Nike, a very well recognized brand around the world, decided to have Colin Kaepernick be the face of Nike. Many, including President Trump, thinks that Nike’s stock will dwindle by angry consumers, according to MarketWatch on Sept. 6. Nike’s slogan is “Just Do It.” They obviously believe in it and live by it. According to Nike’s twitter account, it says, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt” This tweet is honorable and a bold thing to say. It is also a call to challenge others to stand up for what they believe in.
What Nike has done is a bold move and could be the start of this company’s collapse but at least they will go down for what they believe to be true. If you guys would look back and think about Nike’s previous actions, this is not the first time Nike has done something like this before. A commercial with Charles Barkley in 1998 had him say that he is not a role model and that parents should be. This does not sound as bad but who is Nike to tell parents how to raise their kids? As one would say. Nike also just recently made a Tiger Woods commercial. Nike does some risky decisions but I think it is because they believe in what they are doing. It is why they are still relevant. They are marketing for this current generation, Gen Z, and this generation believes in social justice. Believes in one’s right to protest.
This type of marketing is not something Nike just decided one day to just do. A company as big as Nike surely have done their homework. According to the Washington Post, Colin Kaepernick has been with Nike since 2011 and hasn’t been a spokesperson for Nike for over two years, but this year is the year where political activity is high. Nike is good at what they do. Agree or not they are still here. They stay relevant because they are willing to move with the times and cater to the current generation who will be consuming their brand.
This company is no stranger to controversial or the political game, mix with innovation and the profit margin. Their stocks may have gone down, as NASDAQ would show as of Sept. 7 but this day also shows that, as reported by MartWatch, Nike’s online sales increased since Kaepernick’s ad hased. This company has been around for a very long time. They have never let go of their goal from the start and that is to make shoes for the athletes. Nike has done a tremendous job in enhancing the meaning to their slogan. They have indeed put everything on the line to live up to it. Nike is just doing it!
