Foot Locker and NIKE Leveraging Employee Advocacy to Drive Customer Experience

Foot Locker announced an expanded relationship with shoe company NIKE, through which the expectation is an optimal customer experience both in-store and through pop-up shops.

Sneakeasy NYC is a pop-up that will offer fans a glimpse into the future of the NIKE and Jordan brands. A bevy of Nike/Jordan products and services will be featured for shoe lovers from Wednesday, November 22 through December 1. Sneakeasy will be offering events throughout its pop-up time that can easily be accessed via Foot Locker and NIKE’s social media channels.

The apps give NIKE wearers early reservation access to the newest shoe launches. There is also a chance for consumers to gain access to added benefits through Foot Locker’s VIP program and NIKE PLUS program.  Additionally, Foot Locker is giving basketball fans the chance to wear the NIKEs and Jordans that they see pros wearing during games from House of Hoops by Foot Locker.

Sneakeasy and House of Hoops by Foot Locker basketball shoes are going to be welcomed additions to FL and NIKE family but these ideas can only succeed with the proper employees. Not just the average employee, but one that is both dedicated and passionate about what they are selling; sales specialists who are not just working for a paycheck, but because this is a brand they stand behind.

Many businesses are starting to latch onto the idea of employee advocacy, something this project by Foot Locker brings into perspective. The idea is that employees who are intimately involved with the products and services they develop and sell are ideal candidates to advocate for their brands. It’s really an extension of the theory that a happy employee is a productive employee. If an employee feels a connection to a product or brand – if he feels he is part of the brand and has a stake in its success – he will be driven to promote it.  The concept applies to all businesses, regardless of product or customer base; employees are becoming major parts of marketing initiatives, largely because they are a previously unheard voice that comes with an inherent level of trust.

As for NIKE and Foot Locker, though they are, in fact, brand ambassadors, the technical terms the initiative have coined are “NIKE Pro Athletes” and “NIKE Pro Leads,” who will all be specially trained in NIKE gear. Created collaboratively by Foot Locker and NIKE, the goal is to enhance the customer experience through a sincere and knowledgeable connection with the ambassadors and, by extension, the brands.

“At Foot Locker, we are proud to have associates who are so deeply knowledgeable and passionate about all the great premium products we have to offer,” said Tony Aversa, Vice President of Customer Experience and Sales for Foot Locker North America. “These new NIKE Pro Athlete and Lead positions will allow for even more in-depth consumer connections for both Foot Locker and NIKE.”