Nike

        I recently read Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike.  I found it very interesting.  As I read the book, I kept thinking how amazing it was that he did everything wrong and still succeeded.  At the time he wrote the book, he said he was worth about $10 billion.

        Knight started out selling Tiger shoes that were made in Japan.  He called his company Blue Ribbon.  He was not involved full-time in the beginning and was an atrocious manager.  I know a couple business schools use Nike as a case study and I can see why.

What did Knight do right? 

·       He took a trip to Asia.

·       He made a deal with a Japanese shoe company to buy their shoes and sell them in the US.

·       His college track coach partnered with him and designed athletic shoes. 

·       He had a few early employees who were totally devoted to Blue Ribbon and to selling athletic shoes.  They did it out of the trunk of their personal cars.

·       He picked the great name Nike and the “swoosh” logo almost by chance.

·       He was terrible at marketing except for courting athletes and buying their endorsements.

·       And most importantly, he picked a product with a huge emerging market.

         

        Phil Knight is retired, but I am sure he has a lot of influence over Nike.   Nike recently picked Colin Kaepernick as the face of their ‘Just Do It’ ad campaign.  Is this a smart move, a dumb move, or an irrevocable error?   

        Colin Kaepernick started taking a knee before NFL games when the national anthem was played to protest his perceived mistreatment of blacks by the police.  The protest spread, but did little to promote the cause.  Many people feel that taking a knee disrespects the flag, the national anthem, the police, the military, and the country.

        Many fans have stopped watching NFL football because of this show of disrespect for the flag and country.  TV viewers and revenues are down.  With the exception of a quick peek at the Packers, I won’t watch the NFL until they show the national anthem with the players standing with hands over their hearts.

        Now Nike is endorsing this disrespect for the flag by making Kaepernick the face of their advertising.  Nike stock has already taken a big hit. If I had any Nike shoes or apparel, I would burn them or throw them in the garbage. 

        I don’t have any Nike gear because I am not big on paying a premium for an average product because of the name.  I also prefer to buy products made in America.  I certainly did not like the fact that most Nike products are made in countries that have atrocious work conditions. 

        It will be interesting to see what happens with the NFL and Nike. 

God bless President Trump and guide him to make America great again. 

Business Fits is available on Amazon as an eBook and a paperback.

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