Thread by @captainkudzu

Nike ‘s decision to hire Colin Kapernick and then to drop the flag shoes were marketing decisions. The question should be why Nike feels that associating with someone who rejects the American flag is a good marketing decision.

The answer is probably that pride in country is not very high among Democrats and independents. These two groups make up about 70% of voters.

If you doubt Nike’s decisions, consider that the company’s stock has performed better after Kapernick was hired in September 2018 than before.

Hiring the vocal opponent of the flag and the National Anthem clearly did not hurt the company’s stock price.

Kapernick as a spokesperson also did not hurt the company’s sales. Nike’s quarterly earnings were better than expected in the fourth quarter of 2018.

cnbc.com/2018/12/20/nik…

Nike revenues were up again in June 2029 even though earnings per share were slightly lower than expected.

cnbc.com/2019/06/27/nik…

The bottom line is that Nike knows its customers and Nike customers don’t appear to be especially patriotic. Or at least they don’t mind Nike’s association with Kapernick and the kneelers.

This is probably because patriotism is being tainted by tribalism and politics. Republicans are proud of the country with Trump in charge. Other groups not so much.
Likewise, Republican pride in America declined during the Obama years.

The answer is most likely to find a president who can unify the country and doesn’t look to get elected on a divide and conquer strategy, pitting one faction against the other as Obama and Trump did.

Sadly, I don’t see any such candidate on the horizon.

Left unanswered is the question of why Nike ever considered putting the Betsy Ross flag on shoes in the first place. It seems like an odd choice, especially considering the association with Kapernick. I’m not sure who this shoe was targeted at.