Nike's ad campaign. Via social media.
As you are almost certainly aware of, Nike has named Colin Kaepernick, infamous for kneeling during the national anthems at NFL games for Black Lives Matter, as their spokesman. This has, of course, resulted in a huge backlash against them and a major boycott movement. Some people have gone so far as to burn their own shoes.
What's my take? I don't usually support boycotts but I'm all in on this one. I generally don't purchase products from people that hate me and that's the only conclusion I can draw from this. I consider Kaepernick and the whole Black Lives Matter campaign to be deeply racist against both blacks and whites and won't support them. The idea that whites just go around killing black people for no reason is incredibly racist and so is the idea that blacks shouldn't be held to the same standards as everyone else. The whole thing strikes me as people judging each other by the color of their skins, not their actions.
Indeed, Kaepernick's race has nothing to do with why I don't like him. I didn't even realize he was black until this happened. I always just figured he was a tanned white guy, or maybe an Arab but did not care either way and don't know anyone that did. I also think that this was always his goal in the first place. His career with the 49ers was done and he was unlikely to be signed as NFL defenses had figured him out, so he decided to go woke instead. And unlike other NFL players, like Marshawn Lynch, I don't think he really cares about this at all other than as a business opportunities. He's a sellout, not an activist, and if I didn't find his cause so disgusting I'd be impressed with how cynical he is.
I've proudly bought Nike's for years despite claims against them for using sweatshop labor. Indeed, I have two pair of Nike shoes that I use outside of work. They are getting older and will probably have to be replaced soon, but there is pretty much zero chance I will purchase Nike shoes again. I am not going to burn my shoes or anything silly like that because it's against my nature to waste money like that, but I am disappointed.
You would have thought that Nike would have learned from the NFL. They took a huge hit in viewership and income due to the anthem kneelers and it seems impossible that Nike didn't notice that. But the went and hired one of the most divisive and hated men in America? What were they thinking?
The obvious answer is that they didn't understand how their actions would be perceived. The executives that came up with this must be in a bubble where they had no idea that Kaepernick was so offensive to half the country. They never met anyone who disagrees with them and think that only a tiny minority of loud complainers would ever have a problem with this. If that is the case their stock price crash should inform them of how wrong they are.
But I am not sure that is the case. This could be a classic case of misdirection. Nike may be trying to cover up a crash that their stock was going to have due to the trade dispute with China. Their business is VERY reliant on trade with China and any change to any trade deals we have could torpedo their company. So to save face they are tanking their own company before hand to buy time to change gears. Still, such a theory is fringe at best and we should never assume malice where incompetence is a possibility.
I do have to say that I am extremely tired of companies pushing politics on things that used to be non-political. If companies are motivated by profit than they should do everything they can to avoid pissing off their customers. The fact that they are no longer doing so, and are suffering the consequences of doing so, may finally change things. I am hoping that the business and advertising schools are telling their students to stay as far away from politics as they possibly can.
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