UNIVERSITY OF NATIONAL AND WORLD ECONOMY

COURSE PROJECT

Specialty:
Marketing

Topic:
Social media impact on the marketing of Nike.

Prepared by:

Kristian Georgiev №18113134

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 Contents:

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………..3

Chapter 1

1.1. Digital marketing ………………………………..……………………………………….4

1.2. The evolution of marketing and social media…………………………………………….5

1.3. Social media and its role………………………………………………………………….5

1.4. Social media platforms……………………………………………………………………6

Chapter 2

2.1. Background information about Nike……………...……………………………………...8

2.2. Nike’s campaigns trough the evolution of social media………………………………....9

2.3. Possibilities for the marketing in the digital era………………………………………...12

2.4. The platforms that Nike uses…………………………………………………………...13

2.5. The criticism that Nike faces…………………………………………………………...19

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………...23

References………………………………………………………………….…………….....24

Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………….25

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 Introduction

Nowadays, people are living in a society driven by digital technology. Digital marketing has
an incredible influence on people’s interactions, work, purchases and life habits. There is a
positive and negative impact of social media on society. Social media has revolutionized the
way people communicate and socialize on the web. There is a positive effect on business,
politics, socialization as well as some negative effects such as cyber-bullying, privacy, and fake
news.

Companies today need to have a firm grasp on how to utilize the digital universe to maximize
their brand awareness and impact. Social Media Marketing is having a tremendous impact on
business and market as business growth and performance are taking place at an astronomical
rate. Social media helps in developing business tactics. Due to the influence of social media,
the relationship between brands and consumers has changed a lot. Nowadays, companies create
strategies after they analyze and understand the target consumer’s demands, likes and dislikes
through social Media. Media has had a major effect on the world and business. Owing to its
popularity and influence, social media marketing should be front and centre on any company’s
marketing strategy as customers need to trust and understand the brand they are buying from.

The main purpose of the following course paper is to outline what are social media and the
impact on marketing in the times we live. This paper aims to analyze the case of Nike- the
world's leading innovator in athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories. We have
decided to explore the social media evolution and the marketing strategies that Nike implies.
Our main thesis is that Nike was one of the first companies that successfully catch the wave of
using social media as a main tool for development. However, social media is a living organism-
it changes fast, constantly and without clear future expectations.

All the research conducted in a period of 1 month.

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 Chapter 1

1.1. Digital marketing

Digital marketing is any advertising delivered through digital channels such as social
media, mobile applications, email, web applications, search engines, websites, or any new
digital channel. Digital and social media marketing is the fastest-growing form of direct
marketing. For buyers digital marketing is convenient, easy, and private. It gives buyers
anywhere, anytime access to an almost unlimited assortment of goods and a wealth of product
and buying information. Customers can interact with sellers by phone or on the seller’s website
or mobile app to create exactly the configuration of information, products, or services they
want and then order them on the spot. Finally, for those who want it, digital marketing through
online, mobile, and social media provides a sense of brand engagement and community- a place
to share brand information and experiences with other brand fans. For sellers, digital marketing
often provides a low-cost, efficient, speedy alternative for reaching their markets. It offers
sellers greater flexibility and let marketers make ongoing adjustments to prices and programs
or to create immediate, timely, and personal engagement and offers. Especially, in today’s
digital environment, it provides opportunities for real-time marketing that links brands to
important moment and trending events in customers’ lives. It is a powerful tool for moving
customers through the buying process and building customer relationships.This is an era when
digital technology is changing the dynamics of marketing in an unprecedented manner. Nike
has also utilized the technology to get closer to the customers and fans and to bring inspiration
and innovation in every sports fans life.

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1.2. The evolution of marketing (and social media)

Most companies now market online. Some companies even operate only online. Today, it is
hard to find a company that does not have a substantial online presence. Traditional store
retailers are reaping increasingly larger proportions of their sales online. Social media has
grown a tremendous amount over the years, which has led to different companies adapting to
it and using it as a free source of advertisement. Social media is continuously growing with
more technology for the generations to come. New social media websites are still being created
as well which can lead to more competition. It is important for businesses of all types to
understand that social media ads are only getting bigger and smarter. Social media advertising
is where the future is headed. It is actually the new wave.

1.3. (What is) social media and its role

Social media refers to websites and applications that are designed to allow people to share
content quickly, efficiently, and in real-time. Businesses choose to use social media because of
its benefits- lower ad costs, targeted research and real-time performance analysis. Many people
define social media as apps on their smart phone or tablet, but the truth is, this communication
tool started with computers. Social media marketing is just one of the available channels of
digital marketing. It is independent and commercial online social networks where people
congregate to socialize and share messages, opinions, pictures, videos, and other content.
Social media can be engaged in two ways: using existing social media, which seems the easiest,
or setting up your own. The most important features of social media are that it is targeted and
personal, interactive, immediate and timely, real-time marketing, cost-effective, engagement
and social sharing capabilities.
Social media marketing helps a certain brand to build a strong online presence by innovative
social media marketing techniques and customer satisfaction. Social media acts as the wheel
itself, and it allows companies to interact with people in a public venue, providing a channel to
promote products, services and transparent messages. When any consumer likes a Facebook
page, monitors a brand via Twitter or relates with a brand's existence on various social media
networks like YouTube, Google+ or Twitter, a connection forms between the brand and the
customer. According to 2019 social media statistics, there are now 3.2 billion users around the
globe. That is about 42% of our total present population.
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1.4. Existing social media platforms
 Facebook
It was launched in 2004, founded by Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and
fellow Harvard University students. Nearly 1.6 billion people access it every month.
Facebook is a social networking website where users can post comments, share
photographs and post links to news or other interesting content on the web, chat live,
and watch short-form video. Brands use it for several purposes including promotion,
customer engagement, discussion, and even for customer service. Facebook is the social
media platform of choice for the social media marketers.

 Google+
It has 359 million active users. While Google Plus has not been as popular among the
social media marketers, it is still a good channel and several brands have used it for
displaying their products and brand.

 Twitter
It has more than 305 million active monthly users. Twitter can be an excellent
marketing platform for social media marketers. There are some excellent features in
Twitter- for example, you can follow anyone and easily share and like posts. Moreover,
like Facebook, it allows for very stylish sharing of photos and videos that keep flowing
like a newsfeed and you keep receiving real time updates from the brands and people
you follow.

 Instagram
Instagram is an American photo and video-sharing social networking service owned by
Facebook, Inc. It was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, and was launched
in 2010. It has 400 million active users. This is one of the most favourite social media
platforms of the fashion brands. Several fashion brands have utilized it to connect with
millions of their fans and followers. Instagram is mainly a picture-sharing platform
where you can share pictures, like them and follow others. However, for the fashion

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 brands it can be a very effective platform, which is also visible from the number of
followers that Nike has on Instagram.

 YouTube
More than 1 billion users upload 500 hours of video every minute of every day.
YouTube is a video sharing platform with features for sharing, commenting and liking
videos. YouTube now operates as one of Google's subsidiaries. Both private
individuals and large production companies have used YouTube to grow audiences.
Independent content creators have built grassroots followings numbering in the
thousands at very little cost or effort, while mass retail and radio promotion proved
problematic.

 Pinterest
This social media web has 100 million active users. Pinterest is a visual discovery
engine for finding ideas like recipes, home and style inspiration, and more. Pinterest is
also a good platform where you can share pictures and a suitable one for fashion
marketers.

 Snapchat
Snapchat is a popular messaging app that lets users exchange pictures and videos (called
snaps) that are meant to disappear after they're viewed- a simple way to share everyday
moments while simultaneously making them look awesome. It has advertised as a "new
type of camera" because the essential function is to take a picture or video, add filters,
lenses or other effects and share them with friends.

Chapter 2

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2.1. Background information about Nike/ History of Nike

Nike is an American multinational company. It takes its name from the Greek gooddess
“Nike” who was a symbol of victory. It was founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Bill
Bowerman, a track-and-field coach at the University of Oregon, and his former student Phil
Knight. They opened their first retail outlet in 1966 and launched the Nike brand shoe in 1972.
The company was renamed Nike, Inc., in 1978 and went public two years later. By the early
21st century, Nike had retail outlets and distributors in more than 170 countries, and its logo—
a curved check mark called the “swoosh”—was recognized throughout the world. From the
late 1980s Nike steadily expanded its business and diversified its product line through
numerous acquisitions, including the shoe companies Cole Haan (1988; sold in 2012) and
Converse, Inc. (2003), the sports-equipment producer Canstar Sports, Inc. (1994; later called
Bauer and sold in 2008), and the athletic apparel and equipment company Umbro (2008; sold
in 2012). In 1996 the company created Nike ACG (“all-conditions gear”), which markets
products for extreme sports such as snowboarding and mountain biking.Operating segments
for the Nike brand are: North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Greater China, Asia
Pacific and Latin America.
Nike is one of the biggest sports brand, having a value near $16 billion. From the iconic swoosh
logo to the ‘Just Do It’ slogan which is now part of pop culture, Nike is one of the most
recognizable brands in the world.The Nike name and associated trademarks have appeared
everywhere from players' shirts, pants, and hats to stadium banners and walls. Aggressive
advertising campaigns, celebrity endorsements, and quality products enhance the brand. Their
brandpromise goes way beyond encouraging people to “Just do it.” Nike's brand promise is:
“To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.” Their philosophy is that if
you have a body, you're an athlete. In 1988 Nike Air’s first spot came out on the television.
Nike understands that they are not selling shoes, sportswear, etc, but that they are selling an
experience. “It’s not so much the shoes but where they take you.” They make you feel like
Nike is the only sports brand out in which you can actually reach your goals. Nike is the third
largest design patent in the world. It’s a logo that is really popular and wanted by customers.

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Nike has trademark on its name, the slogan, and the symbol. Nike built the brand with a famous
person such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James basketball shoe and apparel
collections.

First of all Nike does not have a niche market they serve, so they do not serve one specific
group of people. Nike serves men and women of all ages. Nike’s target group does not have a
specific income; they target people with high incomes, but also with middle class incomes. It
is hard to say what Nike’s target group is, because they do not target a group with specific
features (Marketing 91 by Hitesh Bhasin, March 2018).
Currently Nike is focusing more on women then they do on men. “In fact, the Women’s
Training segment is faster growing than the Men’s Training segment.” (Traditionally
innovative: A must-know investor’s guide to NIKE Part 4 of 22, Yahoo Finance)

Nike targets athletes and runners; therefore, they make a special engagement with them. Nike
is targeting professional athletes and young athletes. They try to focus on these young athletes
a lot, because they will be their future target market. They reach these young athletes by for
example sponsoring a soccer club, but also by sponsoring professional athletes. Because young
athletes tend to look up to professional athletes, because usually their dream is to become as
successful as them (Nike is going after three kinds of customers, business insider by Ashley
Lutz, April 2017).

2.2. Nike’s campaigns through the years

It almost never happens that Nike uses their products in their promotion campaigns. Nike
appeals to the customers emotion to make them feel like they need Nike to achieve their goals
and that they will not be satisfied with any other brand. This is what we call emotional branding.
(Nike’s brilliant marketing strategy - Why you should be (just) doing it too, Zareen Islam,
March, 2017). Nike has unique campaigns and people will talk about them to other people. So,
they earn word-of-mouth influence. People who have not seen the campaign, still get in contact
with Nike because the people surrounding them are talking about it.

 One of the latest campaigns that we will mention again later is the one that receives lots
of controversy when Keapernick joined the Just Do It campaign this year (2018). He
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 stood up for what he believes, one of the reasons Nike wanted him, but made very
negative commotion around Nike sadly. Nike gained publicity. Even negative publicity
is publicity. The stocks went up with 4% within days.

 “If they think your dreams are crazy, show them what crazy dreams can do.”
Nike’s new “Dream Crazier” ad, which aired last night during the Oscars, celebrates
women in sports breaking down many of the barriers that have existed over the years—
and, in some cases, still continue. The ad focuses on insults often hurled at women in
sports, and the double-standard they are often held to—if they show emotion, they’re
called dramatic, if they dream of equal opportunity, they’re delusional, or if they get
angry, they are hysterical, for instance. Otherwise called, as the ad says, they are just
being “crazy.” In fact, the ad prominently shows a woman attempting to fend
off marathon officials trying to pull her off course, similar to what happened
to Kathrine Switzer (not depicted in this ad) during the 1967 Boston Marathon. This ad
serves as a reminder to women to keep pushing forward, despite the criticism they may
face. “Nike continues to champion female athletes and change the game for women in
sports as it has for more than 40 years—inspiring and enabling female athletes of all
levels to achieve their potential in sport and fitness,” a Nike spokesperson told Runner’s
World.

 Nike’s most engaging posts were part of two major campaigns they ran in 2017. Their
ambitious “Breaking2” project brought a huge amount of social media attention for the
brand. Three elite marathon runners Eliud Kipchoge, Lelisa Desisa, and Zersenay
Tadese attempted to run 26.219 miles in under two hours, a feat never done before in
the history of the sport. The event was held on The Formula One Autodromo Nazionale
Monza race track in Italy. Regardless of the outcome (Eliud Kipchoge won the race
with a time, which was only 26seconds shy of breaking the two-hour barrier), the
ultimate winner was Nike as the athletes wore a customized version of Nike racing shoe
for the event. It was the most successful of the six campaigns that Nike ran during the
time period. As part of the campaign, Nike posted 5 times on Facebook including a pre-
event trailer. The brand live-streamed the event which garnered over 5.4 million views!

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 Nike launched the ‘Equality’ campaign during Black History Month in February 2017.
The highlight of the campaign was a 90-second video-spot featuring Serena Williams
and LeBron James with a voiceover by actor Michael B Jordan. The campaign, which
debuted at a time following the announcement of Trump’s immigration ban, garnered
a lot of limelight. The Black History Month collection celebrates Black heritage, in
sport and beyond, around the world and has historically provided financial support to
Nike’s Ever Higher Fund, which was created to bring mentorship, sport and all of its
benefits to youth and their communities. Nike is proud to support numerous
organizations that provide services to underrepresented youth, including African-
American youth, during the year. Long-time partners include the Jackie Robinson
Foundation, Boys and Girls Clubs, National Head Start and Coach Across America.
Nike also recently announced two new partnerships with MENTOR and PeacePlayers
International to expand opportunities for youth and promote diversity, inclusion and
equality in communities across the U.S. The EQUALITY tee is part of Nike’s ongoing
commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. Nike will continue to follow the
inspiration from our athletes and employees to uplift and bring people together in the
following months and beyond.

 The one with Google in 2014 this was a campaign during the world cup. If a Nike
athlete scored a goal fans could make shots and share their ‘phenomenal shot’ on social
media. (Nike’s brilliant marketing strategy - Why you should be (just) doing it too,
Zareen Islam, March, 2017). Because of this campaign Nike doesn’t only reach out to
their overall target group, but also to young athletes at which the brand tries to focus
mainly on. A lot of those young athletes watch the world cup and they get in touch with
the brand.

 Besides that Nike tries to focus more on women lately which brings us to the next
campaign, ‘Margot vs. Lily’ this is an original Nike series in which two girls try to
reach their goals. They try to reach millennial women with the campaign, by letting
Margot and Lily wear Nike during their training sessions but also in their free time.
They do not only wear the Nike items they also promote Nike+. Over 80 million people
have watched the series and it has made more people use the Nike+ technologies.

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 (Nike’s brilliant marketing strategy - Why you should be (just) doing it too, Zareen
Islam, March, 2017)

2.3. Possibilities for marketing in the digital area

Nike’s digital marketing strategy is supported by brilliantly effective ads. The company is not
only selling products, but they are also selling emotional benefits of the products. In short, they
are selling the aspiration. That is why the brand shows the promoted product to the audience
only in few of their campaigns. They appeal to the emotions instead.

1996: Atlanta Olympics Nike makes its first foray online by launching a site to support its
presence at the Games with details of the athletes and the Nike products they are wearing.

2001: Run London Nike launches Run London, blending experiential and digital marketing for
the first time: 10,000-plus Londoners take part.

2003: Nike Bowerman; The Bowerman website is unveiled to improve the running experience
by providing information on the latest exercise techniques, as well as personalized training
schedules.

2004: Nike Speed Launched to coincide with the 2004 Athens Olympics, NikeSpeed.com
mixes artists' interpretations of speed with advanced multiplayer gaming.

2005: A film; 30 million-plus YouTube viewers saw Ronaldinho ‘Touch of Gold’ redefining
viral

2006: Festival of Air; The Air Max 360 is launched with Nike Festival of Air, a web portal
challenging consumers to do physical challenges that are broadcast live at NikeTown.

2006: Nike+ Nike and Apple team up to offer the ultimate personal workout coach. A chip in
your shoe talks to your iPod to give you real-time feedback during workouts.

2004: Nike ID is a service, which gives people the freedom to design and order their very own
personalized sneakers. The new Nike ID studio at NikeTown allows sports fans to customize
Nike shoes and then star in the ads that made them famous. The ads are beamed to interactive
kiosks.

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2007: Nike Supersonic Run London is replaced with Supersonic, a live event built around
social networking that combines running and live music.

2008: Nike Live Nike Live is a new program format aimed at connecting fans with their heroes.
In the UK, The Cesc Fabregas Show invites Arsenal fans to upload video clips for the show.

2008: Nike Photo ID Nike Photo ID encourages people to use their mobile phones to take
pictures, which can then be uploaded to the Nike ID website and used as inspiration for custom-
made trainers.

2008: Nike Playmaker Nike launches Playmaker so footballers can spend less time organizing
games and more time on the pitch.

2.4. The platforms that Nike uses

Its social media presence is especially remarkable. The brand has utilized the various social
media platforms very well to increase its market presence and to expand its customer base.

 Twitter
Nike and Nike.com are two twitter accounts related to Nike on Twitter with 7.2million
and 4.45 million followers each respectively. Nike has other accounts too like Nike
NYC and Nike Run Club. Like Facebook, Nike promotes its brands and products as
well as events through the several accounts and regularly tweets to its fans and
followers. It publishes its photos and videos of its products and events through the
Twitter account.
Nike has one of the biggest customer service Twitter accounts in the world. The account
is called Nike support and you cannot only ask your questions in English as the
company is based in the United States, but also you can ask them is several languages.
The languages you can reach out to them in are “English, Spanish, French, Dutch,
Italian, and German & Japanese”. They have this separate account for support to make
feel like they do not bother the brand, that they are understood and handles with patience
and nevertheless know where they have to go if they have any questions about their
Nike product or anything else related to Nike. The key is to be patience with the

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 customers, but also to make them feel like they are understood and that they will get
the help they need.
 Its own website
On their webpage, you can find several ways to reach out to them if you need any help
or have any questions or complaints. If you have any questions, about their products or
orders, you can reach them through their online chat support service or you can give
them a call. Nike has had success with its Digital Sport products before – in particular
with Nike-developed apps (such as Nike+Running, which lets runners track distance,
calories burned and speed; Nike+Training Club, which lets users choose among over
100 workouts; and Nike Soccer, which allows soccer players to find or schedule a
game). Nike+ Accelerator is different, however, in that it enables external developers
to build software (and potentially even hardware) for Nike users using Nike’s
technology. Nike wants to do more than just sell products – they want to create a
platform that benefits users, external developers, and in turn the company’s products.

 LinkedIn
Nike’s account has 2,772,838 followers.
LinkedIn is an American business and employment-oriented service that operates via
websites and mobile apps. It is mainly used for professional networking, including
employers posting jobs and job seekers posting their CVs. You can use LinkedIn to
display your resume, search for jobs, and enhance your professional reputation by
posting updates and interacting with other people. NIKE, Inc. is the world leading
designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment
and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. It is committed to
employing a diverse workforce. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without
regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender
identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability.

 Google+

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 All of the content is repurposed from Facebook. On Google+ Nike has more than 4.5
million followers. Nike regularly posts photo and video updates on Google Plus to keep
its fans and followers engaged. Followers plus one the posts they like and leave their
comments. Thus, it uses the platform for promotion and discussion both. Nike is
celebrating 27 years of its Air Max brand by hosting the first shoppable Google+
hangout in partnership with Asos. Google Trends, a tool that analyses the popularity of
top search queries in Google Search, was used to understand brand awareness.
“Nike,” “Kaepernick,” “Nike Stock,” and “Nike Ad” were used as search terms in
Google Trends, and search volume and top related queries were recorded from August
3, 2018, to October15, 2018, a month before and after the Twitter data collection. The
campaign clearly caused a spike in interest in Nike and Colin Kaepernick, as shown
through the analysis of Google Trends data. There were extreme spikes in the volume
of search terms related to the campaign the day of the launch. Even if news of the
campaign spread due to a few extremely negative social media reactions, the search
volume of terms related to the Kaepernick campaign indicates a large increase in Nike’s
brand awareness.
 Facebook
Just Do It Slogan and Swoosh logo introduce the brand on its Facebook page. Photos,
videos and updates daily follow them. There are more than 29 million followers of Nike
on Facebook alone. The photos and videos are related to Nike products and marketing
campaigns and several of them relate to the events sponsored around the world by Nike.
These photos and videos are shared and liked extensively. The fans also share their
feelings about Nike products and events on Facebook. When it comes to marketing,
Nike is very creative with its strategy. These photos and videos are full of impact
because of the creativity and imagination invested in them. It is not normal fan page; it
has customised tabs that link followers directly to Instagram account and Nike sport
page. There is “shop now” option.
Nike Running Page- it is one of the most popular. Advertising on Facebook will be a
great opportunity to reach customers. On the business website from Facebook we found
that you can set a budget for the advertisements for each day, so, if we, for example,
have a big sale or there is an event coming up we can decide to increase the budget and
promote more and if we have nothing special that day we can decrease the budget and
promote a bit less. Besides that, there is an option in which we can see the statistics, we
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 can compare our advertisements with each other, and we can see which one is doing
better so we can adjust them. If they do not work out the way we wanted them to we
can easily stop advertising on Facebook.
 Nike+
Nike+ is a modern its own platform that integrates many products and features. The
content of Nike+ was created in 2009 by the members themselves through sharing and
interacting on the platform and on diverse social media channels. Runners log on to
monitor their performance Nike+ motivates members to actively connect with each
other, which further leads to strengthening the connection between the brand and its
users. It has a social media-like feed, customized content around fitness and Nike-
sponsored athletes, a feature for booking appointments at Nike stores and events, and,
most importantly, it has a mobile shopping section that gives users tailored
recommendations and alerts for new items that are dropping. This is just one more way
the company is looking to meet its customers where they are and grow its online sales
strategy further.
 YouTube
Videos are a major part of Nike’s marketing strategy. Nike can use YouTube to promote
their products in different ways. Apart from its main channel, Nike has other channels
like Nike Football and Nike Baseball, each devoted to a different game. Nike’s
promotional videos are made to inspire energy and enthusiasm. Nike itself is a brand
devoted to sports. The focus of these videos is the unending energy that is in every
devoted athlete. These videos are made to inspire athlete to push the line farther and to
engage the fans. In its main account, Nike has uploaded 275 videos and has more than
671 thousand followers. Nike brings together their big budget, sporting superstars and
audience to generate millions-worth of publicity. The brand uses hero, hub and hygiene
strategy “Tell better stories to the right people with the right content”

They can use their second promotion plan- to make short advertisements before or in
the YouTube videos, so they will not be skipped. At the end of the short video, we want
to use remarketing, so the watchers will be directed to the Nike website so they can
immediately shop the Air Max.

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 Instagram
There has been more than 75 million followers of Nike on Instagram alone. Apart from
views and likes, fans also comment on the pictures and videos posted by Nike on
Instagram. It can be a wonderful platform for engaging your fans and can alone provide
access to a very large fan base. The total number of Nike fans on all the other social
media platforms does not equal that on Instagram. Reports suggest Nike has the fourth
largest following of any brand on Instagram, and with 96.5 million followers on its
main profile. Nike utilizes its Instagram account regularly than its Facebook Page,
distributing posts on average about once per week. One purpose behind this could be
the rising fame of the photograph/video sharing platform, which achieved 1 billion
monthly active users prior this year.
Another reason may be the exclusively visual nature of the platform, which is better
suited to the high-quality imagery and video content the sports brand produces for its
followers to consume. The brand also keeps things consistent. They highlight the
athletes or sports team in their posts. Their posts and the concise copy have a clear,
motivational tone of voice.

One product line that uses Instagram to great effect is Nike Running. Collective running
and running clubs have surged in popularity in recent years due to their inclusive nature.
Nike has capitalized on this by aligning its content on Instagram to reflect this
behaviour shift.

Unlike Facebook, Nike does not use Instagram to exclusively champion its diverse
range of athletes.

Nike has utilized the functionalities by likewise playing around with IGTV. Nike has
utilized the long-frame video highlight to deliver a progression of narrative style
recordings. Working with standard individuals and not just widely acclaimed
competitors and influencers. This is something the brand has done reliably, both online
and offline, to extraordinary impact. Nike’s IGTV ‘doc-series‘, which started in
September, has racked up 1.4 million views.

A brand rival of Nike is Adidas, but it has not even reached to match Nike’s ubiquity
on Instagram. Success on Instagram remains as a demonstration of the very vivid feel
of its posts and its visual content.

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 On Nike’s main Instagram account, they post pictures and videos of athletes and sports
teams that Nike sponsors. When they do that, they try to send out the message that
people should focus on the people that make Nike the brand that it is. They do not only
post pictures of athletes on their Instagram page, but also of ordinary people. They
mainly do this on the IGTV tool. They follow two types of ordinary people that are
trying to get fit and reach their goals. When they do this, they send out the message that
Nike is not only for professional athletes, but also for ordinary people. They want to let
the audience know that Nike is for everyone that just wants to do it. (How Nike uses
Facebook and Instagram, Sean Cole, December 5th, 2018)

 Printerest
There are several accounts in the name on Nike on Pinterest and particularly Nike
women has the highest number of followers; around 205 K. Nike has clearly researched
the demographic profile of the average Pinterest user, as the only account it has
established is for Nike Women. It has created 10 boards and amassed a respectable
9,900 followers; however, all of its pins are product related and link back to official
Nike websites. Pinterest is a great opportunity to develop the brand identity and create
pin boards that reflect the company’s values, but Nike is essentially using it as an
extension of its product catalogue. While Pinterest is not the most popular with Nike
compared to Facebook and Instagram, it is still used to attract potential customers in
their own unique way. Instagram would be their third biggest use of social media but
this is mainly just to keep the customers interested in their products. Pinterest users can
upload, save, sort and manage images, known as pins, and other media content through
collections known as pin boards. Nike has shown that they put extensive research into
their social media outlets as they only have Pinterest pages for Nike Women, Nike
Shoes and Nike Training Club. This then show the stock Nike have in order to attract
customers and show what potential customers can buy.

2.5. The criticism that Nike faces

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Let us have a look at one of the latest criticism that Nike’s company receives.

Goaded by the achieving nature of the internet, people are destroying their Nike apparel and
declaring a moral boycott over the shoes, they have already purchased — all in the name of
denouncing Colin Kaepernick, the newest face of Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign. Nike
announced that Kaepernick is one of the athletes helping commemorate the 30th anniversary
of the brand’s iconic slogan. The ad is a black-and-white close-up of Kaepernick’s face with
the words, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything” (Figure 1)— a
reference to Kaepernick’s lawsuit against the NFL( The National Football League) for
allegedly colluding to keep the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback out of the league over
his protests against police brutality. Kaepernick does a voice-over for Nike’s two-minute
commercial, “Dream Crazy,” which ran during the first timeout in the third quarter of the
NFL’s season opener on Sept. 6. The commercial shows athletes “overcoming adversity to
chase their dreams,” with Kaepernick staring at a U.S. flag, and ends with him saying, “Don’t
ask if your dreams are crazy, ask if they’re crazy enough.”
Though Kaepernick and other NFL players who have kneeled during the national anthem
maintain that their protest is about police brutality resulting in the deaths of unarmed black
Americans that has not stopped their critics from claiming that Kaepernick is disrespecting his
flag and country.

Some people are destroying Nike stuff they have already bought. More people are mocking
them for doing so.

When Kaepernick’s ad was released, social media quickly lit up with excitement. Twitter,
Facebook and Instagram were peppered with tweets and photos of Nike customers destroying
their gear. There were also vocal contingents who staged their own protest, of sorts, in response.
The new Nike ad has inspired some people to post videos and photos of them destroying their
Nike apparel in an illustration of their fealty to said flag and country
What’s followed is a boycott largely confined to social-media outrage. Unsurprisingly, this
outrage caught the attention of President Donald Trump, leading him to double down on his
attacks on Kaepernick and the NFL in a tweet claiming that the boycott was punitively
damaging Nike: Americans destroying apparel they’ve already paid for to scold a multibillion-
dollar company over an ad campaign that promotes rebellion but also is implicitly selling

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conformity: It sounds like deep-level satire. That is the world we live in, and it crystallizes
some specifics of how the internet outrage machine operates — and how Nike has already won.

But while there was a smattering of seemingly sincere participants in this incendiary boycott,
including some encouragement from the sitting president of the United States, the
#BurnYourNikes hashtag is currently heavily populated by those mocking the performance,
pointing out that destroying Nike goods that are already bought and paid for doesn’t actually
hurt Nike’s bottom line. In some cases, burning Nikes might inadvertently be
advertising for the company.

Other details this viral Nike boycott has thus far failed to take into consideration:
whether it also means never rooting for Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan,
Texas, Baylor, or any other college that is sponsored by Nike;
whether it extends to Converse, Hurley, and all the other brands owned by Nike;
whether boycotters will also forgo brands like Under Armour, which has also delved into
political waters and opposed Trump; and
whether the service members being used as justification for the boycott want to be used as
props:

The focus of this conversation around Nike destruction and its relative merit is that this boycott
is not just about the brand itself. Setting Nike shoes on fire or cutting up socks allows these
users to voice their displeasure with Nike, and to assert their own identity in a public space that
might invite some mockery, sure, but will also reward them for their performance: In shunning
Nike on Twitter, they’re also courting follows, likes, and retweets, the platform’s main
currency.

For some users, this boycott, regardless of its sincerity, doubles as a branding opportunity —
especially for someone who has posted several follow-up tweets about Nike and attempted
to coin his own hashtag, #PigSocks. His country music band is now more visible than it has
been in years, and the viral boycott he helped spark has drawn increased attention to his Twitter
page —, which as of press time features a pinned tweet promoting his Redneck Riviera whiskey
brand. Many in the black community were inspired to buy Nike clothing and sneakers and
display their new purchases online

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The irony here, of course, is that the Kaepernick ad is itself branding — and in reacting to it,
its critics are ensuring that Nike is getting exactly what it paid for.
On the other hand, Cheryl Green, 61, of Atlanta, saw the backlash on social media and said a
cousin gave her the idea to buy something. She now has her first pair of Nike sneakers and
plans to buy a T-shirt for her niece. Green also surprised a childhood friend with a pair of
sneakers. She estimated that she has spent $200 on Nike gear and said she planned to buy more.
“I love the ad. I think the message is strong,” Green said. “People complain on social media.
At some point, all of us have to decide if we are going to put actions behind our words. That is
kind of one of the reasons I bought the shoes. In the scheme of things, this isn’t a blip on Nike’s
radar.”
She said she wants to help spread Kaepernick’s message and reach out to “people who are
really adamantly opposed to what [Kaepernick] stands for.” She wants to “get them to consider
the impact to me, with black family … to worry about them every single day that they could
have an encounter with a policeman that could end with their death … to empathize with what
I go through every single day.”
If she changes one person’s mind, Green said, “Then to me it would have been worth my
while.”

Nike knew what it was doing when it picked Kaepernick for the ad

Nike deciding to highlight Kaepernick was not done on a whim. The company has had
Kaepernick under contract since 2011, and reportedly began negotiating a “new, multi-year
pact” with him months ago, well after he initiated the lawsuit alluded to in the ad’s text. The
timing is not a coincidence. The risk of a negative response was undoubtedly assessed before
making the deal, which makes clear that Nike believes the rewards of sponsoring Kaepernick
outweigh the cost. That the ad became part of the national conversation within minutes of its
release means that it has already worked, and whatever minor hit Nike’s stock has taken in the
immediate aftermath is outweighed by the long-term attention the brand has received.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the identity factor works both ways. The spirit that drives
one person to burn a pair of already purchased Nikes is the same spirit that might move another
person to buy the branded apparel that’s part of Kaepernick’s endorsement with the company.
Whether they are detractors burning items they have already paid for or supporters indicating
their approval by buying new items, Nike makes money on both.
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You burning your Nike gear costs Nike nothing, & gives them free advertising.

They are going to sell more to others because of the campaign.

You think a multibillion dollar company didn't study the cost/benefit fallout before launching
the campaign?

Lol.#NikeBoycott

— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) September 4, 2018

Nike is still going to make a profit off social justice and people’s desire to do something for a
cause.
But it is also a rare example of a company taking a loud, public stand for social justice and civil
rights, and Nike is putting at least some of its money where its mouth is: Kaepernick’s deal
with the company reportedly includes a contribution to his Know Your Rights charity.
(Kaepernick himself has donated to several civil rights and equality organizations.) That counts
for something, even if it loses Nike some fans (who have already bought merchandise) along
the way.

Despite the online outcry, Nike’s sales and stock price skyrocketed.

Conclusion

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In conclusion, we would like to affirm that nowadays there is not any other faster growing and
changing instrument than social media. It is booming like never before and become a necessary
daily activity! The future is in digital marketing. Social platforms help you connect with your
customers, increase awareness about your brand, and boost your leads and sales. Social media
marketing helps improve brand loyalty. Engaging with your customers and leads on social
media helps you build stronger customer relationships. This can set you apart from your
competition by showing your audience how your brand is different and reinforcing that your
business cares about its customers. Nike demonstrates a very good role model, from which
every brand can learn a lot. It is a successful company in building their marketing activities on
social media platforms. It is because Nike knows its biggest advantage is the positive
communication with consumers which brings the company not only reputational benefit but
also positive effect on sales. Through their interactive platform (Nike+) Nike delivers
opportunities for their brand community members to freely engage in the distribution of brand-
content either on social media or on the platform. Nike never stops developing innovative ideas
to catch the attention of its brand community. With millions of followers on every social media
platform Nike knows exactly how successfully to establish the link between online brand
community and social media performance. If you ask them what is their secret to success, they
would probably answer: Just do it!

References

“Principles of Marketing” (Seventeenth edition) by Philip T.Kotler, Gary Armstrong

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https://www.sweans.com/how-does-nike-use-its-social-media-platforms-to-increase-its-brand-
name/

https://notesmatic.com/2017/09/social-media-strategy-nike/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nike-Inc

https://blog.unmetric.com/nike-social-media

http://www.brandba.se/blog/brand-community-success-on-social-media-nike

https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a26514295/nike-commercial-dream-crazier-just-do-it/

https://theundefeated.com/features/criticism-of-nike-over-kaepernick-ad-prompts-some-to-buy-its-
gear/

https://www.vox.com/2018/9/4/17818148/nike-boycott-kaepernick

https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/why-social-media-is-important-for-business-
marketing/

https://news.nike.com/news/nike-jordan-brand-2017-bhm

https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/nike-just-digital/889695

https://www.websitemagazine.com/blog/5-steps-to-an-improved-linkedin-marketing-strategy

https://www.elon.edu/u/academics/communications/journal/wp-
content/uploads/sites/153/2019/05/06_Cosentino.pdf

https://noelquinn.wordpress.com/2014/05/06/how-nike-use-pinterest-effectively-2/

https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Social-Media-Has-Changed-Marketing-Forever-FKXCD2YVC

https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/importance-social-media-business/

http://www.socialmediaimpact.com/impact-social-media-marketing-today/#

https://www.singlegrain.com/marketing-strategy/nikes-39-billion-marketing-strategy-just-do-it-like-
nike-does/

Appendix

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Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 4

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Figure 5

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