Persuasive Writing: Getting Controversial, Essay Example

As a consultant for Nike, it is important for me to understand our customers and the reasoning behind the reasoning behind our choices of spokespeople. The star athletes that we sponsor are the best in the world, and it sends a mixed message about our product when we put too much emphasis on the personal lives of our athletes. We want to make it known that we are committed to creating athletic gear. In addition, it remains profitable to sponsor these athletes, indicating that customers do not value the personal lives of spokespersons over their athletic prowess when making purchases associated with the Nike brand. For these reasons, it is important that Nike continue to sponsor our chosen athletes like Tiger Woods and Tim Rothlisberger in spite of their personal lives.

Nike is a brand that is designed to appeal to sports-minded people who purchase top quality equipment from retailers across the world. In the past, Nike’s marketing campaigns have focused on famous athletes who can demonstrate prowess in sports. In 2009, The Associated Press named Tiger Woods the athlete of the decade, and he is widely considered to be the best golfer in the world (Associated Press 2010). To discard these athletes as spokespeople would be send the message that Nike cares more about the personal lives of athletes than their athletic achievements. How can Nike, as a company, continue to appeal to athletes around the world if we take the stance that we are concerned with personal lives rather than athleticism? It would seem to contradict the very nature of our brand.

The sales of the products associated with Tiger Woods seem to indicate that Nike’s customers still find him appealing.  After the Tiger Woods scandal, sales in the division of the company concerned with Woods-sponsored golf apparel rose 13% (Dusek 2010). While other companies were abandoning Woods as a spokesman, Nike stuck by him, and it did nothing to hurt our profits. Nike’s quality is backed up by the reputation of our athletic spokespersons.

Though these spokespeople are not authorities on family values, our customers do not value their input on those matters. Instead, customers value the fact that Nike brand gear is high quality enough to serve for these athletes. They buy Nike brand, not because of our athletes’ personal lives, but because of the quality of Nike gear and its ability to serve even the world’s best athletes. As such, Nike should be concerned with the personal lives of athletes only to the extent that they affect the athletic prowess of the athletes themselves. An athlete’s legitimacy to sell equipment is compromised only when his or her prowess in the game is compromised.

Because Nike is a business, we must do what is most effective for our business profit and growth. When we retain our spokespeople based on their athleticism, we send the right message to customers. Nike has let the world know that we sponsor athletes to send a message that our product is high enough quality to serve the world’s greatest athletes and, therefore, the customers who buy our products. Since this message seems to ring clearly in the ears of customers, it seems important to maintain our athlete spokespeople to continue sending this message as clearly as possible. Customers will value Nike’s product and know that, whether they like the athlete or not, his or her Nike gear is top quality, and well worth the price.

References

Associated Press (2009) “Tiger Woods voted top athlete of the decade,” The Associated Press. Retrieved from http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=4747530 on June 4, 2011.

Dusek, David (2010) “Nike thrives despite Tiger Woods scandal,” Golf.com. Retrieved from http://blogs.golf.com/equipment/2010/03/nike-thrives-despite-tiger-woods-scandal.html on June 4, 2011.