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What You Can Learn from Nike ​

Branding Strategy
Posted by Arianna Pride on February 28, 2022

Marketing Tools & Tips Social Media Best Practices

This blog post came to me not in a dream but during a near-death

epiphany on the StairMaster one gloomy Seattle day.

As I was staring down at my feet to ensure I didn’t trip over myself,

I admired my shoes. “Ah, Nike. What an iconic brand.” I thought to
myself. And yet, Nike’s marketing is not just about selling shoes or
athletic apparel–it’s pitching a lifestyle. A lifestyle that everyone
feels they need to have. And this is not a mistake–it’s an
intentional goal of the Nike branding strategy.

What You Can Learn & Emulate from the

Nike Branding Strategy

Learning #1: Create a Compelling Tagline

An iconic slogan for the past 29 years, Just Do It resonates with just
about everyone. It connects with individuals universally, allowing
anyone and everyone to come up with their interpretation. It
creates a relationship between the brand and its fans. It’s
actionable and speaks to you on the individual level. This
catchphrase spread from the fitness world to everyday life,
becoming a personal mantra for whatever life may throw your
way. Well played Nike, well played.
Learning #2: Sell Stories, not Products

Successful brands focus heavily on emotional storytelling. And no

one does it better than Nike. Nike’s advertising rarely mentions its
products. Instead, Nike campaigns invoke the right emotions
through carefully crafted content that tells meaningful stories. The
narrative tells a story of inspiration that anyone who puts their
mind to it can overcome the challenges and be a winner.

Learning #3: Empower Your Target Audience,

especially the WOMEN

Yes, I know. I’m a dashing young lady who owns 30+ pairs of
pumps and stilettos, but I would kick those off to slip on some
sneakers anytime. One of the things I adore about Nike is its
Women’s Movement. Sure, 99 percent of Nike’s commercials are
testosterone-filled, but Nike sure does know how to advertise and
to women as well–with a lot less testosterone, the same amount
of power, and so much more inspiration.

In an interview with FastCompany, Jackie Thomas, U.S. Brand

Marketing Director for Women, said, “Marketers spend too much
time reminding women that they’re women.” Often, messaging
depicts women as weak and fearful. Nike breaks down that wall
and reminds everyone that women are powerful, competitive,
and, most importantly, passionate! As a woman, after watching
Nike’s commercial, I feel the need to get up and do something
different, something amazing that may have never crossed my
mind before.
 Nike - Dream Crazier | #JustDoIt

Learning #4: Leverage the Power of Social Media

Nike may be making fewer commercials, but Nike has balanced it

out by heavily focusing on digital marketing. Nike’s social media is
anything and everything done right by a major brand’s marketing
team. The company is, without a doubt, ahead of its competitors
when it comes to social engagement. It has the most followers
and subscribers on all social channels. For all the data geeks out
there, take a look at the detailed breakdown of Nike’s social media
engagement using Rival IQ (you can also check out the complete
‘Sports Teams’ landscape here)!

We can also break down Nike’s social supremacy channel by

channel. For example, on Instagram, Nike dominates both from an
audience standpoint as well as with the most engaging social
content.
Want to see how your Instagram performance stacks up
to Nike's?

Run a free Head-to-Head Report

Learning #5: Use #Hashtags & Themes to Build
Community

Nike uses social media to create a lifestyle and a sense of

community among fans. Its tweets are short, punchy, compelling,
and nearly always include the hashtag #justdoit or other
community-building hashtags like #nikewomen. Check out how
you can use Rival IQ’s Social Posts to investigate hashtag
engagement rates and build a loyal fanbase.

Social media is powerful for brands such as Nike because it

creates two-way interactions between fans and brands. Nike
optimizes this capability and dominates social media by creating a
sense of community and connection with its fans.

Ready to start your analysis?

Try Rival IQ for free!

Learning #6: Rock the Digital World!

Nike is rocking the social world. It has mastered the art of creating
fantastic content that reflects its empowering branding
online. Nike has made itself into a magic mirror, where it projects
an image of strength, passion, and determination onto everyone it
engages with. Nike makes you want to get off your butt and move!
Its aggressive and straightforward approach works well and has
made Nike the iconic brand it is today (not to mention its shoes!!).

Just Do It.

In that gym, as I was near death on the dreaded StairMaster, I

couldn’t help but think: Just Do It.

This blog was originally posted on January 3, 2017, and has since
been updated.

ARIANNA PRIDE
UW senior majoring in Anthropology & International
Studies. She is a born & raised Southern California,
who is made up of sass, sarcasm and Tapatio.
Although she has lived in Seattle for the past few
years, she is still in denial about the weather and refuses to give in to
the North Face Seattle style. She is currently known as the Rival IQ
Marketing Intern, and office fashionista.