All About Me
In January 2021, we were lucky to have this service design Collaboration, looking for the future of the Vivobarefoot subscription business model. As a brand with a philosophy of natural well-being and advocating for environmental/social good, we need to deeply sink into a brand identity and make a suitable business plan for the future service of subscription.
Gathering information from potential users, experienced users, professionals, and relevant stakeholders. Comparing and analyzing current resources and structure in order to better understand the foundation. The best way to utilize resources is to use existing resources and reference them as much as we can.
After rounds of research and testing, we found out there is a big community and knowledge-based need for Vivobarefoot to build and develop along with their customers. A Knowledge and experience sharing based Platform
A Business Plan for Vivobarefoot Subscription Service
Product
Vivo la Vida is a digital application that enables the creation of strong reliable networks of Vivobarefoot customers that supports them during barefoot experiences such as the tricky transition phase and allows like minded customers and non-customers to contribute to social and environmental good. In Vivo La Vida, The VivoExperience Forum (VivoExp in short) is the information sharing platform and Vivo Tribes are the groups that work towards social/environmental causes.
Market opportunity
Vivo La Vida is especially useful and important in realising Vivobarefoot’s pursuit to create user-led and user-centred experiences, in moving the brand from a footwear and product centric one to an experience centred one.
Routes to market
To create Vivo Tribes, Vivo la Vida will leverage resources of existing local groups and neighbourhood communities that are already working in the space of outdoor activities and social/environmental good/well-being. We will invite and a large number of these to register as Vivo Tribes before the launch of the app. Importantly, after the launch of the app, when Vivo customers buy their first pair of Vivobarefoot shoes, it will be made mandatory to download the app to access transition content.
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Competitors
Vivo La Vida is an intersection of two main functions- creating and facilitating offline activity based ‘tribes’ and building a user-led information sharing platform. Currently, Vivo La Vida’s competitors are those that provide these two features. Platforms like Quora, Facebook groups and Reddit are competitors to the VivoExperience Forum. However, in the case of Vivo La Vida, the information spread and shared by the users will be regularly fact-checked by Vivo’s coaches and hence would be a far more reliable option for users. Although platforms like Meetup and Parkrun offer some competition to offline outdoor activity groups, offline groups that register to be Vivo Tribes will benefit from resources that the brand will be able to provide them. Additionally, Vivobarefoot customers will be allowed to create their own ‘tribes’ and have the brand’s support in doing so.
Business Strategy:
Start with a campaign to get charities/groups to sign up: focus on community forums etc. No cost to sign up – try to get as many pre-approved as possible in advance. Give them a launch date so they can get events published before public go live.
Engage with partners to give them marketing materials so that they can share their ‘new home on Vivo Barefoot’ with their local community – the new way to keep up to date on the latest news and events
Use PR: press release pre launch to attract communities. Press release at launch to attract new users and joiners
Make the most of the sales channel as a way of recruiting community users:
Train all staff on the importance of getting customers onto the community: they’re less likely to return their shoes & so you’re more likely to keep your commission (to the sales staff)!
Update the online journey so that on sales completion, we’re re-directing customers to join the community
Update all in box marketing materials to point new customers to the app for help and support and to get the most from their new shoes
