Nike
has constantly taken inspiration from athletes and sports men when it comes to
their endorsement and sponsorship mechanism. They have incorporated many big
names for their campaign such as Ray Rice, Tiger Woods, Adrian Peterson etc. in
order to give limelight to their products. Even at times their product range
has been launched under the name of an athlete such as Nike
Air Jordan Retro XI sneakers. But since the company has experienced
incidents of misconduct from athletes then this mechanism has become a source
of vulnerability for the firm as well as stakeholders. It is high time now the
company comes up with a new strategy.
In order to get the wow factor in your campaign and a slight edge
it is necessary that you outshine. Generally people will not talk about you
unless you give them something to talk about. Things that are exceptional tend
to attract people and thus make a mark. For Nike, their strategy was to add
glamour to their merchandises through sports celebrities. The aura is outcaste
through these stars who endorse such brands. The issue arises when people
consider these icons as a reflection of their brand and do not discriminate
that they are average humans with a life hence they end up developing negative feelings
for the brand if anything goes wrong with them. When such a scenario occurs
then the positive advertisement becomes a negative one and a marketing issue
arouses.
This is not something new then why it has become something of
massive concern now as compared to the past. The reason is quite simple. There
are two things that have fueled the situation. Firstly, many devices have been
installed at various locations that give no room for privacy of these
celebrities. Secondly, social media boom has lead to widespread of information
without checking the credibility resulting in mayhem.
The point I make here is not that companies such as Nike should
stop marketing themselves through the face of celebrities but it should not
become their identity. Using celebrities
as a medium is fine but launching product ranges under their name is just
insecurity and lack of faith in your own brand.
Hence in a nutshell, Nike does not need to completely change its
strategy but amend it in a manner that they do not become totally reliant on
celebrities. Brands should have their own presence.
