Please read the article below and answer both discussion questions. For further
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Question
Please read the article below and answer both discussion questions. For further reference please see the articles listed below. Thank you!
Allbirds: World’s Most Comfortable Shoe
This week’s discussion relates to developing and managing new products we covered in Chapter 10 and Chapter11.
Allbirds, a Silicon Valley startup, markets what it claims to be the world's most comfortable shoe. Made partly from wool, Allbirds sells just three simple unisex shoe models: the "runner," a pared-down slip on "lounger", and a loafer-trainer hybrid made from Eucalyptus pulp, the brand's latest innovation,. The company says that it's sold more than 1 million shoes since 2016. That is impressive for a two-year-old brand, but a drop in the bucket when stacked against the billion-dollar businesses of Nike and Adidas with sales of 25 shoes per second. Yet, in an industry dominated by these legacy brands, Allbirds, a miniscule Silicon Valley outfit, is disrupting just about every convention in the sneaker world.
Its sales model is mostly direct-to-consumer via its Web site and two stores in New York and San Francisco (plus pop-up shops in nine Nordstrom locations). What's more, the company is run by two men with zero experience in footwear: Tim Brown, an ex-soccer player, and Joey Zwillinger, a former biotechnical engineer. Allbirds' appeal is interesting. It's guided less by flash and more by a self-conscious eco-friendliness and low-key comfort. Among other attributes, the company draws attention to its recycled laces, castor bean oil insole which cuts down on carbon output compared to conventional petroleum foam, and natural fiber.
DISUCSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Have you heard of Allbirds. Visit its website (www.allbirds.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.) and learn about the company. Discuss Allbirds’ appeal and speculate on why the company has been so successful. Identify Allbirds’ ideal customer and why the brand appeals to its ideal customer in such a compelling way.
2. As a startup, do you think Allbirds is going to grow and be successful or it is just a fad? Justify your answer.
SOURCE:
How the 'World's Most Comfortable Shoe' Is Challenging Nike and Adidas (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
By Jacob Gallagher
May 21, 2018
The Wall Street Journal
These Are the Healthiest Shoes To Wear, According to Scientists (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
By Markham Heid
May 30, 2018
TIME
1. Have you heard of Allbirds. Visit its website (www.allbirds.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.) and learn about the company. Discuss Allbirds’ appeal and speculate on why the company has been so successful. Identify Allbirds’ ideal customer and why the brand appeals to its ideal customer in such a compelling way.
2. As a startup, do you think Allbirds is going to grow and be successful or it is just a fad? Justify your answer.
Explanation / Answer
1.
AllBirds which is been regarded as new innovative footwear company was formed by Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger with an aspiration to do things differently as they firmly believed in doing better things in a better way and their primary focus was footwear as they strongly believed that there was enormous opportunity to initiate shoe-making differently.
Furthermore AllBirds to a great extent did supposed that the present shoe industry indeed lacked innovation and they had a strong feeling that the casual footwear market indeed was capable to provide an enormous opportunity for a brand which in fact is willing to believe and perform in a different manner.
AllBirds sell their shoes directly to customers thus this has facilitated them to build an effective connection between retailers and consumer which in fact has helped them to maintain transparency in consumers purchase. Furthermore there perseverance for excellence in quality has mainly been attributed due to adoption of a policy of resourcing the best available natural raw materials which in fact has resulted in making of a shoe that has an excellent feeling and great looks.
2.
Allbirds a San Francisco-based startup company has been able to raise around $18 million as new investment where the funding was indeed led by Tiger Global Management a New York-based firm thus the new infusion of funds has been able to bring in Allbirds’ total funding to approximately around $28 million.
In 2015 Allbirds a shoe company was founded by Tim Brown former New Zealand professional soccer player and Joey Zwillinger biotech engineer and renewable materials expert. The startup company has employed more than 50 workers and since it’s initiation has been profitable.
Furthermore company CEOs Brown and Zwillinger plan to use the new funding in further research and development activities pertaining to sustainable materials which indeed can facilitate to support future products global expansion plan and open more retail stores in US.
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