Nike Nailed Influencer Marketing. Here’s Why.

It’s pretty hard to miss: A black and white portrait overlaid with the simple phrase, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

The recent ad featuring Colin Kaepernick for the 30th anniversary of Nike’s famous slogan has stirred strong reaction from both advocates and dissenters of the national anthem debate. There’s no denying that Nike’s campaign, however controversial, has been effective in driving gale force levels of attention on social media with its brand engagement successfully shooting up 135% after unveiling the ad. 24 hours after publishing the the now viral tweet, mentions of Nike neared 3 million. Whichever side you choose to support, one thing marketers can agree on is that Nike’s ad brilliantly used influencer marketing to get their message heard.

The success of Nike’s ad was attributed to the following:

1. Nike used a data-focused approach to connect with their audience.

Nike made sure that Kaepernick’s organic messaging, public stances on issues, and personal life aligned with that of Nike’s core audience. While it’s safe to assume that Nike has a much more detailed report on their consumer demographics and stats, the sneaker brand intentionally focused on a hot button political issue to connect with their target audience largely based on data.

For context, here’s a few important stats to consider:

• Nearly two-thirds of individuals who wear Nike in the United States are under 35 years old, and are much more racially diverse than the baby boomer population.
• Urban and young consumers were more likely to say they would react favorably to a company that advocated the right of protesters to kneel during the national anthem.
• While 34% of adults in the U.S. have a positive opinion of Kaepernick, 46% of shoppers who've bought Nike merchandise in the past three months have a positive view of him.
• 78% of Nike shoppers said they like businesses to have a moral message as compared to 68% of the general public. Meanwhile, 65% of Nike's customers say they like it when brands are willing to dive into social issues, as compared to 45% of the U.S. that feels the same.

Nike’s data-focused approach validated the decision to move forward with what was perceived to be an outwardly polarizing ad while leaving the public confused about why such a successful brand would alienate many consumers and risk losing millions in revenue. Although this message is divisive, Nike’s decision was highly influenced by demographic data: their customers skew younger, urban, and liberal, so angering older conservatives would most likely result in increased loyalty (and perhaps sustainable follow-up business) to the brand. Nike understands their consumer data so well — down to audience age, ethnicity, political stance, and even personal opinions — because they’ve relentlessly researched, tested, and measured everything to accurately forecast response to Kaepernick’s post. Although Nike’s stock closed down more than 3% after the ad’s initial release, online sales jumped 31%, which proves that Nike’s calculated move to align the right influencer with audience interests was key in earning high engagement.

2. Nike targeted their messaging.

Nike’s ad campaigns are historically viral because they’re the masters of storytelling and never shy away from dynamic, memorable content. Recall the ad with Charles Barkley stating “I am not a role model” or the heavy set kid running along an empty road with the tagline, “Find your greatness” — Nike’s ability to seamlessly weave a tapestry of inspiration and challenge into one spot-on brand communication has been proven again and again. It’s because of these very attention-grabbing messages that viewers are challenged to think, feel, or act differently than before they saw the ad.

A neutral “catch all” ad attempting to appeal to everyone would have resonated with no one and would have faded into the white noise of social media due to its lack of authenticity. “The marketplace is so fractured and polarized today that if you try to keep everyone happy all the time, you will become invisible,” said Allen Adamson, assistant professor of brand strategy at New York University and co-founder of consultancy Metaforce.co. When an ad is aimed at everyone, it lacks a clear message, and it’ll look unfocused and scattered.

However, choosing a firm side on a larger conversation will isolate some consumers, but ultimately draw a much stronger reaction from the target niche you want rocking your merch. This is why the Kaep ad became a viral focal point: Nike obviously targeted the US market with this ad because the issue of protesting the national anthem is relevant to citizens here, rather than international markets who might not care about American Football or even know the name Colin Kaepernick. And during this conversation in real time, Nike picked a distinctive side where there was clear division in a controversial debate, and featured a symbolic public figure with a bold statement.

Understanding their audience using data and insights allowed Nike’s team to evaluate messaging followers would respond to, and craft authentic communication which would resonate with their core consumer groups.

3. Nike jumped into the conversation at the right time.

News moves at a lightning pace thanks to social media, so brands that remain relevant are ones that stay on top of current events and trends on social media, and participate in the larger cultural conversations online. At a crucial time where platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are buzzing with inflamed political rhetoric and stark stances on issues, Nike beautifully choreographed their entry into the conversation at the right time with a relevant message.

But first, let’s consider these events around the time of Nike’s ad release:

• An arbitrator declined to dismiss Colin Kaepernick’s collusion grievance against the NFL and teams
• #BlackLivesMatter has had a consistent presence on Twitter for the past 5 years with periodic increases in usage around key events
• Current events surrounding police brutality and kneeling during the national anthem
• Kaepernick’s post was published a week before the start of the NFL season
• Nike aired their new “Just Do It” TV ad featuring Kaepernick during the opening game of the NFL’s new season
• 2018 is the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” slogan

It may seem like the stars aligned for Nike, but they strategically accounted for these events to launch a powerful message when other brands stood radio silent in fear of attracting negative press. “In an era when most politicians and brands are ossified into inaction by fear, a lone voice of opposition can be heard that much more clearly,” said Anthony Cospito, head of strategy at digital creative agency Moving Image & Content. Not only did Nike jump into the conversation at a highly visible time on social media platforms where social issues are front and center, but they also contributed distinct dialogue instead of getting lost in the white noise.

This also leads me to my next point…

4. Nike selected the perfect influencer for the job.

Nike’s conscious decision to feature Colin Kaepernick as the face and voice of such a significant social and cultural topic at a crucial time was not by accident, but by ingenious design. Rather than partnering with whoever is the “hottest” trending influencer on social media regardless of whether or not they’re the right match, Nike made sure their talent aligned with the brand (the egregious missteps of the tone-deaf Pepsi commercial starring Kendall Jenner taught us that proper influencer selection is pretty damn important). Nike did their homework to assure that the influencer they chose to represent their brand would appeal to their demographic (as demonstrated in points 1 and 2).

Selecting the perfect on-brand influencer combined with entering a relevant conversation at the right time results in the strong engagements observed in Kaepernick’s post. With a concise targeted message, having the perfect influencer to endorse the message created a strong emotional response which compelled collective action from audiences such as reposts, comments, and even original content.

5. Earned Media.

Nike transformed the national anthem debate with a powerful message via Kaepernick, but all over social media, followers reposted content and encouraged conversation. In total, Nike received an astonishing estimated $43 million worth of media exposure. Athletes, Nike affiliates, and celebrities posting to their personal channels also contributed earned media at no cost to the athletics-wear brand. Since these powerful influencers shared content they liked without any type of compensation, audiences are more trusting and thus view earned media as the most authentic form of marketing. It’s likely that Nike predicted this scenario would be chock full of social media interaction.

Check out some of the celebrity reposts and shares:

Nike’s ad also sparked a huge influx of earned media by compelling social media users (and even celebrities like 50 Cent and Stephen Colbert) to create or share memes of the now viral ad. This earned media both supplied value at no cost to the advertiser, and fostered genuine connection to the influencer and online community at large. It’s also safe to assume that the more popular the ad, the better the memes.

Take a look at some of these hilarious mock ads:

The impact of Nike’s Colin Kaepernick ad extends far beyond just selling footwear — it encompasses cultural shifts in attitude, a lifestyle, and social awareness that Nike stands behind and promotes. Nike not only talks the talk, but it walks the walk as a form of protest through a simple but powerful ad.

However, this marketing tactic is not only genius because of the emotional elements of the content, but due to the level of detailed research, calculation, and strategy behind the scenes poured into producing an iconic ad. “This play by Nike is not just a short-term antagonistic measure designed to raise awareness to some of the issues in the NFL. This is a big strategic play; it’s about sustainable follow-up business.” said Simon Chadwick, a professor of sports enterprise.

So Nike, hats off to you. Well done, you coy marketing genius.

Want to learn to scale influencer marketing like Nike? Check out my other article, Why Kanye is the Secret to Scaling Influencer Marketing.

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