(Wines&Vines) - The keynote address at the second annual Innovation + Quality conference at Charles Krug Winery in Napa Valley had little to do with winemaking or grapegrowing, but Chris O’Donnell, vice president of global sales for Nike and speaker at the event attended by about 1,100 wine professionals, said successful innovation is possible in any industry by adhering to certain principles.

At Nike, that means listening to athletes. “Your ‘athletes’ are wine drinkers,” O’Donnell told the audience assembled in the winery’s barrel room. 

Innovation insights

Nike takes input from its customers and passes it along to the Nike “innovation kitchen,” which is charged with cooking up new ideas. “In this ever-changing world, innovation has never been more important than it is today,” he said.

O’Donnell used the development of Nike Free, a line of loose-fitting shoes that provide a similar experience to running barefoot, as an example of the company’s successful use of innovation. He said the concept came from a university track and field coach who would have his athletes periodically 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.