Was moving from a smaller marketer like Second Cup to a global conglomerate like Nike a difficult transition?
The only transition is just learning their business. Working for a global brand, there’s so much information available. What I try to do is distil down what we need to know, and the thing that interests me most is the work that’s been done on understanding our customer. Who is your customer? Athletes. If you have a body, you’re an athlete, so that means everyone. We have the Michael Jordans but we also want to push the local hero. We understand them by talking with them. We talk to the kids in high school about what helps them perform better. That’s also how we innovate. We bring new technology into performance. We talk to them one-on-one in stores and we arrange group discussions. We try to speak to them in a way that’s relevant and meaningful. With youth, we try to find ways to better fit into their lifestyle. We understand that they have needs that go beyond performance. What strategies have you been able to transfer to the new position? I observe. You find more about what’s happeni
