With the recent revelation of Nike's new deal with Colin Kaepernick, dozens of different opinions have been expressed. From a political stand point, I agree that Kaepernick should be able to kneel if he wants to. I'm not here to argue about that. As a public relations and marketing student, I think Nike is way too late to make this plan work.
The drama surrounding Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem NFL games died down during recent months. It is definitely not a new issue, nor is it a hot topic in the public eye. Nike has been sleeping on Kaepernick this whole time, while several other companies has reached out to him.
If Nike wanted to make a bold statement, they should have announced their deal during the heat of the controversy. I personally don't see how Nike is benefitting from this deal at all. Sure, they are appealing to a handful of Kaepernick's fans, but they are losing much more than they are gaining.
At this point in time, all parties are losing other than Kaepernick. According to Inverstor's Business Daily, Nike's shares have already dropped over three percent since the announcement of the deal. This means Nike has lost $2.8 billion in shares in just a few days. Former Nike customers are boycotting the company by burning their merchandise.
Kaepernick kneeling during national anthemUSA Today
Meanwhile, Kaepernick has insured that his name is still in the news even though he isn't playing football this season. Let's be real here, Kaepernick isn't the best player in the NFL. Before his political moves, he was not one to make headlines. He is also essentially unhireable by any team because of all the drama that follows him. Now, Kaepernick has landed a huge deal with the NFL's partner, which guarantees his popularity for at least the next season as the ads run.
As the season begins and the ads roll out, Nike may see more benefits, while the NFL may lose more viewers. No matter what, the Kaepernick drama is sure to stay just as relevant as last season.
