Kevin Dickson’s Post

Oh Nike, how the mighty have fallen! It’s like watching a superhero trade their cape for a pair of khakis. Remember when Nike ads made us feel like we could run a marathon just by watching them? Now, I’m more motivated by my cat’s nap schedule. As a shareholder and marketer, I feel you. Our portfolios and hearts are taking a hit. But let’s not lose hope! Maybe all Nike needs is a good pep talk, a Rocky-style montage, and a reminder that their swoosh isn’t just a logo – it’s a promise to never, ever settle for mediocrity. Nike, here’s to hoping you dust off those Air Jordans, find your groove, and give us back the brand that made us believe in greatness. Let's not rest in peace – let’s rise in purpose! Because if my cat can find the energy to chase a laser pointer, surely Nike can find its way back to glory. #JustDoIt #NikeComebackTour

Lessons of Experience: Nike Nike is, and will remain, an iconic brand and an innovative growth company. Maybe. Though the picture being painted doesn't look so great right now, there is hope. Like most great companies: There is a "secret sauce" at Nike. A formula for innovation. A recipe for growth. A way of working d2d that is Nike at its best. But, over the last few years, Nike has lost its way. A new CEO from tech. An un-Nike approach to RTO. A lack of focus. A tough macro-economic environment. New, cool competitors. Here's the thing. Nike wins when it returns to what it knows best...bucking the trends, ignoring the competition, flipping "the safe route" the bird. There is a "secret decoder ring of success" in every company. Nike needs to rediscover theirs. They should return to the principles, practices, and platforms that made it unstoppable. Remember, culture is: the outcome of our collective behavior. Therefore, it can be recreated and reinforced. Nike, you have an amazing legacy and brilliant and committed people. Re-recruit them back to the best version of Nike and you will win again. Just do it.

If you’ve been watching the news you know it’s been a rough season for Nike. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve directly commented about Nike. This weekend I contemplated providing a few thoughts on Swooshland. I was reminded It’s time take my own medicine. I get to CHOOSE my perspective. The 2 most common questions I’ve gotten over the past 6 months. “What’s going on at Nike Josh?” “Are you looking for a new job?” Let’s start with a level set on state of affairs. I couldn’t have said it better than Andre Martin https://lnkd.in/gG4HyvCw Andre was the first Nike leader I heard speak at “Running Start” which is day 1 orientation at Nike. I still carry forward many nuggets of wisdom from his discussion. Point being I deeply value his POV. In his post last week he makes two powerful statements. ↳”There is a ‘secret sauce’ at Nike.” There is absolutely magic at Nike despite the current circumstances. I can choose to wallow in the muck of negativity or choose to remain connected to the magic of the brand. Every employee across all geographies is second to none. Creativity, passion, and Just Do It antidote runs through the veins. We’ve overcome before and we’ll overcome again ↳”… culture is: the outcome of our collective behavior. Therefore, it can be recreated and reinforced.” This means how I CHOOSE to show up as a brick builder of the new culture. Or a thrower of bricks through the fragile state of culture today. Personally my legacy will be uplifting others to pursue a meaningful life. That transcends Catalyst Ignite and includes my Corporate Finance responsibilities. Each brick 🧱 of words or actions will always be an attempt to be a culture builder. ↳ Why do I choose to stay? I believe in the magic of the Swoosh! I believe in GROWTH and want to play my part along the journey to $100B Revenue. In my first 6 years I’ve seen it nearly double and I want to see that again! That’s not the same motivation for others and certainly not the correct decision for others. My point is… if you only show up strong in good times then … well… doesn’t that make you a fair weather leader 🤷♂️ Doesn't that give me a line of sight to how you’ll show up for me when I stumble and need someone in my court to believe in me? BOTTOM LINE: How you show up during adversity tells me more about your character than anything else. I’m not saying the accountability conversation should be dismissed… I am saying that’s not a prerequisite for how I show up. Love to hear any constructive thoughts on the topic. Save your rants for Glassdoor.

🖤 Successful Brand Leadership 🖤 Nike has the greatest mission of all time. It still holds up to this day. To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. To carry on the legacy of innovative thinking, whether that involves developing products that help athletes reach their full potential, or create new business opportunities that set them apart from the competition. To create business opportunities that set Nike apart from the competition and provide value for our shareholders. Their manifesto: 1. "Our business is change" 2. "We're on offense. All the time." 3. "Perfect results count - not a perfect process. Break the rules: fight the law." 4. "This is as much about battle as about business." 5. "Assume nothing. Make sure people keep their promises. Push yourselves push others. Stretch the possible." 6. "Live off the land." 7. "Your job isn't done until the job is done." 8. "Dangers: Bureaucracy. Personal ambition. Energy takers vs energy givers. Knowing our weaknesses. Don't get too many things on the platter." 9. "It won't be pretty." 10. "If we do the right things we'll make money automatic." ✨ Dare to innovate! ✨ P.S. What’s your personal mission/manifesto? Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, please share it with others. ♻️ Follow Emily Rossetta 🖤 for daily insights.

There is no finish line. Until there is. After 12 years, last Friday marked the end of my journey at Nike. A couple of years became 12. A producer role turned into an accelerated tour de force on how to build a localization function, become a manager, build a team, create a platform that didn’t exist, evangelize the discipline, and try to make others see it because it would change the way consumers would feel about themselves and the brand: included, respected. My luck was to join #Nike at a time of growth and intense innovation, with leaders who dared and cared, 100% vested in their creations and teams. Digital Sport was about breaking ground, shipping products we believed in and loved to the core, making mistakes but bouncing forward, learning to fail fast and come back stronger. It was the time of figure it out and find a way, imperfect but energetic, determined, passionate, dysfunctional, unapologetic. And through the highs and lows, Nike Digital was built. Then came digital commerce operations. A cultural shock, a new learning curve, and size & fit was a humbling lesson, a conflict that eventually proved to be the best thing that could have happened to me. The Nike matrix opened up in full display. Footwear engineers and Apparel devs became mentors and friends. The innovative spirit beating from West Campus to Tel Aviv via NSRL and NXT, a new team, a new function, soft skills transfer and diplomatic skills I didn’t know I had. I treated sizes like languages, and before I knew it, I became a size & fit expert. Finally came maturity into Digital Flagship, to build business and strategy muscles. Digital Sport showed me how to build global experiences in a mobile first world, Operations taught me about scalability, Flagship about the laws of commerce and running a profitable business. This is where I learned that innovation isn’t always flashy, that loss leaders are good at a time of growth, but will bend to pragmatism during contractions; that sometimes the breakthrough is on the horizon, but the timing is off, and that real innovation never dies as long as you have dreamers & believers. I’ve learned so much and grown even more, personally and professionally. Thankful is an understatement. I’ve traveled the world and met phenomenal people, many I call friends. I'll always be grateful to the people who took a chance on me, who trusted and motivated me, those who pushed me into the unknown, who encouraged, challenged, the believers, the nay sayers, teammates who let me just be me, the coffee takers and campus strollers, and those I had the privilege to manage: you taught me the most, and my happiest memories always bring me back to you. What a ride! I wish those in the berm nothing but the best. Nike has always been about inspiration and teamwork; I so hope that spirit never dies. Be the dreamers and believers. As for me, it’s time for a new adventure, where I hope to be tested and inspired like never before… and I know I will. Thank you!

There’s creative tension at Nike. A tension between their “We serve every athlete” ethos and campaigns like their most recent one “Winning isn’t for everyone.” Nike speaks to and serves as the voice for two broad groups of athletes: the elite athletes– the 1% of the 1% in every sport, and the everyday athletes– “anyone with a body.” Nike inspires athletes everywhere to Just Do It– to override the self-doubt and complacency that often prevents us from making progress or achieving our own version of greatness. Nike also has to speak for the elite few like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Lebron James and Cristiano Ronaldo– those who are “obsessive” and “maniacal” about winning. Nike has to capture their spirit and mindset, to empathize with those elite athletes who are often misunderstood in their uncommon pursuit of greatness.  I don’t think Nike’s creative tension needs to be resolved by choosing a side. I think it needs to be managed…very carefully. Because messages like “I have no empathy… I don’t respect you… I have an obsession with power” do not feel very Nike. And the next generation of elite athletes led by Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka, for example, do not seem to embrace this “win at all costs” mindset. Nike is walking a very tightrope. The tone may have to change depending on which audience Nike is talking to, but the voice should remain inspirational and aspirational at every turn.  . . Would love to hear your thoughts . . . #branding #brandmarketing #sportsmarketing

#onStrategy 🔸 It's really hard to make Nike uncool, but somebody did it. I wrote about this story in my newsletters #84 and #85, but here is Bloomberg: 1/ John Donahoe's tenure as Nike's CEO has been characterized by a strategy that yielded short-term gains but created long-term challenges. His "Consumer Direct Acceleration" plan initially boosted direct-to-consumer sales and margins by cutting ties with many retail partners and focusing on Nike's own stores and digital platforms. However, this approach damaged relationships with key retailers and led to an overreliance on classic sneaker models like Dunks and Air Force 1s. The resulting market saturation has led to declining consumer interest in these once-hot products. 2/ Under Donahoe's leadership, Nike's innovation pipeline has stagnated significantly. Unlike previous CEO Mark Parker's era, the company has struggled to produce breakthrough products that capture consumer imagination and drive sales. This slowdown in innovation can be attributed in part to a brain drain of talent, particularly in design and technology roles. The lack of exciting new products has created opportunities for competitors to gain market share, especially in key categories like running shoes where newer brands have been able to establish themselves. 3/ Nike now faces substantial internal and external pressures. Employee morale has suffered due to layoffs, Donahoe's management style, and a perceived lack of clear direction. Externally, the company is losing market share to established competitors and new entrants across various product categories. These challenges have resulted in declining financial performance, increasing scrutiny from investors, and speculation about potential leadership changes. The situation highlights the difficulties Nike faces in maintaining its position as a leading innovator in the highly competitive sportswear and sneaker markets. Sources: 1/ Newsletter #84 https://lnkd.in/d5-gWG9c 2/ Newsletter #85 https://lnkd.in/drNu2dJ2 3/ Bloomberg https://lnkd.in/d47cdP7Q

In a significant move, Nike, the global sportswear giant, has announced plans to lay off 740 employees at its Oregon headquarters before June 28. The company disclosed this decision in compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, marking a second phase of workforce reductions. This development follows earlier reports of Nike's intention to cut around 2% of its workforce, amounting to over 1,600 jobs, as part of a broader strategy to slash $2 billion in costs over three years. The company's CEO, John Donahoe, previously communicated these intentions, emphasizing the necessity to align resources with growth opportunities amidst shifting market dynamics. While Nike remains optimistic about future prospects, it anticipates a "low single-digits" decline in revenue for the first half of its 2025 fiscal year. This forecast underscores the company's proactive approach to navigate challenges and position itself for long-term success. As an observer, it's evident that Nike's decision reflects broader industry trends and the imperative to adapt to evolving consumer preferences. While organizational changes are never easy, they are often essential for companies to remain competitive and agile in a rapidly changing landscape. Our thoughts are with the affected employees during this transition period, and we remain hopeful that Nike will emerge stronger and more resilient as it continues to innovate and shape the future of sportswear. #Nike #WorkforceReduction #CostCutting #IndustryTrends #Adaptability #FutureOfSportswear

Nike: After 10 Years, a new perspective but the same heart. 🖤 In 2014, with the "Risk Everything" campaign, Nike celebrated boldness. Global superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar showed us what it means to risk everything to shine under immense pressure—like carrying the weight of an entire nation during the World Cup. ⚽️ It was an epic, almost mythical narrative that inspired us to dare and take risks without fear. Fast forward to 2024, and with "Winning Is Not For Everyone", Nike shifts its perspective, but not the heart of its message. 🏅 Through intense visuals and sharp narration (voiced by Willem Dafoe), the campaign delves into the harsher side of success: The effort, sacrifice, and resilience required to reach the top. The message might seem provocative "winning is not for everyone" but its deeper meaning is that anyone can win, provided they are ready to face the necessary challenges to achieve it. What really changes between the two campaigns? ❓ 🔵 The Narrative style: From an epic and aspirational tone to a raw and direct approach. 🔵 The focus: Not just the glory and talent of sports icons, but the journey, marked by struggle and determination, that connects athletes and everyday people alike. What doesn’t change? ❓ The heart. 🖤 Nike reminds us that winning, in sports and in life, isn’t just a matter of destiny or luck (though statistics suggest luck does play a role). 🍀 It’s a choice. A choice that demands sacrifice, courage, and the willingness to push beyond one’s limits. "Winning Is Not For Everyone" faced criticism from those who perceived it as celebrating ruthless competition, with some interpreting its message as exclusive or elitist. I disagree. Nike isn’t excluding anyone: instead, it tells us that everyone can win, provided they embrace the reality of effort and struggle that are essential to great victories. 🥇 Whether it’s about risking everything or embracing the grind, Nike’s message remains constant: Success is achievable, but only for those truly willing to step up and face the challenge!

Well, maybe Nike had it right all along… …yeah, we all know the slogan: Just do it! Yet perhaps its campaign was so impactful because the exhortation is so deeply resonant- When we know what the right thing to do is, all there is left is To take action. When we interrogate our: Values Roles Goals and see deep resonance with our contemplated action Let’s seize the moment and comport it to our highest selves. What opportunities might we have today to allow ourselves to underthink doing the right thing? Source:Respective Owner Follow Dr.K.V.N. Rajesh for latest technology innovations and updates