• Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Uncategorized

Nike has changed how they do sports marketing once again, get over it…

Larry Ederby Larry Eder
April 6, 2022
0
0 0
0
SHARES
249
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Recently, my stomach has been churning about all the negatives I hear about how brands leave track & field. First of all, no one builds a $281 million sanctuary to the sport called the renovated Hayward Field and then, stops supporting the sport.

So, I made a coffee, took a walk, listened to some Graham Parker (Discovering Japan, Want You Back) and Jim Carroll (Wicked Gravity, Crow, Catholic Boy) and this is what transpired.

RelatedPosts

Coffee with Larry, Episode 760, Nike Pre Classic, July 1, 2025 

Speed, Surprises, and Unforgettable Finishes at New Balance Nationals Outdoor

SPRINTING TO SUCCESS FOR GB&NI TEAM ON DAY 2 OF THE EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPS

Nike_Flyknit_spike_lateral_hd_1600_ccexpress.jpeg

Nike spikes, special make for Matthew Centrowitz, Rio 2016 Olympic gold medalist, 1,500m, photo courtesy of Nike.com

For about the past decade, just before the Pre Classic, or perhaps a USATF championship, a business writer from an Oregon newspaper writes virtually the same story each year; that Nike is getting out of running, dumping all sponsorships, and that the $50 billion company is going to blow up, due to its own pretentiousness.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Although many are disturbed about how many athletes, not only in athletics, but in European football, have been taken off the Nike sponsorship food trough, most do not know how many new athletes, especially women athletes that Nike athletics has picked up this year.

Nike recently signed Mt.SAC Relays, just a week away and the money that they put into the Arcadia Invitational, most likely the finest high school meet in the universe, just shows that they have reprioritized their goals.

My frustration is that Nike employees can not speak on the record at all anymore, like most brands. All are afraid of saying something rash that might challenge their stock valuation or that some slapdick investor will data mine their quote and use it in a suit to say so and so devalued their 100,000 shares of stock. This stuff happens, so brands have to be careful.

How do I get my info? Just like I always have. Research. If one looks at social media, newspaper articles, press releases, one learns about obvious changes at Nike.

The word, a year or so ago was that when long time sports marketing professionals left Nike, all hell would break loose. Issue is this, two years of a pandemic, challenges in the supply chain, affecting the entire industry, and paradigm shifts in how Nike sells product, and a questioning, as the Swoosh always does, on how they value sports marketing, has changed the perception of how the brand sponsors track & field athletes.

Yes, Nike has a long term deal with USATF. Frustration with how USATF spends their money is not Nike’s fault. Some of it is just that USATF does not say much, and it drives people crazy. The lack of support of important meets, the lack of promotions of non USATF championships, and the charging of fans to see USATF.TV are just a few of the things that irritate me.

But, I do not run USATF. And I do not run Nike.

I am trying to understand how Nike, after having literally survived early on, due to the support of specialty retailers, is moving away from brick and mortars, seeing that they can sell their products directly at higher margins. Does it matter that this could kill many running stores? Running is such a small part of the business now, I am not sure it matters. Savvy brands like adidas, Brooks, and ON running get it, and are thriving, going into the grassroots areas that Nike has abandoned.

During the past couple years, adidas and PUMA, among others have made savvy additions to their global sports portfolios in the quiet of the pandemic. Their styles differ greatly, from the big American mega brand, Nike. But understand, Nike learned it all from the father of sports marketing, the late Horst Dassler, who shook up adidas for a short time in the 1980s, and whose lieutenants have worked for nearly every global brand and every successful Olympic campaign since 1984. Dassler was the nephew of the founder, and he worked incessantly, building relationships with federations, sports, and building the brand adidas into the global super brand it is today.

Nike took what they learned from Dassler, and churned out a revolutionary approach, sometimes well received, sometimes not. Nike reinvented sports marketing.

The difference was, under Phil Knight, Nike sports marketing changed the paradigm. The names such as Tom Sturak and Geoff Hollister should never be forgotten. They believed in the sport until their last breaths.

That is not to say that Nike does not support grassroots running. Their long-term commitment to the Nike Outdoor and Nike Indoor means that there are two indoor and outdoor high school championships, one by New Balance, which went on its own, and one by Nike, who supported the actual founders of indoor and outdoor champs, NSAF. This annoys me, as the same kids get feted, but not my issue.

The truth is this, 80 percent of track & field sports marketing is done by Nike and adidas. Next is PUMA, New Balance, Brooks, and ASICS, and coming up quickly, On running. At each of these brands, there are people who absolutely love the sport of track & field. Without these voices in the corporate desert, no sponsorship would exist.

Without their support, without some brand exec getting on the top of a table and screaming (this did happen), things do not get done. So, keep buying running shoes (the ones that work for you), at five per year (average high school track athlete buys 5-6 pairs of running shoes a year, at $150 average cost a pair), and keep the brands happy.

Almost all running brands are at record sales. The key is this: The brands that support grass roots do well. When they take their eye off the ball, not building track spikes, not making team uniforms in five colors (and same styles), and dropping meets, they loose support.

Funny how I have to write this column every five years or so. It is, as if brands forget how they got to the top.

It is a simple word, but not a simple business. And the word is, hold on, “Running”.

Author

  • RBR Admin

    View all posts
Previous Post

Athletics Chat, Episode 93

Next Post

Athletics Chat, Episode 93, the Epilogue Clip

RBR Admin

RBR Admin

Similar Post

Monaco Herculis Diamond League Meeting, the intro
Diamond League

Monaco always delivers

July 15, 2025
Denise Lewis is the new President of  UK Athletics
Interviews

Hannah England on commentary

July 15, 2025
Donavan Brazier’s Long Way Back to running Fast
Cross Country

2025 Summer Mileage Program, July 14, 2025, Week Two , Day One, some thoughts on Donavan Brazier

July 15, 2025
FARAH SAYS SUNDAY’S LONDON MARATHON WILL BE HIS LAST
Athletic History

This Day in Track & Field History, July 13, Jim Thorpe Wins Olympic Decathlon (3 Day event), 1912, Dave Bedford breaks 10,000m WR (1973), written and compiled by Walt Murphy

July 14, 2025
Ten Questions to Eilidh Doyle…(from the RBR Archives 2021)
Interviews

Ten Questions to Eilidh Doyle…(from the RBR Archives 2021)

July 14, 2025
Eilidh Doyle-Passing the Baton, A Documentary Film Edited and Filmed by Urbane Media for Scottish Athletics
Interviews

Eilidh Doyle-Passing the Baton, A Documentary Film Edited and Filmed by Urbane Media for Scottish Athletics

July 14, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to RunBlogRun's Global News Feed

Wake up to RunBlogRun’s news in your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll keep you informed about the Sport you love.

*we hate spam as much as you do

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

April 5, 2023
2023 Nike Pre Classic: Two Amazing Days of Track & Field!

Noah Lyles, The Clock Doesn’t Lie

March 7, 2024
Grand Slam Track’s Kingston Slam Comes to a Close with 12 Slam Champions

2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, April 11, 2025, week 4, day 5, fourth week of year, Friday is an easy day!

April 12, 2025
USATF / Day Four:  USA’s Assembled Team Is Ready!

Abby Steiner replies via twitter, on the curiosity about her new professional running contract

February 6, 2025
Mondo Duplantis and the Jump that made him the greatest of all time

Mondo Duplantis and the Jump that made him the greatest of all time

8
What happened to the crowd at Eugene?

What happened to the crowd at Eugene?

7
My Five Biggest Takeaways from the Men’s Olympic Trials Marathon, by Oliver Hinson

My Five Biggest Takeaways from the Men’s Olympic Trials Marathon, by Oliver Hinson

7
Asafa Powell, Considering Longevity in Sprinting

The RunBlogrun Interview: Asafa Powell

5
Monaco Herculis Diamond League Meeting, the intro

Monaco always delivers

July 15, 2025
Denise Lewis is the new President of  UK Athletics

Hannah England on commentary

July 15, 2025
Donavan Brazier’s Long Way Back to running Fast

2025 Summer Mileage Program, July 14, 2025, Week Two , Day One, some thoughts on Donavan Brazier

July 15, 2025
FARAH SAYS SUNDAY’S LONDON MARATHON WILL BE HIS LAST

This Day in Track & Field History, July 13, Jim Thorpe Wins Olympic Decathlon (3 Day event), 1912, Dave Bedford breaks 10,000m WR (1973), written and compiled by Walt Murphy

July 14, 2025

Popular Stories

  • Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

    Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Noah Lyles, The Clock Doesn’t Lie

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 2025 Spring Racing/Training Program, April 11, 2025, week 4, day 5, fourth week of year, Friday is an easy day!

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Abby Steiner replies via twitter, on the curiosity about her new professional running contract

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • An epic pole vault competition

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Monaco Herculis Diamond League Meeting, the intro
Diamond League

Monaco always delivers

July 15, 2025
Denise Lewis is the new President of  UK Athletics
Interviews

Hannah England on commentary

July 15, 2025
Donavan Brazier’s Long Way Back to running Fast
Cross Country

2025 Summer Mileage Program, July 14, 2025, Week Two , Day One, some thoughts on Donavan Brazier

July 15, 2025
FARAH SAYS SUNDAY’S LONDON MARATHON WILL BE HIS LAST
Athletic History

This Day in Track & Field History, July 13, Jim Thorpe Wins Olympic Decathlon (3 Day event), 1912, Dave Bedford breaks 10,000m WR (1973), written and compiled by Walt Murphy

July 14, 2025

Recent Tweets

Next Post

Athletics Chat, Episode 93, the Epilogue Clip

runblogrun

RunBlogRun comments on the global world of athletics, sports & ethics, and the Olympic movement. @runblogrun

Browse by Category

Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receives daily updates direct to your inbox!

  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Home page
  • My Account
  • Sample Page

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

Select a password for yourself. (minimum length of 8)

Paste here the user biography.

Provide here the twitter screen name. i.e. @RunBlogRun

Provide here the instagram screen name. i.e. @RunBlogRun

Provide here the facebook profile URL. i.e. http://www.facebook.com/RunBlogRun

Provide here the linkedin profile URL. i.e. https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-eder-5497253

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Home page
  • My Account
  • Sample Page

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved