Immersion in the scene inspires a new line of shoes.
Converse has always been at the top of their game when it comes to elevating play on the courts. But when they realized they had gone dormant in the Action Sports market, they decided to develop a "core" skateboarding shoe. And they turned to AMP Research to get back in the scene.
AMP's experience in the Action Sports arena led them to the heart of the scene – the local skate shop – to ensure respondent authenticity and culturally purity. By holding discussion groups in these hubs of skate culture, AMP was able to get relevant data that more traditional focus groups simply wouldn't bear.
But AMP didn't stop digging there. Our team lived the life of the target by auditing skaters' closets, shadowing them while they shopped for boards, shoes and gear, and conducting observational studies and intercept interviews at skate parks.
Armed with a goldmine of culturally-relevant research, AMP and Converse's brand and design teams found the initial inspiration behind their new line of footwear.