Vans, the famed maker of skateboarding
shoes, has proved adept at building
community through support rather
than control. From the beginning, the
company recognized its fan base of customers
as the owners of its brand, its selfappointed
role was to stay close enough
to the fans to understand where they
were headed and then pursue the directions
that would strengthen the community.
From its earliest days, Vans worked
with lead users within each of its sports
communities to codesign new products.
When privately owned skate parks began
closing, Vans took care of enthusiasts
by opening its own. Vans originally
sponsored the Warped Tour, a traveling
music festival appealing to young adults, as a way to support its customers' love
of music. Later, realizing that amateur
skateboarders were lacking a national
championship event, Vans persuaded
Warped Tour organizers to add one to
their lineup and then acquired the Tour
outright once it became a major celebration
of skateboarding and bicycle motocross
(BMX) culture. Warped Tour innovations
now include air-conditioned
"parental day care" lounges at tour
stops to make it easier for young fans
to attend, and an online community
that supports year-round connections
among fans and helps far-flung friends
coordinate tour attendance