Social Listening: Nike

I chose to write about Nike and what people are saying about the company because I've always loved the brand Nike and the inspiration Phil Knight "the Creator of Nike" has put upon his core customers, so the situation seems really interesting to me. Nike is backing up one of the most polarizing figures in America. A San Francisco 49ers quarter back Colin Kaepernick. He is supposed to be one of the faces for the 30th Nike commemoration anniversary of the iconic "Just Do IT" slogan and customers are angry and re-phrasing the slogan to "Just Don't Do It"

In 2016 Colin Kaepernick played his last season as a 49ers quarterback and hasn't played since because he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality. Nike is betting that customers will support his protest, or at least so they hoped. The company also believes that the companies brand can withstand criticism from conservatives including the white house. In a way the company is right because their value proposition stands strong in the fact that people will continue to purchase the brand whether they destroy it, burn it, or just plain buy it to love it even though the faculties of what's going on politically. Nike believes by siding with Kaepernick they can sell because he sells himself. By making him the face of the 30th  commemoration anniversary of "Just Do It"  Nike thinks that it will earn support from their core customers and young shoppers in big cities across the globe. People are furious to think how could such a great company stand up for a person who kneels during the national anthem. When it is considered a disgrace to do so, when your supposed to stand up in support of our country to solute to the many warriors who have fallen and risked their lives for our nation and the many lives that are in it.

Nike has defined its brand around star endorsers, which whom are mostly dark complected. The company spends close to $3.5 million dollars on advertising and endorsement deals to publicly back Kaepernick and donate to his foundation which aims to fight oppression of all kinds. When companies link their brands close to a sponsor, they create a risk. But Nike knows that their Athletes wear their brand and not vise- versa. They have shown repeatedly the Athletes are stable and marketing savvy. Although, the marketing challenge they're facing is in fact that they are steering away from heroism and focusing political issues. Most of Nike's consumers know that Nike uses emotional branding techniques of heroism to inspire incredible customer loyalty all over the world.

If I was Phil Knight, I wouldn't want to put my company at risk no matter how political as a way to better market my brand in what I think is the better good. I wouldn't allow my company to over step me to make harmful decisions that could possibly damage the company or others by supporting a opinionated statement that shouldn't involve my brand. Nike may be one of the most popular brands world wide but that can all change in the blink of an eye.