As someone who earns a living from the dark art of brand strategy, I am professionally fascinated by products that challenge conventional wisdom about brand building. Last week, two unrelated New York Times articles piqued my interest, highlighting products that, despite commanding high premiums in their respective categories, sit on completely opposite ends of the tradition-innovation spectrum.
This odd couple—a traditional Japanese school bag and a cutting-edge running shoe—sparked a thought: What can these contrasting products teach us about brand building in a bewildering era of rapidly shifting consumer aspirations and expectations?
While these two products compete in vastly different categories and cultures, comparing them yields some new insights about navigating today's multifaceted and increasingly unpredictable brandscape.
The Power of Tradition: ランドセル (Randoseru)
What's a Randoseru?
- A durable leather backpack worn by Japanese schoolchildren
- Nearly 100% market penetration (yes, you read that right)
- A design that hasn’t changed in over a century
- Average cost per unit: 56,000 yen ($380)
Let’s start with a charming NYT article about the Randoseru, a Japanese backpack that's become so deeply ingrained in a country's culture that it's remained virtually unchanged for over a century. The Randoseru is a rugged leather backpack worn by Japanese schoolchildren that dates back to the nineteenth-century Meiji period. To say that this product is iconic is an understatement because it so perfectly represents a parent's hopes and dreams for their children's education.
Despite its seemingly impractical design—it's heavy, boxy, and expensive—the Randoseru enjoys nearly 100% market penetration among Japanese primary schoolers. Its enduring popularity stems most from its cultural significance, not its functional value. According to Shoko Fukushima, Associate Professor of Education Administration at the Chiba Institute of Technology, carrying a Randoseru on your back isn’t a rule that anyone imposes, but a rule that everyone upholds together.
The Randoseru's market dominance stems from its representation of shared experiences and cultural continuity. Parents and grandparents frequently give these bags to children entering first grade, fostering a multigenerational bond. Huge corporations such as Sony continue a tradition of giving Randoseru to their employees' children, thereby solidifying the company's place in modern Japanese society.
Innovation Meets Performance: Cloudboom Strike LS
What's a Cloudboom Strike?
- A revolutionary new running shoe by Swiss sportswear unicorn-On
- Created using robotic extrusion and heat-fusion technology
- Weighs only 170 grams (6 ounces)
- 75% lower environmental impact than traditional sneakers
The same New York Times edition (July 15, 2024) featured an intriguing article about the release of a new running shoe by Swiss sneaker brand On, called the Cloudboom Strike LS. I'm not sure what 'LS' stands for, but this story revolves around a cutting-edge product that appears to have been lifted directly from the pages of a science fiction novel. In fact, the Cloudboom Strike challenges every conventional notion about modern footwear design and manufacturing.
On's new sneaker is made using a revolutionary process in which a robotic arm extrudes a single semi-translucent synthetic monofilament, which is then heat-fused to a foam rubber and carbon-fiber sole. This revolutionary approach produces a shoe that weighs only 170 grams (about six ounces) and, according to On, has a 75% lower environmental impact than traditional sneakers.
The shoe's alien-like appearance initially met with skepticism. However, its performance quickly silenced skeptical athletes, including two-time Olympic silver medalist Hellen Obiri. After winning the Boston Marathon wearing the Cloudboom Strike, Obiri became a convert, reportedly refusing to return the shoes to the company after breaking the ribbon first.
According to the New York Times’ piece, On's ambitious goal is to disrupt the sneaker market in the same way that Tesla transformed the auto industry by creating a paradigm shift in how we think about and manufacture footwear, reimagining not only the product but also its entire manufacturing process.
Modern Consumers Are Massively Multifaceted
Comparing these wildly different products reveals a crucial insight: modern categories and marketplaces aren't as monolithic as they once were because consumers aren’t as homogeneous as they once were.
The same customer might be looking for a product that symbolizes deep-rooted traditions while at the same time looking for a product that epitomizes cutting-edge innovation. Conventional segmentation wisdom holds that our expectations and aspirations lie only in one direction. But as these two products show, we ‘the consumer’ are no longer simple, compliant folk that fit in neat little boxes.
A New Framework For Building Stronger Brands
This new level of chaos in consumer markets creates both challenges and opportunities for brand development and innovation. So, to help our clients navigate this complex landscape, we've begun to experiment with a new framework for brand building and customer value creation based on four key factors:
- Better Products: the tangible features and benefits of a brand
- Energizing Ideas: the intangible aspects of a brand, such as values, narratives, and the emotional and psychological connections it makes with customers
- Resonance For Today: a brand's current relevance and resonance in culture
- Vision For Tomorrow: a brand's ability to help customers evolve and adapt to a changing world
The Market For Products and Ideas
Let's look first at the importance of products and ideas.
Every brand competes in two marketplaces simultaneously: a marketplace of products and a marketplace of ideas. Both marketplaces offer consumers the opportunity to both assign and assess the value of a brand.
A Marketplace of Products
In a marketplace of products, the Randoseru stands out for its durability, craftsmanship, and functionality. Its sturdy construction and spacious interior mean schoolchildren can use it daily. In fact, the backpack's unrivalled toughness means it often lasts through the entirety of a child's primary school education.
At the other end of the spectrum, On’s Cloudboom Strike LS sneaker excels in its product marketplace through innovative design, lightweight construction, and a hyper-personalized fit. The use of advanced robotic manufacturing and 3D printing techniques enables the rapid production of customized shoes, meeting the individual demands of performance-obsessed athletes.
A Marketplace of Ideas
In the marketplace of ideas, both products tell compelling stories that resonate with the people they serve. The Randoseru backpack embodies traditional Japanese values of conformity, unity, and social cohesion. It represents a rite of passage for schoolchildren, symbolizing the beginning of their educational journey and the shared experiences of generations. This cultural significance gives the randoseru a powerful narrative that extends well beyond its functional attributes.
Conversely, On’s Cloudboom Strike LS sneaker represents ideas of technological progress, sustainability, and individual performance optimization. Its innovative manufacturing process aligns with contemporary concerns about environmental impact and efficiency. The brand's emphasis on personalization and cutting-edge design appeals to consumers who value individuality and seek products that enhance their capabilities.
The success of these two products in both types of marketplaces demonstrates the importance of a holistic approach to brand building. Brands that can deliver high-quality, functional products while also conveying meaningful ideas are better positioned to thrive in today's hyper-competitive landscape. As consumer preferences evolve, the brands that can best adapt both their products and ideologies to align with consumers' needs and aspirations will likely be the most successful.
The World of Today and Tomorrow
Now let's consider the importance of competing for today as well as for tomorrow.
The Randoseru backpack and On's Cloudboom Strike LS sneaker highlight how modern brands need to operate in both "now" and "tomorrow," meeting customers' immediate needs while also articulating a compelling vision for the future.
Today’s World
In the "now," the Randoseru backpack excels functionally due to its sturdy construction and spacious design, which can accommodate heavy textbooks and school supplies. Aesthetically, it has a classic, uniform appearance that is consistent with current Japanese school culture. Consciously, the Randoseru's strong construction ensures its durability and toughness in the hands of hard-playing children.
The Cloudboom Strike LS sneaker performs equally well in the "now." Functionally, it provides exceptional lightweight performance at only 170 grams. Its unique design appeals to athletes looking for cutting-edge performance footwear. Ethically speaking, the sneaker's advanced manufacturing process is focused on reducing environmental impact by 75% when compared to traditional manufacturing methods.
Tomorrow’s World
Looking ahead to "tomorrow," the Randoseru provides long-term advantages that extend beyond its functional use. For parents and grandparents, it serves as a cultural marker, representing a child's educational journey while instilling a sense of belonging and shared experiences. At 56,000 yen, a randoseru is a solid investment due to its longevity, sustainability and cultural significance.
A pair of Cloudboom sneakers also provides "tomorrow" brand value by having the potential to revolutionize shoe manufacturing. Its personalized fit and efficient manufacturing process point to a future in which consumers can obtain highly customized products while reducing their environmental impact. On's emphasis on innovation propels it to the forefront of environmentally responsible and technologically advanced footwear.
This analysis demonstrates how brands can strike a balance between the short-term value propositions of their products, the ideas that animate the company as well as their longer-term visions. Despite its high price, Randoseru's enduring appeal shows that people are prepared to spend money on goods that have near-term functional advantages but also long-term cultural value. Similarly, On's price premium demonstrates that consumers value innovative products that offer short-term performance but long-term sustainability benefits.
The contrasting approaches of these products highlight the various strategies that brands need to employ to succeed in both the "now" and "tomorrow" scenarios. While the Randoseru relies on tradition and cultural significance to stay relevant, On's new trainer targets forward-thinking athletes with cutting-edge technology and environmental sustainability.
A New Way To Assess Your Brand’s Strength
To help brand owners apply this new framework, we've developed a simple brand strength assessment tool:
Assessing Randoseru
Let's quickly apply this rubric to the Randoseru:
Products: 8/10 (High-quality, durable, but heavy)
Ideas: 10/10 (Strong cultural significance)
Today: 9/10 (Meets current needs of Japanese schoolchildren)
Tomorrow: 8/10 (Cultural relevance ensures current demand but may face challenges from more practical alternatives as a new generation recalibrates its cultural priorities)
Assessing Cloudboom Strike
Now, let's assess the Cloudboom Strike LS using this same method:
Products: 9/10 (Innovative, lightweight, high-performance)
Ideas: 9/10 (Represents technological progress and sustainability)
Today: 7/10 (Meets demand for advanced athletic performance but it’s an exceedingly expensive product with limited availability)
Tomorrow: 10/10 (Potential to revolutionize footwear manufacturing)
Even this cursory assessment reveals that while both products have strong overall brand strength, they excel in different areas. The randoseru's power lies in its cultural significance and current market fit, while the Cloudboom Strike LS stands out for its innovative product design and future potential.
What Have We Learned?
As we move forward in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing consumer landscape, we believe that a new approach to brand assessment will be critical for businesses looking to build and maintain strong brands with the relevance and resilience to thrive not only today but also tomorrow.
In today's complex consumer landscape, brand strength is no longer a one-size-fits-all proposition. The success of products as diverse as the Randoseru and On's Cloudboom Strike shows that brands can thrive by excelling in different aspects of our new four-factor model.
Whether building on centuries of tradition or pushing the limits of new technology, successful brands in the modern era must strike a unique balance between the four factors of products, ideas, today, and tomorrow. With that in mind, we encourage brand owners to experiment with this framework to assess their own brand's strengths and weaknesses, identify opportunities for innovation, and develop more customer-centric strategies.
Summary Implications for Marketers
In today's complex brandscape, brand strength is no longer one-size-fits-all. Whether you're building on centuries of tradition or pushing technological boundaries, success lies in getting the right balance across product performance, aspirational ideas, meeting the needs of today, and articulating a clear vision for tomorrow.
- Synergize your brand’s functional and cultural benefits
- Make a clear-minded assessment of the foundational strength of your brand, be it tradition, innovation, or another key driver of customer value-creation
- Craft compelling brand narratives around this key driver of value-creation
- Meet your customers’ current needs while also anticipating their future aspirations
How does your brand measure up in our four-factor framework? Share your thoughts in the comments, and let's discuss strategies to strengthen your brand for both today and tomorrow.