Marketing effectively to a niche audience can be really successful if done right, and if you have the right merchandise, and who doesn’t love the cool merch, at the right price at the right time, the niche can grow.
So in talking to a colleague this week he mentioned a company that has found a niche that crosses over generations through hoops apparel. Meet 19Nine.
The Indiana based company of hoops junkies found a specific niche tied to college basketball…and found out how to get the license ala what Mitchell and Ness has done for high end replicas in the past. The company story talks of their passion, and more importantly their respect and understanding of vintage college basketball moments…and is producing classic college uniform game shorts and t shirts with throwback logos for the masses, all with a pristine and carefully thought out customer experience.
We know the history, the rivalries, the championships, the nicknames, the eras, the legendary players and the historic coaches. This is, always has been, and forever will be our passion. We channel that knowledge and passion to create original designs tailored to the nostalgia of the epic moments in college basketball history.
Retro College Basketball Shorts
Remember Magic’s Spartans squaring off versus Bird’s Sycamores in ‘79? Alford and Knight’s Hoosiers of ‘87? Big Dog’s Boilermakers of ‘94? When Memphis was Memphis State and had “Penny” running point in ‘91? Michigan State’s Flint Stones cutting down the nets in 2000?
We do. That’s why we exist. To provide you with a replica of some of the best shorts of the 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s. 19nine is the leading manufacturer of retro college basketball shorts in the United States.
The shorts feature a heavy, “in-game” feel thanks to their proprietary double ply aero-mesh fabric but they look good as well. Their T-shirts are cotton that feels good and wear really well…and most importantly they have created an open dialogue with consumers to create new lines that they either have or can acquire.
We are in a time now where video and audio storytelling is at its peak, and around basketball, “The Last Dance” has created a fervor to have young people attuned to hoops learn more about the past, while providing older fans with a great look back. It’s what series like “30 For 30” have been doing for years, and now the ability to create cost effective short form content for platform can amplify stories even more.
And yes…there are women’s vintage teams…UConn being one…as well as men.
From a production standpoint the on-demand world of apparel gives niche companies like this the chance to look head to anniversaries in and around college basketball and ramp up demand marketed to an audience as needed. It gives them a chance to test market to niches and use social media to also drive sales while keeping prices and overhead down. Maybe there is an opportunity to go big box, but for now they are building word of mouth and share of voice even at a time where college sports have been waylaid. However, when it does return, the ability to market with products they own dormant licenses for should keep scaling up, nit just locally and regionally but internationally as well.
Think about the potential for stars past to tie to vintage tees and shorts from alma mater (they have a good line of Bobby Knight vintage tees as well), or for current players to do some throwback gear programs when NIL moves ahead. 19Nine is there to meet the need.
Now is the vintage market for apparel being pushed, and can a company like Fanatics scale up a mass market opportunity through its licensees? Yes. But 19Nine, at least for now, has found a fun niche and is growing, and it’s certainly worth a look, and a look back, when you get a chance.
Great example of hitting a niche, making a smart investment and starting to reap the rewards.
