Nike's New Ad Campaign

As a result of endorsing Colin Kaepernick as the face of the company in an ad, Nike has received a great deal of backlash in its wake. Different lobbies have refuted the company’s idea of using the football star as its brand ambassador. The company has confidence in the football legend as their face. However, the company’s move has been met with rebellion and has seen some of the products being destroyed. Nikes’ commitments remain the same, to be a reckoning force in the sports ware industry.

Despite the backlashing and the negative media from the Kaepernick –Nike endorsement, the company has also seen a 31 percent increase in the online sales in this year as compared to other years that the company was in operation. The Kaepernick “Just do it” ad campaign has enabled the company to grow further and has increased the market sphere.

I believe that using Colin Kaepernick as the face of Nike’s advertising campaign was a good risk to take because it led to an increase in the company’s sales which in turn led to higher profits.

Since the ads endorsement, Nike has raised customers’ eyebrows all over the globe hence spurring a rush toward the consumers to want to know more of what was happening, therefore, most of them purchasing their products to have a better understanding of the company. I believe that the marketing team for Nike had carried out much more detailed research of the market and had the correct perception of the outcome if they endorsed Kaepernick.

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Kaepernick was a pro football player, and he had won the hearts of many fans who were missing him in action. Team Nike capitalized on this idea and endorsed him as their face brand (Park, Hyejune & Doris 185). Also, I believe Nike knew about his controversies associated with his new political path as an activist. They knew he was worthy to represent their interest to the world because he had strong character and aired out his concerned without fear or favor. I also trust that Nike wanted to tap new market from Kaepernick origin which many companies feared to approach. Nike had also estimated the length at which the controversy will spread and even knew that the government through the president would dive into the whole affair hence give them much publicity in disguise.

In my opinion, Nike’s commercial ad with Kaepernick, ‘Believe in something even if it means sacrificing everything’ is an advertisement that speaks for itself in great lengths. The ad contains the face of the football player turned activist, looking into the camera unsmiling. The ad conveys a message to everyone to believe in something even if it will cost them everything. The ad portrays a strong message to everyone to have faith in themselves and fight for their desires because if they cannot, no one else will.

Nike used Kaepernick face to advocate for equality in the sports fraternity because there has been an increase in racism cases which authorities have been turning a blind eye to (Robert 2018). The ad is more of a campaign against racism rather than a publicity stunt. As a result of Nike’s ad, I will continue to buy their products. Not only do they produce the best products in the market but because they also believe that everyone is equal and they ensure this by risking their profitability by engaging in corporate activism to raise awareness of the monster that is depleting the society’s moral values. Also, I will continue to use their products because they value their customer so much that they always come up with ads that encourage their customers to work hard and believe in their dreams.

The act of burning of Nike’s logo was just a knee-jerk reaction from a few individuals who are opposed to the company’s diversity. It is a waste of time and resources because as much as they do that, the company’s profitability will not decline because sooner or later they will end up buying again what they had destroyed after the storm surrounding the whole ad has ceased (Schmidt 2018). I also trust that the burnings reported might also be the doing of competitors who are on a mission to destroy the brands’ name by dividing the customer’s perception of the company.

As a senior vice president of Nike’s marketing department, I would without a doubt implement the Kaepernick marketing program in the company. I would apply the marketing program because as a great company, Nike counts on diversity and risk-taking to acquire new markets. The Kaepernick ad would ensure that my company gives back to the community by supporting and airing out their grievances. The company would try to raise awareness of the social injustices that the consumers face and also as the vice president of the company, I would ensure that the company maximizes the publicity it gains from the ad to launch new products in the market. I would also use the program to reach out to new partners who support the Kaepernick program to expand the company’s operations in the world market.

Work cited

1. ‘Colin Kaepernick And Nike’s Long Game.’ Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland. N.p., 2018. Web. 9 Oct. 2018.
2. Park, Hyejune, and Doris H. Kincade. ‘Historical Analysis Of Apparel Marketer’S Strategies: Evidence From A Nike Case.’ Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 1.3 (2010): 182-193. Web.