By Michael Allan
30 years ago Nike launched its “Just Do It” campaign allowing them to increase its North American sports shoe business from 18% to a whopping 43% market share virtually over night. People began wearing their shoes not just for a particular sport but also for style and status. Nike’s goal was to turn sneakers into a fashion statement and their target audience was geared on attracting women and teens to purchase. By all accounts a highly successful marketing strategy they are still cashing in on.
From the outside everything appears to be roses at Nike but reality is a very different story. For years the company has been battling sweatshop issues overseas. Nike responded by closing factories in foreign countries that were now allowing for unions to be established and that were revamping labor laws. Nike chose to shift work to other overseas manufacturing subcontractors in order to avoid labor issues and having to police their own manufacturing practices. Additionally, Nike is facing a major class action lawsuit from current and former female employees due to gender pay discrimination and rampant sexual harassment abuse that has been ignored for decades.
Colin Kaepernick is a free agent Quarterback formerly with the San Francisco 49’ers. He became a national figure for protesting racial injustice and to put a spotlight on police corruption and abuse targeting minorities. His peaceful method of protest was to kneel while the National Anthem was being played. People still view this action as Colin being Anti American, unpatriotic even unsympathetic to veterans. Nothing further from the truth as one of his dear friends Nate Boyer a Green Beret and NFL player helped Kaepernick come up with this attention getting solution.
Despite the smoke and mirrors that some are using in an attempt to control or silence Kaepernick, he’s very patriotic and a peaceful demonstrator for a just cause that is becoming more and more documented with the increase of social media.
Recently, Nike decided to hire Colin Kaepernick to be the face of its 30-year anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. This controversial decision has created as much of a buzz as Colin’s activism with many people boycotting football games, the purchase of Nike products as well as destroying the Nike products they own.
My guess is Nike’s alignment with the quarterback is another great marketing tool in order to hide from their worker, employee abuses and to ride Kaepernick’s activist coattails in order to sway negative publicity away from their own abuses and misconduct.
Unfortunately, Colin’s activism and positive actions to bring attention to minority abuse, discrimination and oppression have been greatly tainted by contracting with an organization that has a checkered history to this day of gender discrimination and human rights violations.
Sources NY Times 4/28/18 Julie Creswell, Kevin Draper and Rachel Abrams
Vox 8/15/18 Alexia Campbell
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