Month: January 2012

Although this topic is partially covered in my previous blog post, being the sports nut that I am, I figured that Nike deserved a little more attention from my part. Hands down my absolute favourite marketers, there have been instances where I have sat down and done nothing but watch Nike commercials on the Internet (see: Take It To The Next Level, Write the Future, Lebron Rise,  Fate, and Failure) – a reward on Nike’s part that they have worked long and hard for.

Long story short, what was formally Blue Ribbon Sports debuted as Nike in 1972 during the Munich Olympic trials, and their first real foray into the world of marketing would come with the company’s sponsorship of prominent, and flamboyant, runner Steve Prefontaine. There’s no debate that the signing of Prefontaine, at one point the most popular athlete in Oregon and a revered runner, was big news for Nike. His tragic death in a 1975 car accident would be a big blow for Nike, but luckily, its true prodigal son would be coming.

The 1980s would be an extraordinary decade for Nike, with one of their most important marketing decisions ever to come in the 1984 decision to bring aboard a 21 year old talent named Michael Jordan – a prodigal basketball talent from the University of North Carolina. He would begin the marketing rise for Nike into uncharted territory, and to this day, the company’s unparalleled and amazing array of star-filled advertisements continue to dazzle the industry and the public. More cinematic experiences than sales pitches, the advertising team at Nike continue to set the bar with innovative, yet deadly effective, campaigns.

Though arguably the most important marketing decision Nike has ever made, there have been other crucial developments in their history, including, but not limited to:

Source: Wikipedia’s Nike Timeline (All sources verified by author)

1984

*Nike signs Michael Jordan to an endorsement contract. The first model of his signature shoe, the Air Jordan, originally is banned by the NBA, drawing a tremendous amount of publicity

1987

*The Nike Air Max shoe is introduced, which for the first time makes visible the Nike air bag.

A television ad featuring the Beatles‘ song “Revolution” is the first time that a song performed by the Beatles is used in a TV ad.

1988

*The famous tagline, “Just do it”, is introduced at the suggestion of 4th grader Tiffeny Speir from Urban Park Elementary School in Dallas, TX.

1994

*Nike wins Advertiser of the Year at the Cannes Advertising Festival.

1996

*Nike signs Tiger Woods soon after he gives up his amateur golf status.

 

Greetings fellow marketers in section 201, my name is Enzo Woo, and I am a similarly excited student in second year, ready to take on the exciting world of marketing, with its rough edges and all. A planned HR specialist, I am also heavily considering taking future marketing courses, as I’ve always had a keen interest in what I know to be an absolutely integral cog of any business. Regardless of option, COMM 296 is a course that I want to take, because I want to have at least a passable knowledge of marketing; the practice of getting one’s product’s known and sold is both an art and a science, and has a huge role to play in the business world. Simply put, not having any knowledge of marketing will leave a huge hole in anyone’s repertoire of commerce skills, and that’s something I obviously want to remedy throughout this course.

In terms of experience with marketing, I am an active competitor in NESTEA: The Recruit, a national marketing competition hosted by Coca-Cola and Inventa, a marketing firm based in Toronto. The goal is generally to raise awareness of the NESTEA beverage in our university community, and the whole ride, from training in Toronto, to the execution of an amazing first challenge, has been a memorable ride thus far. As a student, I am targeted with marketing ads specifically aimed at my potentially lucrative demographic; often, frugality is emphasised, while attempts to capture student attention through flashy promises and ads are also commonly seen. Some examples include: BMO Student Banking/SPC discount card promotions and Blackberry’s ‘flirt’ BBM commercial.

In my mind, it is rather unfortunate that so many people simply choose to dismiss marketing and claim that they ‘hate’ it. Innovative and thoughtful marketing is something to embrace, and not simply viewed with disdain – without marketing, so many products and services that North American society readily depends on would be unavailable. Some could argue that the increasing commercialization great marketing brings is a bad thing through and through, but it is not nearly as cut and dry as that simplistic conclusion. The role of great advertising, and the overall debate about marketing in general, is a contentious issue, but is also an excellent segway into my favourite piece of advertising.

I was travelling in Europe, in Vienna, Austria to be precise, when I was awestruck by something completely unexpected – an advertisement for shoes. I was so transfixed, that I stood like a statue in front of the Viennese Nike store, where the commercial loudly looped on the TV screens, and watched the damn thing 4 times in a row. Predictably, my favourite piece of advertising ever has to be Nike’s ‘Take it to the Next Level’ campaign for Euro 2008. Directed by famed English director Guy Ritchie (aka Madonna’s ex-husband), it captures the meteoric rise of an unnamed Dutch soccer star. From his amateur days, to his contract signing with Arsenal FC, to candid celebrity moments, and finally to his placement on the Dutch national team, the name and faceless star lets us view his experiences through his eyes. His face or exact details are never revealed to the viewers, intending to put consumers ‘in the shoes’ of this football star. An absolutely brilliant concept by Nike, the commercial has star power, featuring the preeminent stars of 2008, realism, brilliant shooting, and a clear message. It does exactly what an advertisement should do: plant the seed of a company’s product, its name, and its differentiating ‘X-factor.’ Long considered to be among the kings of marketing, Nike did a phenomenal job with this first-person concept ad, hitting all of its goals out of the ballpark.

In terms of a personal fact, I suppose an appropriate thing to reveal is my weakness for star power, especially within sporting advertisement. As an avid athlete, I’ve long been seeing specific targeted advertising, and I firmly believe that appropriate star placement in the right places can have enormous implications in the long run. Sidney Crosby for Reebok, Wayne Rooney for Nike, Derrick Rose for Adidas, Usain Bolt for Puma, and Michael Phelps for Speedo: every sporting brand has its flagship athlete, and effective use of endorsements and sponsorships can mean the difference between a sale gained, or an opportunity lost. I specifically remember buying a set of hockey shoulder pads because it was the same model Sidney Crosby, the best player alive, wore. Did I truly believe that it could raise my level of play? Never, but the knowledge that I shared a similarity with a living icon made it enough; if it was good enough for Crosby, why wouldn’t it be enough for me? This athlete worshipping may have faded as I grew older, but nonetheless, it’s an efficient tactic.