My Confession & Ads with a Soul - Part 1.
THREE Different personalities ONE Brand - Nike
Its the season of Confessions (of all sorts) at
College. For the first - years, the academic year ends, and a loooooong break
to follow before we could really hang-out with friends again. For oldies like
me, its GAME - OVER, the end of two years of bliss. So I thought I had some
confessions to make.
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| THREE Different personalities ONE Brand - Nike |
My Confession
Soccer does not interest me at all. In fact, I hate
Soccer. I was forced to follow Soccer during my graduate days at MIT because I
did not want to feel left out during conversations and arguments which involved
Derby - Matches, Red - Devils, League points, El- Clasico & blah blah blah.
I had 2 room - mates, one was a Chelsea Fan and the other AC Milan fan. It was
from them that I picked up few famous names like Kaka, Mourinho, Ronaldinho and
Pato.
Cricket was no more the "Cool thing" among
the Boys in college and so I used these 4 words to develop my vocabulary in
Soccer to "Belong to the group of MEN" in college. It was said that
Cricket was for "Gentlemen" and Soccer was for the REAL MEN." My
behaviour continued at BIM, were friends from Cities like Bangalore, Chennai,
Mumbai, Coimbatore and Delhi displayed the same fervour for the sport.
Requirements to be Part of the group of "REAL MEN"
- You must Patronise a franchise, I chose Arsenal, because it sounded similar to Arjun, and the manager of the team is Arsene Wenger He is a permanent manager, so easy to remember both the names. Other teams like Man U & Barcelona were overcrowded with Fans so there was no point of differentiation.
- You must know a few players other than Ronaldo, Messi and Rooney. Kaka and Pato helped me, but I also started following Arjen Robben, again for the obvious reason "Arjun = Arjen"
- You must own a Jersey and other merchandises of your favorite team to show your Patronage, So I bought an Arsenal Away Jersey numbered 14 & named Henry. So one more name added to my vocabulary.
- Use social media platform to learn more about the sport, keep updated, follow a few clubs, post and share videos of super goals, assists & saves and ads showcasing celebrity players, etc..........
- Time and again change your profile pic to a famous or a trending player.
- One must actively participate in conversations involving soccer in a group and share the same news in another group.
What is there to Business, Sports & Rivalries
This behaviour of mine helped me not only be a REAL
MAN, know more about this beautiful game and the nations playing the game, but
also know a few Brands in the Soccer Universe.
Teams like ManU, Barcelona, etc were the Global
Brands in the Soccer Universe and leading sportswear brands like Adidas, Nike
and Puma were sponsoring kits to these teams just to associate with the brands
and reach out to the fans piggybacking on the glory of the teams they sponsored
the Jersey.
Hence, the 3 stripes, swoosh or the puma on the
football kits of famous teams and players and also the fans became a common
place. These brands dominate the soccer market with 80% market share between
them and an annual soccer - related sales of $2 billion each (Source: Reuters)
What is there in business or sports without
rivalries, Adidas claimed that Soccer was in its genes and it owned the sport.
The German brand claimed authority over the game and has been the official
sponsor for the FIFA World Cups from 1970 and has extended the deal till 2030.
On the other hand the close rival, Nike from the land of Marketing (read as
USA) will provide kit for hosts Brazil and a total of 10 of the 32 finalists
this year - outscoring Adidas and Puma in that regard.
Nike - The King of Ambush Marketing
Due to the place of origin effects, the marketing
campaigns from this American brands have always outshined its arch rivals
Adidas and Puma especially during major sporting events like the olympics and
the FIFA World Cups.
Infact, the 2010 Nike's epic "Write the
Future" Campaign became one of the most successful ambush marketing
efforts in history.
According to a YouGov BrandIndex survey of consumer
perception in the U.S., U.K. and Germany, Nike had benefited from the FIFA
World Cup 2010 more than any other brand despite not being an official sponsor
of the event. The Brand saw the largest uptick in positive consumer perceptions
among measured brands in the U.S. and the U.K., and it placed fourth in Germany,
behind Coca Cola, Emirates and Adidas according to the BrandIndex survey. (Source: Mashable)
The campaign never showed the FIFA world cup or
anything related to it, but still won the hearts and awards for the best
campaign.
The campaign showcased Nike's association with
Soccer stars and the TVC showcased the Pressure to Perform and the Huge
expectations and responsibilities thrust upon the stars at the International
Stage.
Being a potential customer of Nike Brand, I laughed
throughout the TVC and admired the skills of the soccer stars and developed a
positive perception towards Nike as a Brand for Stars and champions, because in
the TVC you find that after the Stars failed, they were not wearing NIKE
branded products. Hence, NIKE is only for Achievers and Stars.
So, I never thought NIKE represented ME, it only
represented my association with a Soccer Team or Club.
All this changed when I saw the latest NIKE Risk
Everything Campaign for the FIFA World Cup 2014.
Nike - Risk Everything - FIFA World Cup 2014 Campaign
The Ad with a Soul
On April 1, 2014 Nike launched the first part of its
2014 football campaign #riskeverything, starring Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and
Wayne Rooney.
The film shows the pressure felt by some of the
world’s greatest players as they prepare to play on the world’s biggest stage.
Another Epic AMBUSH MARKETING Campaign in the making.
This Ad had a Soul
.........................................to be
continued in Part 2
