Race, the flag and protest make for the kind of volatile mix that companies have historically tried to avoid. But Nike’s young, male core customer in the U.S.
has different expectations of the sports apparel company. By hiring the ex-NFL quarterback who led player protests during the national anthem as a spokesman last year, the apparel company essentially said Mr. Kaepernick’s views are Nike’s views.
Please count me as one of your detractors. And I GROUND the ones I had. As in grinding, case you need unequivocal explanation.
Colin who?
I believe Nike eill find out that not msny like what he did eith the flag. In fact it was outright rebellion. No more Nike products.
Looks like MAGAs aren’t a sought after demographic.🤷🏻♀️
Capitalism 101
That’s where you’re wrong Nike. I used to buy your products but now, I wouldn’t war a piece of Nike for $100 million dollars. You what to trash the national anthem, Betsy Ross flag, etc....NeverNike
This ex-football player wore socks with images of policemen as pigs. The anti-police movement among blacks has cost many hundreds if not thousands of black lives over expected based on patterns and trends. Yet Nike celebrates him not as a disgrace but rather as a hero.
Nike is slave to the dominant black athletes that sell their shoes. If they say jump, Nike say, how high, master.
Thats true.
Why did Nike say they pulled the shoe? Did the company release a statement?
Stupid WSJ.
Damn traitors‼️🇺🇸
Yet ....
I strongly dislike Nike but I enjoyed reading this article. I’m starting to really enjoy reading the WSJ, especially in today’s pick a side climate. They seem to be the only one who still is neutral
Stopped buying Nike after the quality of their products have decreased. Glad, now that the quality of their spokesmen have decreased. Please make Serena or Eli the face of Nike again, not Colin Sappernick.
Here is one that will make it a point to no longer purchase any Nike product for personal use or as a gift.
I detest the business-social issue connection. Just make a quality product and sell it for a reasonable price.
Happy Independence Day!
I will do my best to never buy from Nike's again, and express my view to all persons I know!!!!!!
ElMarto001 Thing is.. the people who are loving this anti flag BS are mostly losers with little or no disposable income. Nike will lose. Their brand now permanently tarnished.
One of the beauties of America is we have choices and I choose to not spend my money on Nike anymore. BoycottNike
You can say the same about
nikestore Welp, thank you for allowing me to continue to save money on buying all of your subsidiaries...Hurley, Converse. nikeboycott nikesucks nikeisracist
Exactly, this entire thing was fabricated and designed for maximum impact.
If somebody tells me something I’m doing offends them, I stop doing it. I don’t argue with them, and often I apologize afterward. Then I go on with my life. It’s called being a grown-up.
I dumped Nike last year and switched to Tesla sport-ware. Tesla products are better and half the price. There are many better choices than Nike without the political propaganda
Take a look at Dick's Sporting Goods sales after they decided to make law abiding gun owners the enemy..... I used to spend a lot of $$ there, not any more..
I’m paying the kiddies $5 for every pair of Nikes they throw in the incinerator.
Brooks
Hate it.
Its great to see both Nike AND Kaepernick denigrate themselves at the same time. Plus, enough is enough with SJW marketing. If you think a shoe company makes you moral, you have no concept of morality in the first place. Morality is an behavior, not a product.
The more political Nike or any brand becomes, the more I will avoid them.
He is dead to me and so is Nike
Nike purposely seeks out slave labor, they've been doing that for decades. why doesn't Nike open a factory in black neighborhoods? I think it's easier for them to pretend the American Flag is racist.
I'm just loving all the triggered snowflakes losing their tiny minds again so soon after the first Kaepernick campaign. So beautiful to watch. Especially knowing all their bleating means nothing.
Lovin' my brand new Nikes -
I will never buy Nike again
...their desire for ignorant customers with money is not a surprising strategy for a giant corporation making products in low wage Asian countries...
new balance 990v4 have a flag on them and they are made in USA.
'It doesn't matter how many people hate your brand as long as enough people love it' Kinda like the Murdoch business model.
No kaepernack girlfriend is pulling him by you know what that's why he lost his career she hates American so she has him pushing her propaganda go look that up anti Americans
Republicans are all in favor of a business having the right to make business decisions when it involves baking a cake for a group of people they despise. But let Nike make a business decision and watch the little snowflakes cry like a bunch of babies! ColinKaepernick l
Is CK even relevant? What does he do? Is it Louis CK or just CK?
True - but when you target the smaller percentage of the population you won’t win that one. However - I think we forget Nike is a global brand and this is just one market
No one in the world is loved by all,same applies to goods and services in the world marketplace.What matters is being accepted by considerable numbers
“Saturday Night Live” has been proving this same point for a while now.
Wow hate Nike? There is a lot of hate on the right.
Bad call to be against Trump
Nobody gives a shit about Colin Kaepernick. Nike needs to cut ties with him and move on.
Or it doesn't matter how much you con the media into giving you free publicity they're a bunch of dumbheads.
I will NEVER again buy Nike!
Time for US citizens to buy American. Enough of Nike and the slave labor pool in Asia. This calculated marketing perception of Nike's is sick. Nike, Just boycott it. Countless other sportswear competitors in the market.
Sour grape
In a age where corporate responsibility means something, respecting our country shouldn’t be about business. From ancient Egypt to the Ottoman Empire to the Arabia to British slavery trade Is a stain on humanity. 160 years ago a wrong was righted. boycottnike & their greed.
Bad press is press, and it’s free and almost promises to go viral
Pretty much how trump “organization” works
The only flag I'm saluting is the 1965 version..😐
I think they have lost their values and forgot the country that allowed them to thrive. Have been a life long Nike fan but now they can go to hell
Only the 13% like Nike.
Big mistake.. Nike a thing of the past.. my teenager doesn’t even think about Nike. It’s not cool. It’s what Dad (used to) wear
Many of their customers wouldn't even know about these reverse marketing hooplas. Buy what you like to wear ppl.
Never buying g anything NIKE again
Communists and socialists promoting for free, mega corporations to sell overpriced shoes designed to rip off racial minorities, made overseas, paying less then US$ 1 per hour wages with no environmental or working laws. God, it is beautiful to see this cult frenzy.
I agree with that premise. But I'm out. Nike is for socialist lefties so you will be wearing your political affiliation with Nike. Not my style. But glad that Nike will be clothing the lefties! I cringe it when they do those naked parades! Nike. Just Wear It.
Hahaha! To whom is this news? Of course that's their calculation!
Alienating half the market seems like an unforced business error to me.
Looking at the up side the far-left and left are really helping Nike stock it's up. if your on the right-center it's a good time to buy nike stock and donate the money to Trump2020 and MAGA BoycottNike 😂 The free market works. Nike nikeboycott
sure, as long as enough people love it, until you do something silly and they don’t.
Child labor and rapists/murderers didn’t make these Trumpeeons quit Nike and NFL And they say nothing about those waving the anti-American Confederate Flag Explain tedcruz
boycottnike
F Nike 🚫❤
WSJ is such a mixed bag. Not one of your better theses. But it’s been so long since Conservatives have championed kindness or empathy it’s understandable. I am not sure I agree with Kaep, but the over-reaction on the right proves out his claims about your racism.
It's not hurt their earnings, that's true enough.
The open market at work.
Pretty interesting.
He’s no longer an athlete. In 1 yr he’s no one, unless he gets hit on Tik Tok. This is a bad look
really!! that's messed up, if true!!!
No, it’s not ‘Just business’. And shame on your WSJ for feeding this bull shit. Colin’s white parents must be so proud.
Nike uses slave labor to make shoes and kapernick takes the slave masters money. Kap doesn’t care about the issues. He’s a fraud.
No it is not
Colin who?
Kaepernick7 Nike theentiredemocraticestablishment you all are total asinine hypocrites. You speak out of both sides of your mouth. This is at 44’s inauguration. More than one Betsy Ross’ flags hanging right there among you all.
I wouldn't wipe my ass on your 'newspaper'
Ha... time will tell. But I think it will tell that Nike screwed up by allowing K taking over their businesses and pissing True Americans off.
I do not care for Colin Kaepernick - he is nothing but a Racist. Nike backing him is NOT good business. Colin Kaepernick is NOT for America.
Not when we’re buring Nike crap in our yards!
Completely Disagree. BoycottNike
They just got fucked out of some good money. Get woke go broke
Just because Caepernick says something doesn't make it so! And you listen Nike? Just because you don't want to push him off. There are plenty of athletes who want that job
Lost my business and all I used to buy were Nike’s......no more!
Well as long as it is good for business; that makes it ok! Thanks for making that clear!
Given the same flag was displayed at presidents Obama second swearing in looks like Nike made a big mistake
Screw this ni$$er. His opinion is irrelevant to what America believes in!!! Including today’s mixed up ...... Whatever!!!
Is alway$ a bu$ine$$ move - capitalism at its best.
Talk about hypocrisy, I saw this pic of Kaepernick, who protests oppression, wearing a T-shirt showing Dictator Fidel Castro who oppressed the Cuban people.
Do they really want to take advise from a guy who didn’t even vote in the last election? Or even try to use his voice to get people to vote for the issues that mattered ?
Good take on it here.
Question Kapernick is bocotting the national anthem because of police brutally but Police officers are not federal employees they are hired by local,county and individual states so shouldnt he be boycotting the individual states anthems?boycottnikeandanyonetheysponser
🤮
Oh hell no. We have had enough of this racist
This will one day bite Nike in the ass; hard...
Good for Nike- who the hell is Donald Trump to step on anyone’s first amendment
Colin who
It’s hateful to our flag. PC hatefulness
Poetic justice, the guy conservatives thought they had under their boots is telling them what shoes they can wear
Nike has no balls.
When a brand has me on the side of idiots like senatemajldr and tedcruz you know they messed up! I loved what Nike did with Kaepernick7 last year (I purposely bought a pair), but this goes way too far - adage Adweek justdumb nikeboycott politicallyincorrect
Anyone can call themselves a White S or Nazi. They can adopt any symbol, article of clothing or drive around in any truck they want. If Nike has a deal with CK to monitor certain groups attachment to items then what happens when NAZIS wear Nike s ?
Kap LOVES the slave trade in China.
Look at the Obama inauguration photos! Betsy Ross flags are well represented!
The millennials are the sick, lame & lazy when it involves providing any type American service, especially military service. On the other hand the liberals enjoy what the military protects, meaning their liberal asses. Soldiers are on the wall 24 hrs a day protecting their butts.
The don’t care about the cause at all, they just banned shoes in China because they represented anti government sentiment by protestors
spineless Nike your Swoosh offends me. Can you remove it please? Hahhahahaha
and anti-American.
Good chance they would have *sold out* of the Betsy Ross edition sneakers once Kaepernick’s comments went public. We’ll see how this plays out.
Nike is more than happy selling and manufacturing their products in authoritarian communist countries but refuses to use the US FLAG. BoycottNike FuckNike
There is something extremely fishy about Nike bringing out a flag sneaker behind Colin's back. Is Nike being a fake leftist to keep the cheap labor coming? Or Is this another manufactured crisis and there is nothing to worry about.
Not from our standpoint. No longer a consumer of a company that has declared war on the USA.
Correct. It’s just good business.
We shall see, we shall see
Bad business when it comes to my money. The dumbass self hating consumers of America will eat it up though.
Do you think the Colon would approve of these? nogamenoteam
Trading some sales now for the long drought ahead. Go Nike. I now buy Adidas. Foreign company more American than Nike.
johndstoll hates the flag , but loves the dollar .... hypocrite
Yikes.
This annoyed me. I want my money back
Now I can’t even wear black Nike’s or someone will read in to it too much. Sheesh
Do you like their line of work? I'm pretty sure you do to a point because you carry him on your backbones.
President Obama used that flag in his second inauguration. So Kaepernick was wrong and Nike was dumb to listen.
Thank you Nike Kaepernick7
How does Nike pay Colin? It certainly can't be with US currency. If they do Colin should decline it.
Are we going too far? As far as I know Betsy Ross flag doesn't represent anything offensive like the confederate flag.
how about this: not using symbols co-opted by white supremacists is good business? What brand wants there to be even a hint of association with white supremacy (other than the Republican Party)?
They can gerrymander & suppress votes to distort democracy, but $ talks and the majority of Americans reject Trumpism.
I think Nike should have learnt a lesson from Delta. I can see tax breaks disappearing and sales dropping.
Nike said republicans are haters!
NONIKE
Capitalism🤷🏾♂️
I thought Obama had this flag at his inauguration?
its only good business because a large percentage of the population hates their own country, but wants a massive handout from it nonetheless. nothing like a self hating hypocrite aka liberal
Business is business 😎 I thought Cuckservative Republi-cons were for free enterprise / capitalism 🤔🙄
Kaepernick vs the USA flag. TakeAKnee AntiUSA
Who cares about Nike? New Balance makes much better shoes.
Your columnist sucks and why I will now cancel WSJ so disappointed.