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The Challenge
As a sports gear company rising amongst the ranks, Osaka World needed a way to continue extending its mission across international waters. The brand was already reaching buyers around the world, providing them with its commitment to premium product quality, customer service, and a sparkling reputation. In fact, it had already begun expanding production by offering an extended range of products aside from its main items, including:
Sports bags
Womenswear
Menswear
Padels
Accessories
And more
However, there was one product that set Osaka World apart from any other provider on the market: its hockey sticks.
With a founder who’d dedicated his life to the sport, the brand ensured its hockey sticks were the best in their class, fusing future-forward designs with a tried-and-true dedication to premium materials and optimal functionality. With that being said, long-term fans continued to desire something more special; Something that they could say was entirely their own, customized however they saw fit.
Ultimately, they needed a way to personalize their items to be unique to them. As such, Osaka World decided that, if they were to adopt a Shopify product customizer into their operations, they’d need a trustworthy provider who could work closely with them throughout the process. And so, they turned to Kickflip.
The Solution
“We wanted to have a product that was really customizable, not just for colors” said Maarten. “Something that you can change every little aspect of and that’s when Kickflip came to the rescue.”
Osaka World searched for a solution that was versatile and — most importantly — granted buyers a great purchasing experience that would keep them coming back for more. Fortunately, Kickflip’s powerful product customizer software presented the glowing reputation, quality service, and unwavering capabilities the global brand was looking for.
So, with this solution at their disposal, Osaka World developed a plan to bring their vision to life with the help of Kickflip’s customer success team, who supported them throughout the process. Of course, with hockey sticks being the brand’s most sought-after item, there was no better place to start.
“The development was actually quite a wild ride, but really satisfying at the end,” said Maarten. “The assignment was to update the current product configurator for our hockey sticks… it was a big assignment, and I didn’t know anything about product customizer software.”
To begin, the Creative Team examined the software for a better understanding of its capabilities, as well as how they might be used to improve a buyer’s shopping experience. This included viewing examples of items that were powered by Kickflip, as well as experimenting with three-dimensional design possibilities.
“It took quite some time to generate all of our images, but after this was done, we could really start making the customizer,” said Maarten. “Then, I was able to use your software and explore it… after that, we had the basic structure of our customizer.”
Following this, the team initiated rigorous rounds of testing to ensure their use of Kickflip remained practical and effective. This included setting “rules” to prevent buyers from accidentally making mistakes while creating their custom hockey stick: for instance, not allowing a black logo to be placed on a black hockey stick, so that it may remain visible.
By the end of their creation cycle, Osaka World had produced one of the most comprehensive and inventive product configurators the Kickflip team had ever seen.
“The fact that you guys were so easy to talk to and so close to your customers made the experience of making this customizer really enjoyable,” said Maarten. “The Kickflip team always seemed to find some time for us, so that was amazing.”
The Result
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Through the guidance of Kickflip’s team and its robust product customization software, Osaka World finally completed the product the company had been envisioning for years.
“So, it was a large and lengthy project with a lot of research and testing, but the user-friendly interface of Kickflip — in combination with the customer service that you offer — has ensured that this project was brought to a beautiful conclusion,” said Maarten. “Both I and the team were proud of the result.”
Today, customers can visit Osaka World to create their very own Custom Pro Hockey Stick, choosing between multiple base models to begin their personalization process. There is no shortage of features they can alter to their liking, which include:
Specs: Carbon content, length, and weight.
Finishing: Matte or Gloss.
Carbon Structure: Raw Carbon Matte, or Woven Carbon Matte.
Torso and Tail: Torso/tail style (Solid, Fluo, Carbon) and Torso/Tail Solid (Jet Black matte, Flat Pewter Matte, Light Bone Matte, Snow White Matte, Maroon Matte, Crimson Matte, and more).
Details & Foil: Foil (Gold, Silver Rainbow, Dark Subtle, Dark Red, Blue, None), Details style (Solid, Fluo, Foils, Carbon), and Details – Fluo (Osaka Green Matte, Electric Blue Matte, Fantastic Pink Matte, Crisp Orange Matte, Hyper Yellow Matte).
Logo: Logo outline, Logo fill style, Logo fill – Fluo, and Logo outline style (multiple colors).
Dots: Dots style, Dots – Fluo, Dots – Foil (multiple colors).
And much more!
As one can see, the company has taken the product configurator software provided to them and stretched it as widely as possible.
The result? A brilliant, comprehensive opportunity for players of the sport to improve their experience tenfold, all while enjoying an item personalized to their own tastes and values.
With this innovative solution at its side, Osaka World continues to maintain its reputation as one of the best providers of sports equipment worldwide and can reach a larger customer base than ever before. From increased product sales to a boost in client loyalty, the benefits Kickflip was able to provide are as clear as day.
Need Help Getting Started with Kickflip?
Despite the advantages a Shopify product customizer could provide your business, you might be hesitant about the integration process — especially if your team isn’t tech-savvy.
Don’t worry; there is help available.
Along with other experts, Maarten Luyckx is also a Kickflip-certified freelancer who can personally assist your company in setting up its product customization software, along with producing graphics for your items.
The process is simple! Simply follow these steps:
Contact Maarten (or another Kickflip expert) with information about your product, desired results, and a request for a quote.
Move forward by agreeing on project scope, price and timeline.
Begin your product customization project with a qualified expert at your side!
Want to Learn More About Kickflip?
Still not certain whether a product configurator is right for you?
Well, you’ve come to the right place. Our solution offers a variety of benefits guaranteed to help improve your output and build a product customizer that’ll serve your brand for years to come. Visit our features page to learn about some of our major benefits or contact us with any specific questions you might have.
Ready to get started? Get started for free with Kickflip to experience it for yourself!
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