It's no secret...Nike is #1 and their list of sponsored athletes could go on and on and on. But instead of discussing how extensive the Nike brand is and how popular it is with consumers I would like to highlight just a couple of athletes.
- Michael Johnson
- Terrell Owens
- Mark McGwire
- Kobe Bryant
- Lebron James
- Tiger Woods
Yes, these are some big names but these are also the same athletes who have been in tabloids for their negative behavior. With controversy and scandel to their names, does it also reflect badly on Nike? Or is Nike above it all?
Here is an example of the backlash brought on Nike (not directly, but it still reflected upon them) after Lebron James left the Cavaliers. Fans were outraged at the way he left and he starred in a Nike commercial addressing this issue. Below is a spoof of this commercial made by upset fans. (original commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdtejCR413c)
What do you think? Is Nike too big for the negative brand association brought on by athletes like these?
I like It!!!
ReplyDeleteYou know that saying, "any publicity is good publicity." No matter the negative connotations that may be associated with some athletes, Nike is still getting their name out there.
ReplyDeleteI think that in commercials like Lebron's it does reflect negatively on Nike. However, I can also think of many other commercials that do not have any negative affect on Nike.
ReplyDelete@Mark Thanks for your comment!
ReplyDelete@Sara Great insight! You are right, the absence of news is bad news.
@Shelby Very true, there are way more examples of positive commercials than spin-off ones that reflect negativity.
Thank you for commenting!
I don't really know all that much about Lebron and what happened prior to him leaving Cleaveland. However, I think this commercial is right on point. Athletes have a right to make decisions that are the best for their careers, their lifes, and them as a person. They shouldn't be expected to stay on a team because of the fans. Although fans are extremely important to their success, if they aren't living up to the true potential of their talents they have a right to pursue their dreams.
ReplyDeleteVery true, everybody does have the right to do what they want to do and pursue their dreams. I think his "scandal" is not very big in the scheme of things and obviously was not big enough for Nike to drop their sponsorship.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very interesting topic. I've noticed that when the companies sponsors are doing well in their respective sports, Nike does a great job of drawing attention to their company. However, when problems arise and their athletes act our in public, Nike does an even better job of fading to the background. There is a reason they are #1 in their industry. They know how to manipulate things very well. Either way, no matter what their sponsors do, I'm still going to buy Nike products because they work well and are good quality.
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