This is me. Saying something I have been dying to say for months. I TOLD YOU SO. Phew….that feels better. Of course your sports store is closing, dude! Of course your sports store couldn’t survive without Nike products in it! I (and every other marketer on earth) saw this coming from a mile away. Nike is a powerhouse and their marketing team is smarter than you. And me (maybe). And everyone else. Nike made a bold and deliberate move when they cast Colin Kaepernick as the face of their latest advertising campaign. DELIBERATE. Many were irate with the company and all of our newsfeeds were filled with pictures of burning Nike shoes and video clips of angry Nike fans for months. Meanwhile, Nike is making money and growing their fanbase despite that reactions of a few angry white guys in their 50’s. Why you ask? Black (Consumer) Power. The black consumer is too powerful to be ignored. Nike and the rest of the free world recognize that…but this guy in Colorado seems to have missed the memo. As a person who is very vocal about social injustice and equality issues, I would be remiss if I didn’t note the obvious…this store owner went out of business doing EXACTLY what Nike preached. “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything”. Well Stephen Martin (store owner), it appears you did just that…which is commendable…but probably not wise for a man that owns a sporting goods store. African Americans may only be the 2nd biggest minority population in the United States, but make no mistake…they cannot and should not be ignored. The black community has a bond that must be cultivated and celebrated…not alienated. So to the news of this store closing I will use the wise words of my 10 year old daughter…”DUH. Should have seen that coming bro”. From the mouths of babes.
The Multicultural Marketer 