61 Examining Nike Fan Participation: The Power of the Brand
61 Examining Nike Fan Participation: The Power of the Brand
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Clothing and shoes have been used as forms of expression since we can remember. How and why we choose to like certain clothes and shoes and what it says about us is so interesting. One of the dominating apparel and footwear corporations right now is Nike, Inc. Nike’s fandom proves the brand has been succesful. I am analyzing and exploring what kind of fandom Nike fans are a part of, what it means to them, and how it affects society as a whole. The Nike fandom is essential to study because it reveals not only how communities create meaning for people but also how companies and products themselves can lead to meaningful interactions. Although, with this type of fandom analysis, we see only a part of the larger picture.
With a fandom based on something well-known globally, it is essential to look at different sides and responses to its decisions. Such an iconic brand, with so much success, comes not without failure, as not everybody can be pleased and mistakes can be made. In this case, looking at anti-fans who view Nike as a bad-object will help us to understand the meaning of the Nike fandom through contrasting views and beliefs that will provide a different perspective. To discover the true meaning behind the support and positive aspect, we must recognize where there is no love for the brand, where the love mark has failed. Through this research, I explore how exactly Nike fans behave and interact with each other and the nature of their reactions to Nike’s actions and decisions, within the past year. It is essential to look at Nike fans’ behaviours as being directly linked to the brand’s success; also, the levels of engagement and support they express will reveal what being a part of the fandom means to them. Nike fans participate in the fandom by sharing their opinions on and creations with Nike products – through different levels of productivity – and overall contribute to the discourse surrounding Nike and how they create meaning for themselves and society through digital media.
To fully understand what I am discussing in this paper, we must look at the brand itself. Miller (2023) says that “Nike continues to reign as the big name in sports apparel… Nike revenue has advanced slowly but steadily following the pandemic, rising to double-digit gains the past two quarters.” A case study of Nike demonstrates how they successfully marketed the brand to consumers, leading to the fandom that currently exists worldwide. Neginsadat (2023) discusses Nike’s brand management and how the brand’s success is credited to how it has balanced standardization and its adaptation… “brand management internationalization is a critical aspect of global marketing that requires a deep understanding of international markets, cultural differences, and consumer behaviour” (p. 181). Through its understanding of consumer behaviour, Nike has successfully marketed its brand to consumers and influenced the creat