Not Another Pair of Shoes, with Alexander Novicov

As my eldest son has been in university, he's worked part-time at a sporting goods store. The section he works in is the category-leader in the store - as you can probably guess - it's shoes.

Need to admit that I'm not that into shoes. 

I am fascinated by the conversations my son has with customers when it comes to shoes. They not only talk about the design features of a specific shoe. They also chat about the athletes who've worn it or collaborated with the  brand to design it. They bring up details about how that athlete signed with the shoe company, the battling that went on between that brand and other companies to win the athlete's endorsement. 

Clearly when people buy shoes for exercising or training for something, they aren't just going after ergonomics.   

This back-story on the brand's struggles matters to them, as if they'll only wear a brand that works as hard as they do in staying fit or competing in sports. 

This bond clearly applies to shoes, but it obviously reaches to many other types of brands too. 

It's good for products to have a strong brand message and proof-points of their value, but the true winners are those that connect their story to the customers' internal values, or that give the customer a transformational experience. 

Today I'm talking with someone who works with what he calls  'meaningful'  brands, producing their media creative in a way that resonates with buyers. Fittingly, the name of his London-based boutique agency is 'Way'

My  guest is a public speaker, an ultra marathon-runner, podcaster, skydiver and minimalist.  In 2021, he released the book we're talking about today: "Not Another Pair of Shoes"

Let's talk with Alexander Novicov.