Episode 29: Matt Powell, Sneakerologist, NPD Group
03/23/15 • 47 min
"People think I'm being critical but I (often) talk about what I call the 'echo chamber' of the sneakerhead world in that a shoe/brand/event is bounced back and forth inside this 'echo chamber' and it makes it seem like it's a really loud voice, but when you look around the big world outside, most people don't even know that it's going on. So very many of the hot sneakerhead shoes are just not commercial in units sold."
This week, Sneakerologist Matt Powell joins the show. Matt is a prominent voice in the sneaker industry and is a vice president and sports industry analyst for NPD Group where he covers the business of sports retail, wearables and especially sneakers. Matt has been covering the sneaker industry for more than 20 years and also is a contributor to the Forbes Sneakernomics blog.
On this episode, we take a deep dive into the business and culture of sneakers — how did the industry get so large over the past 30 years? Matt shares some numbers in market shares, compares trends vs. sales, discusses brand loyalty, as well as gives us some insight into some of the startup brands such as BrandBlack.
We also discuss the alleged impact of celebrity collaborations with brands (including the Kanye/Adidas Yeezy), sneaker customization, the reselling industry, as well as the sensitive topic of violence in the retail side of the sneaker business.
Matt also covers wearable technology at NPD Group so we end with a discussion on the future of wearables in sports, including 3d printing.
Mentions include:
Complex's 30 Must-Follow Sneaker Writers and Bloggers on Twitter
Our next guest is T.J. Harley, founder and creative director of Harley Creative in Atlanta, GA. Before founding his own design shop, T.J. was the creative director of the Collegiate Licensing Company for 10+ years where he provided branding and creative direction for over 200 CLC/IMG clients.
Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, Adam Martin and @makersofsport on twitter.
"People think I'm being critical but I (often) talk about what I call the 'echo chamber' of the sneakerhead world in that a shoe/brand/event is bounced back and forth inside this 'echo chamber' and it makes it seem like it's a really loud voice, but when you look around the big world outside, most people don't even know that it's going on. So very many of the hot sneakerhead shoes are just not commercial in units sold."
This week, Sneakerologist Matt Powell joins the show. Matt is a prominent voice in the sneaker industry and is a vice president and sports industry analyst for NPD Group where he covers the business of sports retail, wearables and especially sneakers. Matt has been covering the sneaker industry for more than 20 years and also is a contributor to the Forbes Sneakernomics blog.
On this episode, we take a deep dive into the business and culture of sneakers — how did the industry get so large over the past 30 years? Matt shares some numbers in market shares, compares trends vs. sales, discusses brand loyalty, as well as gives us some insight into some of the startup brands such as BrandBlack.
We also discuss the alleged impact of celebrity collaborations with brands (including the Kanye/Adidas Yeezy), sneaker customization, the reselling industry, as well as the sensitive topic of violence in the retail side of the sneaker business.
Matt also covers wearable technology at NPD Group so we end with a discussion on the future of wearables in sports, including 3d printing.
Mentions include:
Complex's 30 Must-Follow Sneaker Writers and Bloggers on Twitter
Our next guest is T.J. Harley, founder and creative director of Harley Creative in Atlanta, GA. Before founding his own design shop, T.J. was the creative director of the Collegiate Licensing Company for 10+ years where he provided branding and creative direction for over 200 CLC/IMG clients.
Did you enjoy this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes. Also, be sure to follow show host, Adam Martin and @makersofsport on twitter.
Previous Episode
Episode 28 (Halftime): Making It Official, Starting a Business
Should you incorporate if you are taking on freelance or contract work?
In this episode of Halftime, Adam discusses the benefits of setting up an LLC to freelance and touches on the differences between LLCs, Partnerships, S-Corporations and C-Corporations.
There are some complex topics discussed in this episode and of course, Adam isn't an accountant or attorney so you will definitely want to consult with one for legal advice. However, this episode may help you figure out ahead of time what questions you need to ask to that legal consultant or at least not appear ignorant to business structures as you pursue entrepreneurship.
Mentions and Helpful Links Include:
Freelancing? Consider Forming an LLC by ShakeLaw.com Should You Incorporate Your Freelance or Consulting Business by U.S. Small Business Administration 5 Reasons Why an LLC is the Right Structure for Your Startup by INC Magazine The Business Side of Creativity: The Complete Guide to Running a Small Graphic Design or Communications Business The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business C-corporation vs. S-corporationOur next is Matt Powell. Matt is a vice president and sports industry analyst at the NPD Group, where he focuses on the business and culture of sneakers. Matt also writes for Forbes Magazine's Sneakernomics blog.
Be sure to follow Adam and the podcast on Twitter, as well as on Dribbble.
Did you get value from this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes.
Next Episode
Episode 30 (Halftime): What Makes You Different?
What really differentiates you as a professional or business? If all you are selling is your service, you are losing in the big picture.
There is a lot of parity in the creative services industry. Talent is at an all-time high it seems if one takes a look at places such as Dribbble, Behance or Instagram. We have to find a way to stand out fromt the crowd.
In this episode of Halftime, Adam discusses the benefits of positioning, focusing on vertical markets versus horizontal markets and gives a few pointers on how to make yourself stand out from the talented crowd by writing a positioning statement.
Mentions Include:
Our next guest is TJ Harley, founder of Harley Creative. Before founding his own design company, TJ was a creative director at the Collegiate Licensing Company, a division of IMG, where he lead branding and creative on over 200 IMG clients.
Be sure to follow Adam and the podcast on Twitter, as well as on Dribbble.
Did you get value from this episode? Then please rate and/or write a review of the show on iTunes.
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