Tag: Nike, Inc.

Nike took this route as its biggest representatives — most notably LeBron James and Serena Williams — have spoken out about police shootings of African-American men and problems facing the black community. NBA players in recent years have worn shoes with messages of “R.I.P. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018 Athletic apparel companies have straddled the entertainment and cultural worlds for years partly with their emulation of black culture — think Run-DMC’s Adidas shoe deal in the wake of the group’s rap hit “My Adidas” and Nike’s “Air Jordan” campaigns featuring Michael Jordan and Spike Lee. And with that shift, Nike is taking the side of its superstar athletes — even if it means alienating Trump supporters and intertwining shoes and politics. Clothing and shoe makers have always had a back-and-forth relationship with minority communities. The relationship began in the 1980s, when Nike, Adidas, Reebok and Converse became staples of black fashion, and African-American youth sought to emulate the stars of the day, like Jordan, Run-DMC and other figures associated with the burgeoning hip-hop culture. Companies “have made millions off of following trends from the black community, and so they have to be cognizant of the feelings of that community,” said Antonio S. Williams, who teaches sports marketing at Indiana University. A company official said “things are going to move in the right direction” under a Trump presidency. Protesters took that as support for Trump and began burning New Balance shoes and posting videos. Nike has likely figured out that its core consumers — the people who regularly buy its sneakers and clothes — are probably the millennials and minority youth who already support Kaepernick or at least don’t mind the stance he is taking, Antonio Williams said.

Shortly after Nike's announcement, the consumer-research firm Morning Consult released a survey showing that Nike had indeed, as President Trump predicted, taken a reputation hit from its overtly political campaign. Interviews with 8,000 Americans showed a nearly 50 percent decline in Nike's favorability after announcing the Kaepernick ad campaign. Consumer interest in buying Nike products dropped by 10 percentage points. A polarizing political endorsement is going to cost a company with customers on the other side of the issue, though it may still pay off in terms of greater loyalty from people who agree. Yes, the percentage of Republicans saying they were likely to buy Nike shoes fell from 51 percent to 28 percent, but support also dropped among Democrats, albeit only by five percentage points. Nonetheless, if the Morning Consult findings hold up, the new ad campaign appears to be a lose-lose proposition for Nike. Maybe companies would think twice before injecting politics even into people's shopping decisions. Companies have historically avoided entering the political fray for fear of just what this survey shows: You often alienate far more customers than you gain. That's not healthy for America, which needs more points that people have in common, not more ways to divide into separate teams. Maybe Americans aren't divided on this one.

There’s mine, my husband’s and the pint-sized ones worn by my 5-year-old son. Which gets me thinking. I just want to work out. I don’t want to argue about politics there. He was protesting racial inequality and social injustice. People are burning their Nike sneakers in protest, including an Oklahoma man who accidentally burned his house down when he lit his Nike sneakers on fire in his garage. Of course, as Nike brass likely predicted, its ad campaign has everyone talking about the brand as football season kicks off this weekend. “White nationalists, old white guys, is a very small subset of who their customer base is,” said Gerzof Richard, CEO of BIGfish PR. In fact, I’m sure that they’re happy that white nationalists are avoiding and burning their products,” he added. Let’s just hope the white nationalists don’t start harassing little kids, moms and dads wearing Nike gear.