FEATURE: MindShare invents new medium for marketing

<p>In the late 1990s, Nike found that it was losing touch with Asian </p><p>consumers, especially the youth market, because of an over-reliance on </p><p>global athletes in its advertising and the high cost of its </p><p>products. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>At about the same time, Nike rolled out a marketing initiative by </p><p>launching the 'World Shoe' called the Nike Play Series. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The idea behind the Nike Play Series was to make Nike more accessible </p><p>through lower pricing but without compromising on performance. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The media challenge was to re-establish close contact with the youth </p><p>market, position Nike as a socially-responsible company and build on </p><p>Nike's core value as 'the authentic sports brand'. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In Singapore, MindShare found the perfect solution - the Housing </p><p>Development Board (HDB) community basketball and soccer courts. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Going into HDB residential complexes had two main advantages: a majority </p><p>of Singaporeans live in HDB homes and the community courts were </p><p>neglected, lacked proper facilities and were totally overlooked by </p><p>potential advertisers and marketing companies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>After five months of discussions, a deal was struck with town councils </p><p>for Nike to sponsor and maintain the courts. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The sponsorship allowed exclusive presence in terms of billboards around </p><p>the court. In addition, Nike could leverage its sponsorship by </p><p>organising tournaments. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The results were what Nike was looking for. The sponsorship connected </p><p>the brand with consumers at their doorstep, and it established Nike as a </p><p>brand that cared about the community. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The same idea was taken and implemented in other Southeast Asian </p><p>markets. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>* This ongoing Nationl Geographic Showcase series features selected </p><p>material from winners and other entries in the Best Use of Media </p><p>category in MEDIA's Agency of the Year Awards 1999. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>