Owning one-of-a-kind products that reflect one’s taste, personality, and lifestyle is the ultimate sign of sophistication and identity. In the past, only the wealthy could afford custom-made products since they were very labour intensive and costly, but nowadays, everything from sneakers, clothes, jewellery, toys and credit cards can be customised. With more information available, product life cycles becoming shorter and delivery times getting quicker, companies need to increase competitiveness and offering standardised products or services alone is not enough. Mass customisation is something companies can and should adopt to gain a competitive advantage over rivals, allowing customers to choose specifically what they want and express their uniqueness by purchasing products made for them that no one else has.

The customer is always right

Major athletic brands such as Nike, Reebok and Adidas have jumped on the customisation bandwagon by offering the choice of many different colours and style variations for their footwear. These brands offer the service in their shops so consumers can physically see, feel and select what they want while getting help from in-store experts - they also conveniently offer the service online.

Adidas, for example, has advanced their product offering further by pairing customisation with the latest technology, research and material advances to create more than one customised line. Recognising that consumers today want the newest technological developments as well as personalised designs, Adidas developed the Mi Innovation concept which reinforces the innovation behind the brand.

Using this service, shoppers can customise their own footwear, not only aesthetically but based on their exact measurements and performance needs via a high-tech process. By running or walking on a computerised foot-scan system, sensors embedded in the track record the pressure of the footfall and gauge individual running style and posture to ensure a perfect fit and shoe size is found for each foot. Individually designed shoes specific for football, running, tennis, basketball and golf are available and delivered within a month.

“Customised products offer customers a real experience and the opportunity to interact with the brand,” explains Adrian Siu, Adidas general manager in Hong Kong. “It’s a one-of-a-kind experience which the customer doesn’t ordinarily gain from shopping. Customisation answers and satisfies consumer needs while capturing a target group of customers who share the same concept and core brand values true to Adidas.”

In addition to Mi Innovation, other customised product lines include Mi Originals and Personalisation apparel. “People nowadays seek more personalised elements to truly express their creativity and individuality. It has become a growing trend in the market to meet the needs of different people,” says Siu. “The unique experience with personalised products has further increased Adidas’ brand recognition, loyalty and popularity. It has also reinforced our position in the market.”