[ad_1]
When Nike's new advertising campaign, with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, was unveiled last week, the reaction in the country was immediate.
Fans and loyal customers of the world's largest sportswear company have released videos of themselves burning shoes and cutting Nike brand clothing in protest. There were boycott calls and the company's shares fell, losing $ 3 billion in value.
There were also advertising supporters, including sports celebrities LeBron James and Tiger Woods.
"I think Nike is trying to get ahead and try to do something special and I think they've done it," said Woods on the Golf Channel.
Nike is the world's largest sportswear company, selling more than $ 32 billion worth of yoga shoes, shirts and pants in 2017. Nike's stock bounced back later in the week and regained two per cent Friday. For the year, Nike's shares have increased by more than 29% compared to last year.
By starring Kaepernick, who did not play for an NFL team in two seasons and was the first league player to rise to protest social injustice in the US, Nike knew that the sport, politics and social consciousness.
College of the Ozarks, a small Missouri private Christian college with approximately 1,400 undergraduates, has dropped Nike as the school's sportswear supplier.
"College of the Ozarks plans to remove all sports uniforms purchased from Nike or that contain the Nike emblem. Student students will no longer wear the brand in response to the company's new advertising campaign, "said school president Jerry C. Davis. The university expressed its point of view on patriotism, the anthem flag. "
Liberty University is also considering its options. Liberty is under contract with Nike until 2024.
Jerry Falwell, president of the school, told USA Today that the college could reconsider its relationship with Nike.
"If the company really believes what Colin Kaepernick thinks, it will be difficult for us to continue doing business with them," Falwell said.
"But if it's just a publicity stunt to draw attention to Nike or whatever, it's different. We understand that. We understand how marketing works. But they will have to convince us that they are not proactively attacking law enforcement and our armed forces. If that's the reason you're using this ad, we're going to have a hard time staying. "
Clemson signed a $ 58 million 10-year contract with Nike in August, which will allow the Tigers to wear the swoosh logo until 2028.
Asked about the controversy at a press conference last week, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said, "It's the only logo that matters to me," showing the logo of the tiger paw on his shirt.
Furman, which is the only other Nike college in South Carolina, does not intend to stop wearing the company's clothing. The agreement between Paladins and Nike extends over three years.
"There is no plan to drop Nike because of Kaepernick's announcement," said Mike Buddie, Furman's sports director. "Schools like Furman need all the benefits. To break such an unprecedented legal contract would not be in our interest. There is nothing in our contract that gives us the right to make decisions about what Nike's national advertising platform will be, and there should not be any. "
Buddie said that he did not think that continuing to wear Nike clothing would alienate Paladin fans.
"I think most of our fans realize that our student-athletes wear Nike because they're made for comfort and function," Buddie said. "I do not think most of our fans care much about the political message behind it."
Nine SEC teams – Florida, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee and Vanderbilt – are under contract with Nike, with the Missouri agreement due to expire in 2019.
South Carolina has signed a $ 71.5 million ten-year contract with Under Armor in 2016. This agreement includes a $ 44.5 million product allocation, plus a $ 2 million signing bonus. 2016.
Coastal Carolina and College of Charleston are Under Armor schools, while The Citadel has a contract with Adidas.
Three high schools in Lowcountry – Summerville, Ashley Ridge and Cane Bay – equip their teams with Nike clothing. None of them plans to change companies in the near future.
"I'm not crazy about how everything went with Kaepernick. I'm a bit confused about what Nike does, but they're all marketing-oriented, "said Cane Bay football head coach Russell Zehr. "I do not know that it will affect our decision to continue using their jerseys. The reason we wear Nike is that our B team has the same jerseys for 10 years. That's how long they lasted.
Not all sports teams wear Nike uniforms in Cane Bay. Footballers are not required to wear Nike shoes, but all crampons must be the same color. Nike offers a discount to Cane Bay football players.
All university athletes at Summerville High School must wear the Nike brand. Like Cane Bay, Summerville athletes enjoy discounts for the purchase of Nike products and coaches receive corporate clothing to wear during games.
"I do not think we're going to change businesses because of what Nike does in its advertising campaign," said Joe Call, Summerville coach. "Honestly, I did not hear any of our players talking about it. I do not think that will happen at the high school level. I can see it impacting the NFL and some of the larger universities.
[ad_2]
Source link
