Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/658375
April 2016 WINES&VINES 21 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS S t. Helena, Calif.—The key- note address at the second a n n u a l I n n o v a t i o n + Quality conference at Charles Krug Winery in Napa Valley on March 2 had little to do with winemaking or grapegrowing, but Chris O'Donnell, vice presi- dent of global sales for Nike and speaker at the event attended by about 1,100 wine professionals, said successful innovation is pos- sible in any industry by adhering to certain principles. At Nike, that means listening to athletes. " Yo u r ' a t h l e t e s ' a r e w i n e drinkers," O'Donnell told the au- dience assembled in the winery's barrel room. O'Donnell used the develop- ment of Nike Free, a line of loose- fitting shoes that provide a similar experience to running barefoot, as an example of the company's suc- cessful use of innovation. He said the concept came from a univer- sity track and field coach who would have his athletes periodi- cally run barefoot over a golf course. The coach believed the barefoot running strengthened the feet and legs of the athletes so that they dealt with fewer injuries and could train harder. Nike took those insights to their team of in-house scientists who studied the phenomenon and determined the runners' legs and feet move differently while bare- foot. Two years of studies resulted in prototypes that Nike developed into a retail product. O'Donnell admitted that, un- fortunately, retailers weren't pre- pared for a product unlike any other shoes on the market. "We had to put a lot of shoes into the marketplace that had no con- sumer demand," he said. The launch was a mistake, and O'Donnell said it took a few years to get the Nike Free program into balance. Today Nike Free ac- counts for 17% of the company's total sales. "It's crazy how that insight led us to something we could never have imagined." It also shows that successful innovation is possible when a company is willing to work through mistakes. "Some of the failures teach you more than the successes," he said. Hosted and organized by the staff of Wine Business Monthly magazine, the IQ conference included several technical tast- ings and a trade show of 90 sup- pliers. Attendees also had the chance to taste through 20 dif- ferent winemaking trials pre- sented by wineries. Wines & Vines and Wine Business Monthly are both owned by Wine Com- munications Group. —Andrew Adams Simplify and accelerate barrel cleaning without compromising cleaning effectiveness with the new TankJet M60 barrel cleaner. • It's mobile, so it is quick and easy to position right next to the barrel, insert into the bung hole, clean and move to the next barrel • Powerful, fast cleaning at low fl ow rates prevents toast removal – clean multiple barrels in minutes • Non-lubricated air motor ensures speed and cycle times are relatively constant even when liquid pressure changes • Compatible with a variety of pressure washers and pumps INTRODUCING THE TANKJET ® M60 MOBILE BARREL CLEANER: EASIER, FASTER & BETTER CLEANING FREE TRIAL OR ON-SITE DEMO CALL 1.800.95.SPRAY TO SPEAK WITH YOUR LOCAL REP OR VISIT TANKJET.COM TankJet M60 barrel cleaner – effective cleaning of barrels up to 5' (1.5 m) in dia. Nike Executive Recommends Innovation in Winemaking Chris O'Donnell, vice president of global sales for Nike, shares a story of how innovation boosted business for the athletic gear company. SCOTT SUMMERS / WINE BUSINESS MONTHLY