The Application of Nanotechnology in Sports Industry - Report Example

The Application of Na chnology in Sports Industry The application of na chnology in consumer products has caught the world by a storm. The use of nanotechnology has penetrated almost all products including “foods, clothing and textiles, building materials, medicine, sports and recreational equipment, defense systems, and information transfer and security systems” which is the focus nowadays of consumer science ( Richardson ,2008). The dominating presence of nanotechnology in sports sciences is a clear manifestation of the “tipping point” as defined by Gladwell. Tipping point is defined by Gladwell as “ the moment of critical mass…ideas and products spread like viruses do”( p.12). The tipping point in nanotechnology in sports is when it is used to manufacture sports equipment such as golf balls that reduces “ hooks and slices” suited for beginners ( Manney,2004). Nanotech companies such as Zyvex, Nanosys and Nano dynamics have been continuously integrating nanotechnology in their products that would support or even change an athlete’s performance. Indeed, nanotechnology in sports is unstoppable as a virus as Gladwell argues. The Emergence of Nanotechnology. Technically speaking, Richardson ( 2008) defined nanotechnology as “the practical application of science and knowledge of matter that ranges in size from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm)”. When object s are configured into nanoscales, the behavior of the materials are dramatically altered. In Uldrich’s article Why Nanotechnology Will Arrive Sooner than Expected (2002), a brief history of nanotechnology was cited, namely : 1. The first idea of nanotechnology was addressed by Nobel Prize physicist Richard Feynman through his radical concept that man can manipulate physical objects; 2. Norio Tanuguchi, a Japanese scientist, coined the term ”nanotechnology” only fifteen years after Feynman’s lecture; 3. In 1986, Eric Drexier, an MIT trained scientist revealed the outline for nanotechnology’s impact on the future in his famous work Engines of Creation;( Uldrich,2002) History followed as IBM took the lead in experimenting with nanotechnology in 1989 as Uldrich cited in the article. From then on, nanotechnology has come a long way and has permeated all aspects of modern living. The Law of the Few is the law of successful marketing The spread of a virus such as an idea, product or message usually begins with a few people. The Paretto Principle can be applied here as eighty percent of the business is only brought by twenty percent of the market. In Gladwell’s book, he made mention of connectors whose role is “to link us up with the world” (p.38). Before the advent of social networking sites, networking was done mainly by public relations specialist as well as spin-doctors. On an individual basis, such connectors are people who can seamlessly make connections with society and influence the thoughts and behavior of many people. In the world of sports, the main connectors are sports companies such as Nike which uses popular athletes such as Manny Pacquiao, Kobe Bryant, and the like to endorse their products. Although the products themselves seem enough due to the strong brand recall, there is a need for purveyors of messages that would bring to all people from different culture the message about the product. Nike tops all other sports in the endorsement game as it made history when it shelled out $1.442 billion last 2003 as payment for sports personalities ( Mullen, 2003). In the book The Tipping Point, Gladwell also made mention of mavens or “information specialist” adept at disseminating information at a quick rate so that the products can be a household name. This information specialist is usually an advertising company that handles the account of a sports company. An advertising company can be considered mavens since they are “information brokers, sharing and trading what they know"(p.69)People behind these organizations are very skilled in the craft of creating an image as well as finding ways to dominate the market through various creative strategies using mass media. These mavens are similar to spin-doctors in the political arena who can repackage a flailing market standing. Information is a powerful tool for the mavens. The third important player in the Rule of the Few are the celebrity endorsers themselves. Nike is oblivious of the cost in engaging a star athlete such as James LeBron when they gave him a $90 million contract (Mullen, 2003). Nevertheless, Nike complements its strong brand marketing with advances in nanotechnology in its running shoes, to illustrate: “The shoes have a sensor system connected to a communication port. Performance data is collected into the system …the sensors are force sensors for measuring compression in the sole”( Running with Nanotechnology ,nanovip.com) It can concluded then that nanotechnology’s widespread popularity is propagated by the different players who are the culprit in the spread of the idea that nanotechnology is the best possible difference in athletic performance. The Stickiness Factor : Application to nanotechnology In Chapter 3 of Gladwell’s book, certain critical questions were raised that evaluated the stickiness factor of some products. It was even suggested by the author that Sesame Street seemed stickier to children than books; however, the formula did not easily came by as the show had disastrous consequences in the beginning. The director of the show need the advice of developmental psychologists to understand what would stick to the child viewer: Fantasy or reality? A mixture of both? Hence, Big Bird was created along with adult guests in Sesame Street. Nanotechnology’s stickiness can be attributed to its promise “ lighter, stronger, better” which are considered crucial in the tough world of sports performance. A millisecond can spell a difference in swimming and a lighter tennis racket could mean more power from the player. Even badminton rackets manufactured by Yonex are tagged with the word Nanospeed .Somehow, this seems misleading since performance in a badminton game is mainly dictated by footwork, agility and speed not much from the racket ( speaking from experience). Nevertheless, consumers all over the world are amazed by the nanotechnology promise as it clamors for more products using this technology. In the case of swimming, swimsuits with nanotechnology are the latest craze as the product is promoted by Sun Dry Technologies. The news post by azonano website states that the swimsuit is “ resistant to chlorine, water-fast, and breathable to the skin” ( azonano.com, 2009). For the consumer, this translates to a swimsuit that would not be affected by natural elements such as salt water and sun; moreover, no more messy wet swimsuits afterwards. Nanotechnology has far more improved benefits some even claiming that it enhances athletic performance but that is another entirely new subject that must be dealt with. The main point is that the stickiness factor of nanotechnology has been very effective in the proliferation of nanotech companies. The Power of Context: Why only now? Man is highly influenced by his environment which includes culture. Culture molds the beliefs, norms, and values in a society as dictated by the times. Why then has the nanotech epidemic only permeated society now? Gladwell has a good explanation for that “Epidemics are sensitive to the conditions and circumstances of the times and places in which they occur” ( p. 139). At the era that IBM was tinkering with the potential of nanotechnology, the world was not yet receptive then of technology as Apple was struggling to establish the benefits of Information Technology. It must be remembered that society does not easily adapt to changes unless a circumstance presents itself. In the first place, nanotechnology’s place then belonged to the elite information society, unheard of in developing countries. Similarly, the issue of global warming was not addressed before since there were other issues such as World Wars and the Cold War. People only became attuned to the plea of nature when catastrophe as well as socio-political forces come into being. The world today is complex,dynamic and fast –paced; thus, people want something faster and better – nanotechnology heeds to this call. Conclusion The explosion of nanotechnology’s benefits in the modern world can be attributed to the demand of present society for something “faster and better”. The tipping point is society’s need for an instant solution to enhancing performance or making life very convenient. Gladwell’s concept of tipping point is well-illustrated by the unhampered virus of nanotechnology present in our daily lives. The rule of the few exemplifies how a viral idea or product can be spread by the few. Also, a stickiness factor such as “faster and better” has created a niche among consumers that feeds this virus. Lastly, the modern context of information age calls for fast information and fast results. Indeed, nanotechnology’s tipping point would be the focus of the world for a long time. Works Cited Azonano.”Swimsuits Gear Up to Become the Biggest Revolution in Swimwear Since the Bikini ." A to Z Nanotechnology | Nanotechnology News, Articles, Directory and more. N.p., 2 Feb. 2009. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=10036 ( accessed 4 April 2010) Gladwell, Malcolm. (2000) The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Difference. Little Brown publisher. Maney, Kevin, and USA TODAY. "USATODAY.com - Nanotech could put a new spin on sports." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. N.p., 17 Nov. 2004. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. . Mullen, Liz. "Nike’s deals for endorsers top $1.4B." SportsBusiness Journal. N.p., 18 Aug. 2003. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. . Nickols-Richardson, Sharon M. "Nanotechnology: Applications and Implications in Family and Consumer Sciences." Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences 100.2 (2008): 4+. Questia. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. “Running Nanotechnology: Nike develops shoes with sensor systems, could improve quickness, ttraining or a golf swing”..(Accessed 5 April 2010) Uldrich, Jack. "Why Nanotechnology Will Arrive Sooner Than Expected." The Futurist Mar.-Apr. 2002: 16+. Questia. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. 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