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Tonight: The Toxic Nike-Kaepernick Era Begins Dragging Down Nike, NFL
The Revolutionary Act ^ | 09/06/18

Posted on 09/06/2018 7:31:55 AM PDT by Liberty7732

Few companies have tailored their image to a broad audience more carefully than Nike. From NBA greats Michael Jordan and LeBron James to soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo to tennis great Serena Williams, Nike has used mainstream sports superstars to instill the idea that if you “Just Do It” you can achieve anything.

All of which makes their choice of the marginalized, controversial and deeply divisive Colin Kaepernick as the face of their new “Just Do It” marketing blitz bewildering. He is not in sports at all, after a brief NFL career in which he was never a star. Most of his fame outside NFL football junkies accrued when he decided to kneel during the National Anthem before games to protest perceived police violence against blacks — climbing on the shoulders of Black Lives Matter, another divisive group.

Kaepernick’s career was already sliding downward after just one good year, and it dropped off the edge due to his polarizing activism, his lack of being a good talent fit for many teams, and his being distracted by the controversy he created. For the limited value he brought, the circus he also brought was not worth it.

This was a similar dynamic with Tim Tebow — a Bible-believing, mainstream Christian who was also divisive and controversial with his overt, on-field and off-field Christianity and who was never going to be the face of a Nike campaign blitz. Not a bad decision, as he did not fit their successful Jordan-James-Ronaldo formula — but in the same way Kaepernick does not fit it.

Whatever the drawbacks of Tebow, Kaepernick is ten-fold. Which makes it a perplexing business decision; less so a social justice statement.

The only real business explanation is one that Ben Shapiro puts forward: Nike is trolling Trump and conservatives to create a bunch of free publicity (yes, I get the irony) and increase sales, particularly to blacks who buy Nikes at a much higher percentage than whites — but still smaller raw numbers. If that is the business reason, it is likely they have badly misjudged how broadly unpopular Kaepernick is in the mainstream culture, particularly with sports fans — an obvious target market for Nike.

The day following the announcement and the vacuous and clearly inaccurate promo statement under the retired millionaire’s picture — “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything” — the stock valuation of Nike plummeted by $4 billion. That is wildly outside the normal trade range and a direct market response to their decision. And in fact, while it gained back about half a billion of that, the price has now stayed steady at the lower level. Nike is a less valuable company today than it was Monday.

The non-business decision is that Nike, like the NFL, is run not just by social justice-sensitive progressives, but by social justice-sensitive progressives bubbled away in elite and out-of-touch circles, where they all agree over Russian Caviar with Gourmandises Blini that cops are racists, Trump voters are racists, NFL fans outside the luxury skybox are icky and social justice is an important cause célèbre — just not, you know, in their guarded, gated neighborhoods.

The degree to which the progressive elites misunderstand middle America can hardly be overstated. Nike head honchos watched ESPN go full social justice lefty and their ratings tank. They watched CNN do the same and lose one-quarter of its audience in 12 months. They watched the NFL ratings plummet by standing weakly by and allowing a social justice takeover.

Yet they still invited this into their company voluntarily. This Nike example, following on last year’s flaming controversy that centered around Kaepernick, probably illustrates the disconnected nature as well as any.

Nike’s decision just emptied a tank of gasoline on the formerly smoldering burn pile. The NFL had hoped it was moving beyond it. But thanks to Nike’s decision with the toxic Kaepernick — again, just head-shaking that Nike would do this — even the spaghetti-spined, craven NFL had to issue a squishy non-statement statement.

“The National Football League believes in dialogue, understanding and unity. We embrace the role and responsibility of everyone involved with this game to promote meaningful, positive change in our communities,” NFL Executive Vice President of Milquetoast Blather Jocelyn Moore said in a statement.

But here’s the problem. Nike is the NFL’s single biggest business partner (outside perhaps the television networks.) Nike and the NFL have a 10-year contract in place, through 2028, in which the shoe company supplies game-day uniforms to all 32 franchises, a really popular promotion among fans. (Or was. We’ll see how this plays out week after week.) Nike’s iconic swoosh is all over NFL games. And Nike uses the NFL logo prominently in its promotions — including the Kaepernick fiasco.

That means the kneeling controversy burn pile is overnight back to licking flames into the sky — just days before tonight’s kickoff of opening day. Maybe Nike will air their Kaepernick ad during NFL games. That should work great!

Perhaps feckless NFL management and in-your-face Nike kind of deserve each other. American deserves better.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: colinkaepernick; jasonwhitlock; kneelers; michaeljordan; nfl; nike; sweatshops; timtebow
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To: Liberty7732

Not enough people chose to turn off the NFL. Too many people making too many excuses to keep watching. NIKE figured it out. A matter of numbers. One man keeps the TV on..2 children in the family..or a wife and one child..uses NIKE products. I mean, how’s Dad gonna stop wifey and child/children from buy NIKE’s when he’s plopped down in front of the TV watching NFL. Same if it’s a wife watching that tripe. One is not going to be able to convince the other if they’re still watching garbage on TV.


21 posted on 09/06/2018 8:04:34 AM PDT by Notthereyet (Notthereyet)
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To: Old Teufel Hunden

I will be waiting for the Trump Rally in Billings to air.


22 posted on 09/06/2018 8:10:26 AM PDT by cnsmom
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To: Starboard; Grampa Dave; Liberty7732; brownsfan; LS; nopardons; bitt; Hillarys Gate Cult; ...
"I have no interest in watching the Nike Football League."

_____________________

Here, here!

I would watch the J.C. Penney (50's) Football League.

23 posted on 09/06/2018 8:15:32 AM PDT by a little elbow grease (duct tape and cable ties hold more worth more than pussy hats and resistance)
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To: Liberty7732

24 posted on 09/06/2018 8:17:59 AM PDT by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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To: Liberty7732

In our country we have everything to look forward to in spite of the Democrats yet suicidal tendencies have spread to an important national past time NFL, to important industries such as Nike, and Levi Strauss. What’s next!?


25 posted on 09/06/2018 8:23:22 AM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists call 'em what you will they all have fairies livin' in their trees.)
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To: RightGeek

LOL

BridgetGetsEt


26 posted on 09/06/2018 8:23:23 AM PDT by A_Former_Democrat ("Moderates/Independents/Non-voters" Are DIMS REALLY who you'd want BACK in POWER?)
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult
Nike Will Air Colin Kaepernick Ad During NFL Opener!


27 posted on 09/06/2018 8:23:57 AM PDT by Grampa Dave ( NIKE KNEELING SNEAKERS! They come in rainbow/BLM colors with 1 Knee Pad included!)
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To: RightGeek

Potty mouth Bridget.


28 posted on 09/06/2018 8:24:38 AM PDT by BatGuano
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To: FlingWingFlyer
"I wonder if they’ll be pimping a new model of Nike Kaepernick Kop Killer Sneakers."

Check my tagline.

29 posted on 09/06/2018 8:25:37 AM PDT by Grampa Dave ( NIKE KNEELING SNEAKERS! They come in rainbow/BLM colors with 1 Knee Pad included!)
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To: Liberty7732

there are two specific reasons to skip the Eagles/Falcons game:

1. All but one Eagle announced they were skipping the White House invitation to celebrate their Superbowl victory there.

2. The deliberate, in-your-face Nike ad featuring the America-hating, cop-hating moron, Colin Kaepernick

(kind of interesting though that after the NFL seemed to have semi-solved their public kneeling problem, their chief sponsor decides to sabotage them ... my guess is that the Kap/Nike ad will hurt the NFL ratings worse than anything President Trump ever tweeted)


30 posted on 09/06/2018 8:35:14 AM PDT by catnipman ((Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!))
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To: FlingWingFlyer

“I wonder if they’ll be pimping a new model of Nike Kaepernick Kop Killer Sneakers.”

actually, Kaepernick will have his own branded line of Nike merchandise ...


31 posted on 09/06/2018 8:36:43 AM PDT by catnipman ((Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!))
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To: Obadiah

“Once NFL teams got wise to the scrambling, Kaepernick got totally shut down and thus revealed his lack of appreciable talent.”

exact same thing was true with Tim Tebow: he only had early success because of his unexpected scrambling ability ... unfortunately, Tebow was a TERRIBLE passer and even worse, never got any better ... he never could read a defense, could never check off multiple receivers and his terrible inaccuracy never improved ...


32 posted on 09/06/2018 8:40:33 AM PDT by catnipman ((Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!))
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To: Liberty7732

We don’t watch


33 posted on 09/06/2018 8:41:15 AM PDT by wardaddy (Wake up and quit aping opinions you think will make you popular here)
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To: catnipman
actually, Kaepernick will have his own branded line of Nike merchandise ...

Yeah, the UG-lee line. Just like him.

34 posted on 09/06/2018 8:41:32 AM PDT by EinNYC
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To: A_Former_Democrat
I am always disdainful of any theory that puts forward the proposition that intelligent business executives do not know what they are doing. This is a case example, where the author proposes that the marketing professionals who run Nike are SJWs "out of touch" with the common man. LOL

Trust me on this, this was a well thought out, carefully conceived and intentional move aimed towards a single objective: to increase sales.

Now, please note I use sales in the total sense ie world-wide, global, not just the US market. We don't have access to Nike's internal numbers, but the research and analysis behind behind this move certainly can be measured in many, many $ millions. That includes regional demographics studies, growth expectations, (disposable) income estimates, etc. It also includes careful pysch research into potential customer segments with respect to how they feel towards perceived 'injustice' and the desire to 'make a statement' through product identification.

We won't know if their attempt will be successful; but that's why they run horse races. Don't be surprised if this results in increased overseas sales - reflected in Nike's share price. That being said, it could also be a mistake - nothing is guaranteed. They know full well how pissed off certain segments within the US market ie FReeper types, will be. It's all part of the calculation; but to suggest this is some kind of misguided misreading or being out-of-touch is nothing more than an exhibition of ignorance (or wishful thinking).

35 posted on 09/06/2018 8:42:06 AM PDT by semantic
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To: Liberty7732

Like last year, I’ll pass watching the NFL this year.


36 posted on 09/06/2018 8:44:47 AM PDT by tennmountainman ("Trust Sessions" Yeah Right)
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To: semantic

What would this domestic issue have anything to do with “increasing foreign sales”?

I believe it has more to do as Whitlock said, to join the “Resistance” due to America First and the latter’s threat to Asian sweatshop labor

Think about that. Marginal “increase” in sales if any vs lifetime consumer boycotts. You really would bet on that?

But throw in the billions saved thru slave labor if Trump/GOP lose, and Voila! there you have it


37 posted on 09/06/2018 8:48:54 AM PDT by A_Former_Democrat ("Moderates/Independents/Non-voters" Are DIMS REALLY who you'd want BACK in POWER?)
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To: Liberty7732

Posted this before, will post this again. And again.

The more “Nike” gets associated with “Asian sweatshop workers” as in “Nike Asian sweatshop workers”, the merrier.

I’d really like to punch “sweatshop workers” into a search engine, on the Web or a social media site, and see “Nike (blank) sweatshop workers (blah, blah).

I can dream, can’t I?


38 posted on 09/06/2018 8:54:18 AM PDT by Sam_Damon
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To: brownsfan

It’d be fun if Trump raised the tariffs on Nike’s imported, unAmerican stuff to 100 or 200%.


39 posted on 09/06/2018 9:03:45 AM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Sam_Damon

That’s a great idea. Spread the association of “Asian” with “sweatshop” where others, esp liberals can see it. Let them question Nike’s REAL motivation, not “social justice” or fake “sacrifice” or “principles” but increa$ing $ale$. racial pandering, and Hate Trump for America First threatening its overseas costs (by a large margin)

Let them see Nike as the CAPITALIST PIGS they are!!


40 posted on 09/06/2018 9:04:28 AM PDT by A_Former_Democrat ("Moderates/Independents/Non-voters" Are DIMS REALLY who you'd want BACK in POWER?)
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