Leaning into the Brand
9/13/18
Two weeks ago, when Nike announced that it would name knee-taking #BlackLivesMatter activist Colin Kaepernick as its spokesperson for the 30th Anniversary of its Just Do It campaign, the initial reaction in some circles was swift and blisteringly negative, with the President tweeting that “the brand was getting killed.”
Threats of boycotts filled the Twittersphere. People burned their Air Jordans.
And the stock market showed its displeasure, with Nike’s stock taking a hit. So much for big brands wearing their hearts on their sleeves.
So why would Nike—legendarily smart marketers—annoy all those millions of consumers by staking out a social position that they knew might alienate some of their longest lived and highest spending customers?
But when you take a closer look at Nike’s market, you start to see a more sophisticated picture. A picture that shows about 60% of the brand’s customers are outside of the USA. And about 2/3 of its customer base are under 35 years of age.
Yes, those are just two data points, but when you put them together, it makes you wonder exactly how much of the global sneaker-buying public would actually be upset about an NFL quarterback not standing at attention during the American National Anthem. We think Nike did the math and decided that the risk was worth the reward.
Like Nike, the brand of Broadway has a core progressive ethos. Thinking about Broadway’s deep brand values is worth our while, just as it probably was in Beaverton, Oregon at Nike headquarters before they decided to greenlight the Kaepernick campaign.
And by the way, after all the brouhaha, Nike’s stock has fully rebounded from its post-announcement dip.
For more information on The Shubert Organization, visit www.shubert.nyc.
Threats of boycotts filled the Twittersphere. People burned their Air Jordans.
And the stock market showed its displeasure, with Nike’s stock taking a hit. So much for big brands wearing their hearts on their sleeves.
So why would Nike—legendarily smart marketers—annoy all those millions of consumers by staking out a social position that they knew might alienate some of their longest lived and highest spending customers?
But when you take a closer look at Nike’s market, you start to see a more sophisticated picture. A picture that shows about 60% of the brand’s customers are outside of the USA. And about 2/3 of its customer base are under 35 years of age.
Yes, those are just two data points, but when you put them together, it makes you wonder exactly how much of the global sneaker-buying public would actually be upset about an NFL quarterback not standing at attention during the American National Anthem. We think Nike did the math and decided that the risk was worth the reward.
Like Nike, the brand of Broadway has a core progressive ethos. Thinking about Broadway’s deep brand values is worth our while, just as it probably was in Beaverton, Oregon at Nike headquarters before they decided to greenlight the Kaepernick campaign.
And by the way, after all the brouhaha, Nike’s stock has fully rebounded from its post-announcement dip.
For more information on The Shubert Organization, visit www.shubert.nyc.
Originally published in Broadway Briefing.