Social Listening

Just Do It!!

Nike is one of the most successful sporting brands in the world. I chose to study their brand awareness and reaction because I. Love. Nike. I have worn Nike for many years, and as an athlete, it is the perfect place for me to find exactly what I need.

Nike's value proposition has a 4-corner structure. These four corners are; accessibility, innovation, customization, and brand status.

Accessibility: Nike is everywhere. They have over 1000 stores worldwide, including outlets, official stores, and online stores and websites. Nike has expanded their reach with the acquisition of other footwear firms.

Innovation: Nike has always been a predominant leader in innovation. Many research labs and explore teams study how to improve specs on different products, and these research teams focus on designing cutting-edge technology for new products.

Customization: Nike is known worldwide for its advanced innovative technology and customized service plans. "NikeID" and "Nike By You" are programs where customers can personally design and customize their product online and even in stores across 9 different countries.

Brand Status: Nike has spent billions in partnerships; with professional athletes, corporations, and national sports associations. The top three in the US; MLB, NFL, and the NFL. And some of the world's most accomplished athletes; Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods.

I was looking on Instagram at Nike's official page. They have 850 posts and 196 million followers. They have so many sports and athletes that they highlight underappreciated and overlooked communities that they call attention to and praise. Three posts stood out to me and to followers around the world.

 

One of these was a post on December 3, 2021. This post was to commemorate the actions of Renee Montgomery, former WNBA player turned Owner/President. Nike said the following: "In 2020, @reneemontgomery sat out of the WNBA season to stand up for social justice. In 2021, she became the first and only former player to become both an owner and VP of a WNBA team. Throughout that, Reenee held on to her dreams, and now she's committed to empowering the next generation of athletes to flip it like she did and carve out space to make their communities better. Never done changing the game." The response was empowering. Followers praised Renee for standing up for what's right and Nike for backing her up. One of many inspired comments read, "Just be great because anyone with sense knows women are great at everything." 

 

Another instance of significant community involvement was Nike's introduction of Nike World in Roblox. Nike announced, "Welcome to NIKELAND on @roblox, where sports have no rules. Hit the link in our bio and start exploring!" Followers love the bridge between sports and video games. "I love you Roblox!" (@Lina_Brand). These are real people that use Nike products every day. "JUST DO IT!" (@d3zzy_10). Responses like this drive Nike to continue to do what they do.

 

However, there are always those that will disagree with what big tech is doing. In a post from October 18, 2021, Nike posted, "Come for the game. Stay for the love. It's good to be back together again." The response of followers was controversial. Many used this post as an opportunity to protest Nike's recent execution of the COVID protocol. Many report job loss prejudice and call for a boycott of Nike. "Y'all better not be conspiring on your Nike store employees to fire them because of your sick mandate. We WILL BOYCOTT YOUR COMPANY & PRODUCTS." Others say that racial representation is disproportionate. There will always be opposition. While it is essential to listen to all feedback, you can never lose sight of your company's goal.

In the post that Nike shared in December 2021, they called attention to women in sports. This has been a massive movement for Nike for many years. Pushing women to center stage, encouraging them to become leaders for young athletes. Nike has made several shoutouts to mothers, black women, and athletes with disabilities. This is one of many messages that Nike has shared on social media. Some others would include female athletes, black athletes, childhood heroes, mothers in sports, the underdog, and more. In their bio, Nike has #BlackLivesMatter and #StopAsianHate. They have always supported social justice movements and supported the little people.

Nike is excellent about its marketing subtlety. They always have a story to tell or a message to give. In one instance, Nike posted about Nathan Féliot, saying, "Nathan Féliot spent years trying to find passion on the court, the field, and the pitch. But once he unlocked his love of dance, there was no denying his heart belonged onstage. Since then, the French native has smashed gender stereotypes in his sport and challenged assumptions of race within the dance industry. Now, he's training 80 hours a week to prove to everyone that he can turn his dreams of dancing professionally into a reality. Never Done challenging stereotypes." This message was written for a video of him making some of his favorite moves and dances. Another post talks about a soccer legend. "Alexia 'La Reina' Putellas, captain of @FCBFemeni is officially the best football player in the world, but her influence goes far beyond trophies and goals. Her love for Barcelona started when she first visited Camp Nou with her father at only 6 years old, and her support for the next generation of athletes makes her the worthy Queen she is. Long may her reign continue..." At no time in either of these posts is the Nike brand mentioned, merchandise promoted, or product introduced. Instead, you simply see the Nike swoosh on the apparel of these world-renown athletes. The posts align the excellence of these athletes with the high performance of the Nike product. They tell a story rather than sell you a product. A tactic long thought to be…remarkable!
 
Nike likes to pull at your heartstrings. Make you feel something and an excellent example of this is on their Instagram feed. Much like the Chevrolet holiday ride ad, you are told a story, and the reason for that heart-warming tingle in your belly…is Chevrolet. 

Nike has talked about almost every controversial and prominent topic in our society; racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, the list goes on. They tell you an inspirational story about an athlete wanting to stand up for what is right. And guess who is standing right there beside them to support them and their cause…Nike.

 The only issue to tackling this marketing strategy is controversy. Nike has taken a stance on some of the hottest debate topics and sensitive subjects of our time. And when you take a stance to appeal to a community, there will always be other people that disagree with your stance and will not participate with or promote your brand. 

 

For example, in their most recent post, there is a considerable debate over the firing of many Nike employees due to the vaccine mandates. Some followers believe that the vaccine will help return us back to normal, and others believe it is a complete violation of our rights. Nike, however, did nothing to address this issue on their media platform. Which I think was a mistake. The company made a foolish decision by ignoring the people who wanted answers. Simply ignoring their questions and accusations, they validate their arguments and give grounds for their opposition.

 

While it may be difficult, I would address these accusations directly with facts about the CDC guidelines for workplace vaccines if I were the brand manager. Simply put, to continue operation, all employees must be vaccinated, which is the law. While there will still be opposition, I have addressed the issue and faced those questioning the business decisions.

I learned that every company has a different approach for reaching consumers. Some focus on merely introducing and promoting products, while others will appeal to the interests of communities or groups of people. However, no matter who they are, every company has its niche.