We talked about many different things in last Tuesday’s
class. One thing we mentioned was that
of celebrity endorsers. We briefly
touched on this in class, although I happen to think this is an interesting phenomenon. Myself, personally when I think of celebrity
endorsers I immediately think about Nike.
I really believe there is not a brand out there that does it better then
Nike. Gatorade does a good job, Coca
Cola does great as well, but I feel as though there is not a single company
that comes close to the type of growth and marketing Nike has established. I think Nike is solely responsible for
individuals who bridge the gap between “athlete” and “celebrity”. There are many athletes out there that are
popular and known very well throughout their respected leagues, but the
athletes endorsed by Nike become much more than “notable” athletes. The biggest athlete we have covered in that
aspect is obviously Michael Jordan. He
is obviously the greatest basketball player to live, but is that the only
reason he became so popular amongst not only sport followers, but around the
world? No, I believe he has much credit
owed to the advertising minds behind Nike.
Take his Jordan sneaker for
example. That is not just a shoe that is
worn in basketball by basketball players.
Jordan has cleats for
football, sweatshirts, watches and even casual wear. None of those items have anything to do with
basketball, yet people still buy them buy the masses. Nike has not only done this for Michael
Jordan, but also Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and even made a household name for Tiger
Woods, at a time when if someone thinks athlete they don’t refer to golf, but somehow
Tiger Woods received the award for best male athletes in consecutive years at
the top of his game. There are even
athletes such as Maria Sharapova and Michelle Wie whose sports I can honestly
say I never watched compete yet I know of them and their multimillion dollar
Nike endorsement deals. Nike has become
masters at getting the most out of their “celebrity” endorsers while directly
benefiting the athlete in more ways than just financially.
Gene,
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of what you said. It really is surprising how Nike can essentially take an athlete under their wing and have them grow into a household name. They have done a great job with having the best athletes on their staff and to provide the best representation possible. However, I disagree with your comment about Tiger Woods. He was a household name long before Nike took hold of him. I am surprised that Nike did not drop Tiger after his entire scandal. In my opinion it shows exactly what he has done for the company and Nike Golf.
Wes Gates
Gene,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. NIKE is definitely a force to be reckoned with when it comes to branding and using top athletes to endorse their product and in return help endorse the athlete as well. It seems to really have mastered the relationship needed for a successful endorsement deal. Tiger Woods is a great name to bring up in conversation and it either leads straight into NIKE, or that is how Tiger got brought up in the first place.
When it comes to NIKE's move to extend the Jordan brand, they executed that venture with ease, integrity, and the utmost intelligence needed to be successful. Jordan (NIKE) brand is one of the most recognizable and consumer loyal brands that exists throughout the world.
I am not seeking a career within a marketing or endorsing a brand, but I drool over the thought of working for a company like NIKE.
^^ Stephanie Loomis
ReplyDeleteGene,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. You are totally right it is crazy how Nike can basically decide the next "celebrity" athletes. Obviously a lot of it has to do with public perception and opinion, like Tiger Woods. But brands like Jordan aren't necessarily for basketball, which you would expect. They transcended the Jordan basketball brand to a sport brand, a name that coincides with high class sport products. Nike certainly knows what they are doing when it comes to marketing. They will keep taking the next crop of young talented rookies and groom them as their next group of money makers.
Aaron Mehling
I agree that Nike does the best job using celebrity endorsements. When a company first begins thinking about using celebrity endorsements, it's safe to assume they look at Nike as an outline. The amount of success they have had is outrageous. After Nike though, I would put Adidas then probably Gatorade. Coca-Cola does a great job, but their brand doesn't have anything to do with sports, so it's harder for them to connect athletes as easy as Nike, Adidas and Gatorade. Ultimately, they all use it successfully and benefit greatly from doing so.
ReplyDelete-Michael Discipio
I also agree that Nike does a great job with celebrity endorsing. I do not recall Nike every having an endorsement go bad with an athlete. I agree with you that Nike has helped many athletes become top named celebrities because of Nike's popularity. When you think about the top athletes in sports, they are all being sponsored by Nike or now have their own shoe and clothing line (Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and Kobe Bryant). Nike has definitely helped out many athletes succeed in the sports business world. If it wasn't for Nike, how might the popular athletes have ended up? I don't think they would be as known and they wouldn't have their own line. So Nike has done a lot for upcoming rising stars. Speaking of sport brands, I think it is smart that Adidas is spreading their brand out to not just athletes, but musicians such as Big Sean and B.o.B. I don't think Adidas will ever be as popular as Nike, but I like how they are spreading their brand to other celebrities besides just sports. It is definitely interesting to see who these brands pick for endorsements and how those relationships work out in the long run.
ReplyDelete-Kody Burlingame
Speaking of Nike not having an endorsement go bad, how about what has happened with Lance Armstrong? As you probably know, Nike has now dropped its contract with him.
DeleteDr. Spencer
Great points, I totally agree that Nike is the cream of the crop when it comes to advertising. It is amazing that they are able to make household names out of athletes who's sports are not watched or do not get much attention. You definitely have to give credit to them for building up Jordan's brand line because he started with Nike before he created his own. Same goes with Lebron or Kobe, Nike has created a brand for each of them. Nike has revolutionized advertising and branding and set the cornerstone for athletes to become marketable, because before Jordan there were not many athletes who were marketed and now athletes are the most popular figures in advertising.
ReplyDelete- Jacob Beverly
Nike is definitely the best in the business when it comes to tying athletes to the business world. Many of the athletes that are chosen by Nike are made more popular because the consumer audience believes that if Nike picks up an athlete, they must be good at their sport. In recent news, Lance Armstrong’s contract with Nike was terminated due to his no longer fight against his doping allegations. It’s sad to see him retire in this way, but he will still be a great athlete in my opinion. A few other athletes that I can think of that had problems with Nike are Michael Vick, Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant. Kobe and Tiger were both in the same boat with the trouble they got into. Nike stuck behind both of these atletes however did not air any them until their legal battles were terminated. Michael Vick is a different story, he was dropped because of his illegal dog fighting and them Nike gave him another shot when he came back into the league because of his changes character. However, all of these athletes reputation was decreased a little from their off the field extracurricular activities, even though they still have Nike contracts.
ReplyDeleteBy:RJ Hefflinger
Nike is best of sports brand in the world. Also, many atheltes are using that the brand of NIKE for their uniforms. NIKE is a major American supplier of athletic shoes, apparel and sports equipment. Nike markets its products under its own brand as well as Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Air Jordan, Team Starter, and subsidiaries including Bauer, Cole Haan, and Converse. Nike is the largest sportswear supplier in the world. Also, Nike's sportswear has become a big market today with most of the people showing their interest in sports during their leisure or free time. Sports apparel scenario has seen a major makeover with new fabrics being introduced that provide better fit, more comfort and are even fashionable. In my opinion that is showing that the Nike is great sports brand in the world and why many atheltes are using that the brand of NIKE for their uniforms.
ReplyDelete-Junho Song-