Sports wear giant Nike has suspended all contracts with Oscar Pistorius, a three-time Paralympic gold medalist and as of Valentines day, the only suspect in the murder/shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The above ad (including the unfortunate word choice) has been pulled.
What is the best action for Nike to take? So far the company has extended its sympathy to the families involved, but has yet to make any definitive statements regarding Pistorius’s sponsorship.
Sportsmanship and fair play are essential in all sports, and should be qualities portrayed in the athletes endorsed by Nike. However, the list of Nike’s tainted sponsorshipsis growing. Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, and Kobe Bryant, are only a few of the “bad boys” that Nike is inadvertently collecting.
Nike is certainly getting a lot of publicity from the Pistorius drama. But is it the right kind? The company’s mission statement is “to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world,”and chances are they do not wish to inspire people to violence, drugs, and infidelity.
Nike’s spokespeople should embody the values the company wants people to associate with their brand. The way Nike is perceived, and the attitudes people have towards the company, will affect sales, target markets, and aspects of the marketing mix.
However, considering that Nike has reacted respectfully to the crisis and held off on making any definitive sponsorship decisions until at least after trial, I think the brand’s popularity will benefit from the media influx surrounding Pistorius. Whether the increased popularity will be good or bad remains to be seen. Anyone feel differently?