Vick Contract Lands Nike in the Doghouse and with an Asterisk!*

On July 1, Nike announced it renewed its contract with Michael Vick for “promotional services.” The amount of the contract is undisclosed. In less than five days, a Facebook page called “Boycott Nike for Signing Michael Vick” had garnered close to 6,000 “likes.” Several online petitions and letter-writing campaigns have begun.

CNBC reports that this marks the first time that a brand that broke ties with an athlete re-signed them. It makes me and, obviously scores of others, wonder what the heck Nike — typically a masterfully managed brand – is thinking.

Sure, Vick “served his time” (19 months in prison) for running a dog-fighting ring and is a tremendous athlete. In an impressive comeback, he rose above some passionate media and fan protests to win the starting quarterback job and lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the NFC East Championship last season.

But, as they see him associated with Nike’s famed “Just do it” slogan, will people reflect on Vick’s comeback and prowess — or on his cocky, cavalier and violent demeanor as he “just did it” and subjected innocent dogs to torture and death?

Personally, I’m surprised and feel this is a backward-looking, ill-advised brand decision. Nike can have just about any spokesperson it chooses. By linking itself with Vick, it has placed itself in the proverbial doghouse with many current and potential consumers.

I’m all in favor of people vindicating, improving, and renewing themselves. It’s true Mike kept quiet and just did what he had to do to regain his life and career. It seems however, that his name will be forever mentioned with an asterisk by it, just like baseball players accused of using performance enhancing drugs — and those brands who endorse them.

The larger-than-life message and culture that Nike spawned many years ago seemed to tell us how life should be. The brand guided us. Nike aligned its brand not just with hard work and achievement, but also with goodness.

Vick’s re-signing will likely (but unfortunately) sit just fine with most true football fans. We are such an entertainment-driven society that fans don’t really care as long as he plays good ball. Vick is hot right now, so Nike stands to ride his tail and make lots of money. You can bet the moment Tiger Woods roars back to another Major tournament win, Nike will come-a-calling. With a contract and asterisk in hand!

– Tom McManimon

– Diane Blaszka

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What do Social Media and a Backyard BBQ have in Common?

With summer in full swing, many of us will be enjoying backyard BBQs. There is a certain unspoken etiquette to such functions that can also apply to social media.

Like informal summer gatherings, online platforms, such as Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Plaxo, etc., offer wonderful opportunities to hang out and engage with large groups of people. There are some people who are close friends, some you know vaguely, some you don’t know and some you hope to get to know. The best interactions are casual, not forceful.

For example, most of us would not aggressively approach a group engaged in conversation at a BBQ and spout off a top 10 list of successes or a rehearsed elevator speech about our company or services. It’s more likely that we’d politely wander over; linger long enough to listen and get a good grasp of the subject being discussed; and then insert ourselves into the conversation as appropriate. Our chatter would likely be on topic and not overly sale-sy.

Think: How ‘bout them Yankees? (or fill in favorite team); not how ‘bout that quarterly report? Or: Where are you heading for vacation?; not where’s your bottom line heading? Make a great pitch – on the ball field; not in the boardroom. This is the time for refreshing libation rather than professional ovation.

Smart, effective (and non-irritating) users of social media follow similar principles.

1)      Observe and listen first to get a full understanding of the topic of interest.

2)      Determine if you have anything, personally or professionally, to offer.

3)      If so, gently insert yourself into the discussion in a helpful and friendly tone.

4)      Give enough on-topic information to convey that you’re knowledgeable (and available if they’d like to hear more) but not so much information that you bore people or seem boastful.

Every day, more people are wisely jumping on the social media bandwagon — and then quickly realizing they don’t know the first thing about how to ride it. BBQ etiquette is easy enough to remember and can help guide us all.

Happy summer!

 

– Diane Blaszka

– Tom McManimon

 

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Why Does My Company Need a Facebook Page?

Facebook is for kids.  Facebook is only to re-connect with old classmates.  It will cheapen my brand.  I don’t have the time.  It’s not for business.  Do these reactions sound familiar when a social media presence for your company is proposed?  Put them out of your mind; like it or not, Facebook has become a strong component of business marketing.  According to a recent Regus study, 35% of U.S. businesses have used Facebook to win new business.  With over 500 million active users, Facebook offers up a captive audience for brands to utilize thoughtfully.  Social media is rooted in creating conversation and promoting brand awareness with an interactive community.  A successful marketing plan includes innovative ways to reach your customers and expand your share of voice.  Perhaps the most important reason to create a Facebook page is to give your company a personality, which will cultivate loyalty among customers.  In addition, it is a proactive way to own your reputation in the online space.

A basic Facebook business page will give a company an area to share information with customers, including new collection launches, sales, promotions, photos, and any other company news.  As a value-add to customers, Facebook should also be a place to share non-brand related news, topics of interest and community events.  This approach makes the social networking site feel less like an overt sales pitch and more like a shared experience.  Customers like getting to know the company behind the products and tend to favor ones that have a sincere interest in their client base.

As you build followers on Facebook, careful attention should be paid to feedback and suggestions from customers.  It is also important to communicate with your followers.  Maintaining frequent interaction with users is another way to create credibility for your brand.  With Facebook’s open forum, it can also be a valuable market research tool.

Still need convincing?  Just Google “Facebook for business.”  Do your own research.  Facebook is a valuable platform that businesses large and small must consider.

-Jordyn Haas

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