Money Can’t Buy Experience

“The start of the partnership with collectID was perfect. The SONRA “Prickly Pear” was sold out within minutes, and I was able to offer my community a unique experience. It whets my appetite for more, and I look forward to implementing the collectID technology for all SONRA sneakers.”
Hikmet Sugoer, Founder Sonra

• Limited brand awareness as a young brand
• Passionate enthusiasts of the brand miss out on product releases due to high demand from resellers
• Authenticity concerns in the secondary market

An encrypted collectID NFC tag was embedded into two sneaker models of Berlin-based brand SONRA (SONRA proto Prickly Pear and SONRA Eisenhut) and can be scanned with any smartphone. With a simple scan, buyers verified the sneaker’s authenticity. They could add it to their collection, which unlocked an engaging community contest for the owners of the Eisenhut, where participants were asked to showcase their passion for the brand in a creative format featuring the Eisenhut. The winners could secure guaranteed access to all upcoming SONRA limited releases for as long as one year, which would generate additional sales for the brand. For the Prickly Pear, lucky owners were white-listed for the next release, meaning they were guaranteed access to purchase a pair despite every drop being sold out within minutes. In addition, the creative user-generated content helped Sonra to increase its brand awareness authentically and credibly, while giving community members a chance to become even more invested with their favorite brand.

• 57% of all buyers scanned their SONRA Prickly Pear with their smartphone
• 46% of all buyers registered ownership of their SONRA Prickly Pear
• 37% of all buyers of the SONRA Prickly Pear took advantage of their pre-sale right to buy the subsequent release
• 49% of all buyers scanned their SONRA Eisenhut with their smartphone
• 43% of all buyers registered ownership of their SONRA Eisenhut
• 11% of all buyers of the SONRA Eisenhut submitted creative content and participated in the community contest

• Eisenhut owners were offered an exclusive chance to win year-long access to all SONRA releases
• Owners of the Prickly Pear were guaranteed the right to purchase the subsequent release
• Customers could verify the authenticity of their purchased sneakers
• In the case of resale, customers can easily prove the product’s authenticity, thereby facilitating a simple and highly secure P2P sale

• SONRA established a direct communication and sales channel to 46% of the buyers of the Prickly Pear and to 43% of the buyers of the Eisenhut
• SONRA was able to turn its loyal customers into content-creating brand ambassadors
• As a niche brand, SONRA was able to create a lot of buzzes that led to higher brand awareness in the sneaker community
• SONRA was able to reward its passionate customers instead of resellers, which led to higher and more sustained customer satisfaction
• By equipping all subsequent SONRA sneakers with the collectID technology, SONRA established a secure and tamper-proof product ecosystem that leaves no room for fake