Social Listening--Nike

Nike has cultivated a lasting presence and was established in such close proximity, in Eugene. When I think of Nike, I either think of athletic wear or quality sneakers. I grew up in sports so Nike was deeply integrated into my wardrobe and I still often buy workout clothes and shoes from them. 

 

It is clear that the coined term, "Just Do It." is the phrase that comes to the minds of many when thinking of Nike. Though, Nike captures their proposition with the idea that hey create high quality products for "athletes", with the understanding that anyone with a body is a qualified athlete. Further inspiring the brand's values of diversity and inclusiveness.

A common ground for many of the brand's supporters is that buying Nike products has led to personal connection and relationships. With these two people, @BoseApurva and @BreydenMoore, sharing their "Nike households": 

 

 

 

 

Another common theme within the comments of consumers is the overall quality of the products. As though they are a made by athletes for athletes, with an an overall emphasis on comfort. @shibanigharat shared this review of their running shoes on Instagram:

While their is an undoubted love, culture, and lively audience to Nike there has been an up rise of customer critiques. A large sum of these concerns are not about the product but rather the customer service. With @liricho and @JuanVidelaBeas sharing their experience with a poor refund/delivery process and an overall lack of communication:

 

Nike's primary focus has been on building brand recognition, meaning their products are immediately associated with the brand and their swoosh logo is unmissable indicator. They keep a professional and uniform online presence with their content either advertising their products or highlighting successful athletes who wear Nike. With the level of acknowledgement that they have, I think the primary focus of their marketing is expanding sales. This can be noted in their recent campaigns that highlight that anyone be an athlete as it makes their brand more appealing to a wider range of consumers. 

 

While the company has a vast online following with 306 million followers on Instagram alone, it appears that there is a lack of responding to the comments of customers/fans. It appears that their focus is on the posts themselves and not so much on the personable communication with customers over social media.

 

If I were to be a brand manager, my primary focus would be to do an internal evaluation of the customer support processes. The primary focus here would be to ensure that Nike is responded to all customers and their questions/concerns regarding their orders as this is what creates a positive reputation and relationship with consumers. Another example would be increasing the brand's engagement in terms of commenting and replying.

 

 One of the biggest things that I have learned is that regardless of the brand's size or success volume, there is always room for improvement. In marketing, it is crucial your strategies are ever-evolving to match the needs of your target market. Society puts a high stress on online presence and it is important that all aspects of social media match the brand's mission and values to market and expand successfully.

 

Sources: 

https://www.instagram.com/shibanigharat/

https://www.facebook.com/nike

https://www.instagram.com/nike/

https://about.nike.com/en/impact 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/nike/