Nike and Colin Kaepernick

[ginman]

The new face of the "Just do it Campaign"

I think they could have done a bit better- I think it is not going to be a good financial move. I'm not a fan!

 

[IrishLax]

The new face of the "Just do it Campaign"

I think they could have done a bit better- I think it is not going to be a good financial move. I'm not a fan!

Down 3% today. We'll see how this plays in the long term, but it's either going to "Chic-Fil-A"... where the "boycott" actually drives more supporters to them... or politicizing themselves is actually going to hurt their overall brand.

 

[loomis41973]

The new face of the "Just do it Campaign"

I think they could have done a bit better- I think it is not going to be a good financial move. I'm not a fan!

Some will call you a racist... Others a man of principle...

Speak your mind and VOTE...at the ballot box... with your wallet....

 

[wizards8507]

Republicans buy shoes, too.

I can't fathom why a company that needs to appeal to everyone would pick a spokesman whose notoriety is based on the fact that half the country hates him. Makes no business sense whatsoever.

 

[wizards8507]

Down 3% today. We'll see how this plays in the long term, but it's either going to "Chic-Fil-A"... where the "boycott" actually drives more supporters to them... or politicizing themselves is actually going to hurt their overall brand.

It's different than Chick-fil-a. This is a marketing campaign, not the CEO's personal political views. They're picking a side and explicitly using the controversy in their taglines.

The equivilant would be a Chick-fil-a ad that said "Mor Chikn: Brought to You by One Male Chicken and One Female Chicken as God Intended, Not Two Male Chickens, Which Would be an Abomination Before the LORD."

 

[IrishLax]

It's different than Chick-fil-a. This is a marketing campaign, not the CEO's personal political views. They're picking a side and explicitly using the controversy in their taglines.

The equivilant would be a Chick-fil-a ad that said "Mor Chikn: Brought to You by One Male Chicken and One Female Chicken as God Intended, Not Two Male Chickens, Which Would be an Abomination Before the LORD."

You completely missed the point of what I said, but thanks.

I was commenting on a boycott’s potential effect on a company’s bottom line. I was not contrasting a company’s marketing campaign to the beliefs of ownership.

 

[connor_in]

No one has posted the parodies yet?

If I wasn't on mobile...

My favorite so far is the Thanos one

 

[bkess8]

Letting out a big sigh right now about this whole situation. As a member of the military I try my hardest to keep my mouth shut when it comes to politics and peoples personal opinions but it's almost becoming too much. I have been in more than a couple arguments on this subject today. I truly believe that this is just a bad choice and I don't see where this is going to draw any positive publicity for what the players in the NFL and CK say they were trying to draw attention too.

Just my thoughts... Fry away!

 

[SonofOahu]

Letting out a big sigh right now about this whole situation. As a member of the military I try my hardest to keep my mouth shut when it comes to politics and peoples personal opinions but it's almost becoming too much. I have been in more than a couple arguments on this subject today. I truly believe that this is just a bad choice and I don't see where this is going to draw any positive publicity for what the players in the NFL and CK say they were trying to draw attention too.

Just my thoughts... Fry away!

Nike dominates its market, and it's not even close. New Balance has old people. Under Armour may appeal to the white hunter/military class, but they're a falling star. Reebok has the Crossfit crowd, and that's about it. Puma, Adidas... who the hell are they, again?

Nike is, by far, the choice of urban youth/young adults, and that group is clearly on the side of "all lives matter," equal rights, etc. They also spend the most on shoes and apparel. Nike knows exactly what it's getting itself into.

Does anyone honestly think a gazillion-dollar company makes a decision like this without thinking through the political and economic ramifications of its decision? Who do people think the Nike CEO is, Trump? A 3% drop means the stock is now on sale -- buy it before the bump.

I think what takes the cake is people burning Nike stuff. They already have your money, idiots. Why not just give the damn items to Goodwill, or something.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

All I can say is God bless Nike. They have started one hell of a week in the world of memes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dublinirish]

Nike dominates its market, and it's not even close. New Balance has old people. Under Armour may appeal to the white hunter/military class, but they're a falling star. Reebok has the Crossfit crowd, and that's about it. Puma, Adidas... who the hell are they, again?

Nike is, by far, the choice of urban youth/young adults, and that group is clearly on the side of "all lives matter," equal rights, etc. They also spend the most on shoes and apparel. Nike knows exactly what it's getting itself into.

Does anyone honestly think a gazillion-dollar company makes a decision like this without thinking through the political and economic ramifications of its decision? Who do people think the Nike CEO is, Trump? A 3% drop means the stock is now on sale -- buy it before the bump.

I think what takes the cake is people burning Nike stuff. They already have your money, idiots. Why not just give the damn items to Goodwill, or something.

Adidas is actually doing really well recently, their casual wear ranges are very popular.

It came also that there actually was a bidding war for Kap's signature

https://www.businessinsider.com/colin-kaepernick-nike-adidas-puma-2018-9

 

[connor_in]

Look, I am not saying to boycott Nike or burn their stuff. In fact if you are one who might burn it or toss it, please don't. Instead, donate the items to Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc. so someone in need can get good use out of them.

I personally don't think CK has sacrificed "everything." He was already down from his career bests and struggling somewhat. Was he blackballed from the league? Maybe a bit. If he didn't do this he might have had a some more time as a backup or fill in. However, for the amount of return he would provide, I think most teams didn't want that much focus. My own issue was not the kneeling which I was not a fan of, but when he came out in the police pig socks.

Also, its cynical but I think he has gotten more publicity and now this ad campaign because of his protest than the fame and notariety and money than if he would have diminished into the sunset like most NFL QBs.

 

[NDohio]

Nike dominates its market, and it's not even close. New Balance has old people. Under Armour may appeal to the white hunter/military class, but they're a falling star. Reebok has the Crossfit crowd, and that's about it. Puma, Adidas... who the hell are they, again?

Nike is, by far, the choice of urban youth/young adults, and that group is clearly on the side of "all lives matter," equal rights, etc. They also spend the most on shoes and apparel. Nike knows exactly what it's getting itself into.

Does anyone honestly think a gazillion-dollar company makes a decision like this without thinking through the political and economic ramifications of its decision? Who do people think the Nike CEO is, Trump? A 3% drop means the stock is now on sale -- buy it before the bump.

I think what takes the cake is people burning Nike stuff. They already have your money, idiots. Why not just give the damn items to Goodwill, or something.

Well, Adidas is the number two sneaker company, so there is that...

https://www.technavio.com/blog/top-15-vendors-athletic-footwear-market-us

Adidas is actually doing really well recently, their casual wear ranges are very popular.

It came also that there actually was a bidding war for Kap's signature

https://www.businessinsider.com/colin-kaepernick-nike-adidas-puma-2018-9

My brother-in-law works for Nike in the communications department. They have been studying how this will play out for 18 months. It is going exactly how they expect it to and after a few weeks of protests their thoughts are that sales will increase. They actually think they are going to win back some of the casual style purchases they have been losing to Adidas because of the demographics that purchase that style of shoe.

 

[GowerND11]

I'm fine with it. Doesn't bother me in the least. People love to overreact, and in this day of social media they looks for ways to have their views on the internet. People cutting the logo off already bought shorts, burning shirts, you just look dumb. You always look dumb.

I never saw people outraged at Nike for keeping Kobe around in 2003.

 

[gkIrish]

What I love is how both sides are trying to play up the child labor issues with Nike in attacking/defending the marketing campaign. The right is asking why libs are supporting a company that employ(s)ed child labor and the left is saying the right is racist because they didn't boycott for child labor but are boycotting for this issue. Every statement is hypocritical. It's a microcosm of American politics.

 

[ginman]

When I think of a football player that "sacrificed everything" I think Pat Tillman. Then again Nike doesn't have a long history of ethical business practice so I have to agree they made this decision because they think this will make them $$$$.

 

[ulukinatme]

I'm sure Nike has analyzed this from every angle and it seems like a good business move to further corner the youth market, but from a PR position it's bad news overall. Stocks are obviously not taking it well either, but we'll see how those bounce back. Nike is up on the year, but so are Adidas and Under Armor with the later enjoying a 40% increase:

https://money.cnn.com/2018/09/04/news/companies/nike-stock-down-colin-kaepernick/index.html

 

[ulukinatme]

No one has posted the parodies yet?

If I wasn't on mobile...

My favorite so far is the Thanos one

 

[dublinirish]

remember also that US sales are only 50% of Nike's world business. Even if the whole Kap deal went south for them they'd still be fine

 

[GowerND11]

When I look at sacrifice for Kaep, I look at it this way. I'm not trying to compare him to Tillman, and I think it is wrong to politicize a dead athlete. I see this, whether you agree with Kaep and what he is doing or not: How many of us can say we would risk (sacrifice) the potential future of our careers to stand up for something we truly believe in and want to fight for? How many of us would take a stand in the eyes of the public, with employers watching our every move to ask for equality, justice, etc? I don't think many of us would.

With that said, I know many of you will say don't do it on the clock, or it isn't a real issue. I'm not arguing those points, especially the second. I'm saying, looking through the lenses of someone who DOES feel that way, and DOES believe he needs to stand up, would you?

 

[dublinirish]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">been cumming in nike socks for years! not anymore!</p>— ryan (@ryanyeetz) <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanyeetz/status/1036781527651307520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
LOL

 

[IrishLax]

What I love is how both sides are trying to play up the child labor issues with Nike in attacking/defending the marketing campaign. The right is asking why libs are supporting a company that employ(s)ed child labor and the left is saying the right is racist because they didn't boycott for child labor but are boycotting for this issue. Every statement is hypocritical. It's a microcosm of American politics.

Basically, this.

 

[IrishLax]

Well, Adidas is the number two sneaker company, so there is that...

https://www.technavio.com/blog/top-15-vendors-athletic-footwear-market-us

My brother-in-law works for Nike in the communications department. They have been studying how this will play out for 18 months. It is going exactly how they expect it to and after a few weeks of protests their thoughts are that sales will increase. They actually think they are going to win back some of the casual style purchases they have been losing to Adidas because of the demographics that purchase that style of shoe.

Completely plausible. They obviously knew it would get a ton of eyeballs, and then the question is whether boosted revenue/sales from certain demographics offsets losses from others.

 

[gkIrish]

I think this is a bad business decision because it's a lot easier for someone to stop paying $100 for sneakers or to spend $100 dollars on a different company than it is for people who already buy Nike sneakers to invest even more into Nike.

Most people don't have hundreds of extra dollars to spend on sneakers and people who are fanatical about expensive Nike sneakers aren't going to change one way or the other.

So at best they gain a small percentage of sales from the left but at worst they could be losing massive percentage of Average Joes on the right who couldn't care less which brand of sneaker they wear.

All these "NIKE IS AMAZING I'M GOING TO THE STORE RIGHT NOW" folks are full of shit. They aren't going to start shelling out for MORE sneakers.

 

[Wild Bill]

What I love is how both sides are trying to play up the child labor issues with Nike in attacking/defending the marketing campaign. The right is asking why libs are supporting a company that employ(s)ed child labor and the left is saying the right is racist because they didn't boycott for child labor but are boycotting for this issue. Every statement is hypocritical. It's a microcosm of American politics.

I believe there's a third position here that may not be as obvious, and may be much more important. Many on the left and right are privately demoralized as two things are becoming increasingly clear - those on the right are beginning to understand that their views on capitalism, specifically corporate capitalism and finance capital, just may be a net negative to society overall. Those on the left are realizing that they're completely aligned with the plutocrats they despise on most social issues so what are they really accomplishing by supporting these positions.

Nike dominates its market, and it's not even close. New Balance has old people. Under Armour may appeal to the white hunter/military class, but they're a falling star. Reebok has the Crossfit crowd, and that's about it. Puma, Adidas... who the hell are they, again?

Nike is, by far, the choice of urban youth/young adults, and that group is clearly on the side of "all lives matter," equal rights, etc. They also spend the most on shoes and apparel. Nike knows exactly what it's getting itself into.

Agree with the bold. So the question I have is why go with a marketing strategy that appeals to a demographic you already dominate and alienates demographic groups where considerable market share increases can be made? I'm no marketing expert but it seems obvious they do not need Kaepernick to continue dominating this market. Just keep paying the best athletes a premium to peddle your products.

Does anyone honestly think a gazillion-dollar company makes a decision like this without thinking through the political and economic ramifications of its decision? Who do people think the Nike CEO is, Trump? A 3% drop means the stock is now on sale -- buy it before the bump.

My guess is that Nike knows this is a net negative on the bottom line but are willing to take a loss for the short term political cover and long term ability to influence culture.

 

[gkIrish]

Agree with the bold. So the question I have is why go with a marketing strategy that appeals to a demographic you already dominate and alienates demographic groups where considerable market share increases can be made? I'm no marketing expert but it seems obvious they do not need Kaepernick to continue dominating this market. Just keep paying the best athletes a premium to peddle your products

This is what I was trying to say but you said it much more eloquently.

 

[connor_in]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">cc: <a href="https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HillaryClinton</a> <a href="https://t.co/5jfLm6aDGJ">pic.twitter.com/5jfLm6aDGJ</a></p>— GayRussianBot™️ (@GayPatriot) <a href="https://twitter.com/GayPatriot/status/1037192076591620102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[IrishLax]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/Nike?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nike</a> releases new ad featuring <a href="https://twitter.com/Kaepernick7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kaepernick7</a> <a href="https://t.co/IECC7HqIBp">pic.twitter.com/IECC7HqIBp</a></p>— Outside The Lines (@OTLonESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/OTLonESPN/status/1037391878256242692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Awesome ad.

 

[Wild Bill]

Better QB than narrator.

 

[RDU Irish]

Good ad - until you interject that idiot.