GRAHAM FURLONGBOULDER,CO/MT
BUSINESS INCUBATION, TRANSFORMATION & ADVISORY.
INTRODUCING FRONTIER TECHNOLOGIES TO THE WORLD.
The world and its subcultures are constantly shifting, and alongside this, radical new technologies are being formed. The art lies in bringing these two forces together to create a fusion of opportunity. The product becomes widely adopted and human potential expands.
This is the focus of my work: helping companies, startups, and university labs overcome the customer resistance that comes with launching anything new, radical, and different. I achieve this through an expert blend of brand strategy, narrative development, product innovation, and market-entry campaigns.
Pioneers at Google, Mozilla, Microsoft, Lyft, and Alphabet's Moonshot Factory have trusted me with their most important endeavors. Drop me an email to collaborate.
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07 NEW BALANCEPRODUCT POSITIONING
RECLAIMING COMPETITION AS THE ULTIMATE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE HUMAN RACE.
New Balance had backed itself into a corner. Arriving late to the digital sports category, they had zero market advantage and no revolutionary technology to change the game. But what they did have was a deeply ingrained spirit to win—along with authentically sponsored athletes who possessed a relentless desire to do whatever it takes to reach the podium, crushing the opposition in the process.
That hunger to win stood in stark contrast to what was happening in culture. Participation medals were being handed out to anyone with a pulse. Nike had famously declared, “Anybody with a body is an athlete.” Sport had become a lifestyle. And all that inclusiveness had made being an actual athlete meaningless. True athletes had lost their identity, and aspiring athletes had little to strive for in terms of cultural currency—because everybody was ‘winning’ just by showing up. The world had gotten soft.
New Balance prides itself on “Athlete Improvement,” so with the launch of its first digital sports platform and wearable, we set out to defend the idea of competition in its most audacious form. Because the truth is, nothing improves an athlete like competition. Competition—and beating others—is the ultimate training program. Speaking directly to that truth helped carve out a distinctive position and voice for a wearable technology in need of some legal doping.
This strategy is a classic example of identifying a cultural opportunity that can claim an unfair share of the conversation when the product needs a little more time to catch up. It’s also a demonstration of the power of taking a stance.