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.
