Nike Knows What They’re Doing

Nike’s featuring of Colin Kaepernick in its recent campaign resulted in a lot of questions about their thinking and whether or not it is risky.

Our take? It’s actually a common sense move for the brand. Brand thought has recently evolved in a relatively positive way. The focus of brand building shouldn’t be on not making anyone unhappy but rather on building stronger connections with core, likeminded customers. Make the happy happier.

We noted in our Birch + Wolf Quick Guide to branding for small businesses that it’s important to recognize your business and brand likely aren’t for everyone. We believe this is true for businesses of all sizes including corporate giants such as Nike.

Not that long ago, it would have seemed like a disaster for Nike if people were tweeting pictures of themselves burning their Nike gear. But the reality is that for every loud complainer there is someone else who is going to like Nike more for their position.

Consider a hypothetical: you wake up tomorrow with a brand new business to run. Which of the following do you choose?

• A) being viewed as neutral and having every member of the population as a “possible” customer who might pick you in a vast sea of options.
• B) resonating strongly with a subset of the population that will be loyal to you and knowing others will never buy your product or service.

Option B is our choice and it doesn’t seem risky or reckless. It’s the recipe for long-term success and the basic equation that brands are considering when they decide to make this type of strategic jump.