FEATURE: MindShare invents new medium for marketing

In the late 1990s, Nike found that it was losing touch with Asian

consumers, especially the youth market, because of an over-reliance on

global athletes in its advertising and the high cost of its

products.

At about the same time, Nike rolled out a marketing initiative by

launching the 'World Shoe' called the Nike Play Series.

The idea behind the Nike Play Series was to make Nike more accessible

through lower pricing but without compromising on performance.

The media challenge was to re-establish close contact with the youth

market, position Nike as a socially-responsible company and build on

Nike's core value as 'the authentic sports brand'.

In Singapore, MindShare found the perfect solution - the Housing

Development Board (HDB) community basketball and soccer courts.

Going into HDB residential complexes had two main advantages: a majority

of Singaporeans live in HDB homes and the community courts were

neglected, lacked proper facilities and were totally overlooked by

potential advertisers and marketing companies.

After five months of discussions, a deal was struck with town councils

for Nike to sponsor and maintain the courts.

The sponsorship allowed exclusive presence in terms of billboards around

the court. In addition, Nike could leverage its sponsorship by

organising tournaments.

The results were what Nike was looking for. The sponsorship connected

the brand with consumers at their doorstep, and it established Nike as a

brand that cared about the community.

The same idea was taken and implemented in other Southeast Asian

markets.

* This ongoing Nationl Geographic Showcase series features selected

material from winners and other entries in the Best Use of Media

category in MEDIA's Agency of the Year Awards 1999.