this team had. Winning and success take sacrifice and this team was willing to give their all to reach that. The practiced, they played, they bonded and they believed.

To be honest, I haven't watched much women's basketball recently, but Baylor's win has made me realize my error. I plan to read more about this team and put into practice their approach to teamwork and discipline in my training and workout routine. I may never have a chance to play for a National Championship or play for a perfect 40-0 season. I can, however, work hard in the gym and train with the mentality of putting everything on the line. Giving my all 100% of the time.

Thanks Baylor for teaching me that success comes with discipline and making me a believer in in the power of practice.  

Stair Power

Stairs are not easy. They are intimidating and can vary from a few steps to hundreds. Stairs are integral to most training plans. Not only do they strengthen and tone muscles but they enhance our mental and physical state. When you have conquered a flight of hundreds of stairs in your everyday training, then you feel like you can conquer anything in a race. Stairs help to build your stamina in every way.

I used to dislike stairs. Everyday in basketball practice we would do laps up and down the stairs from the court to the balcony and back. They were killer workouts and there were some days when I just wanted to give up. I never stopped and not stopping is what made me into the athlete I am today. Stairs taught me to keep going even when I feel like I can't continue. 

Elite athletes are made by the work they put in when no one is watching. They are made in the moments in training when they do not give up, even when no one is watching. Often I think the difference between winning and losing is that extra effort from the months of training put in when no one was watching. Nothing in sports happens by chance. Put in the work now and you will see results later. Conquer your worst fear, tackle the stairs, work harder everyday. Never let yourself quit. 

Nike+ Training

Has anyone checked out the new Nike+ training shoe and app that is coming out this summer? It looks extremely functional and sleek. The technology of the shoe is incredible. The bottom of the insole actually has sensors built in to measure how you move, how high you jump, and track your progress. You can share all this data through various social media outlets and challenge your friends.

The mobile app built to pair with the shoe provides videos of drills and challenges that you can pick from every day, keeping you training hard with fresh, effective workouts. This app and shoe work together in tandem to help you become stronger, faster and better at whatever sport you are training for. With real-time feedback this app lets you set your goals, check your progress and track your improvement.

Check out this teaser video provided by Nike and start planning what you will use Nike+ Training for this summer.

No Excuses

I woke up this morning so tired. The felling never left me all day. Sometimes it is difficult to even force myself to shut off my alarm and go to work, let alone to think about working out. Even though I wanted to just come home and take a nap after work, I didn't. I stayed true to my workout plan. I did a 45 minute cardio/weight routine at the gym and then hit up Taekwondo class for an hour. I felt better about 15 minutes  into my workout and it became totally worth it.

I have a college basketball career in my arsenal of tricks to pull from. In college there is no excuse for skipping a practice and no matter how tired I was, or how many late nights I had put in, I ALWAYS went to practice. And after every two to three hour evening practice I felt more alive than I did before. There is just nothing that can compare to endorphins to help make me alert. During my workout today I kept reminding myself of those college basketball practices and how they taught me to push through tiredness and pain. Basketball taught me how to push myself and taught me that there are no excuses. When you say you will do something, get it done.

Find your reason to workout and your reason to push yourself. Think back to a time in your life when you pushed yourself to achieve something you never thought you could, or a time when you pushed harder than you thought possible. Use that experience to push yourself every day. There is just no excuse for letting yourself take the easy way out. Set an alarm on your phone, get a workout buddy, or create a consequence for skipping your workout. Tell yourself that you will accept no excuses and stick to your plan. The first step to success is taking that first step. Challenge yourself today to make your dreams come true. No excuses.