https://www.aol.com/article/finance...nsor-to-take-a-side-in-trump-vs-nfl/23222453/
Nike becomes first NFL sponsor to take a side in Trump vs NFL
Daniel Roberts
Sep 25th 2017
After President Trump unleashed a verbal tirade on the NFL at a rally in Alabama on Friday night and NFL owners and players responded on Saturday, many wondered how NFL sponsors would respond to the controversy.
On Monday, Nike became the first to take a clear position.
In a statement sent to the media, the company said: “Nike supports athletes and their right to freedom of expression on issues that are of great importance to our society.”
It’s a short statement, but it speaks volumes. Nike came out in support of the players’ right to protest. That’s not the same as saying Nike supports the protests themselves, but even supporting the players’ rights to protest represents a big risk for the brand.
Another NFL sponsor, Under Armour, sent out a tweet on Saturday about Trump’s comments, but the statement very carefully avoided taking a side. The company said it “stands for the flag and by our Athletes for free speech, expression and a unified America.” It is a good example of the cautious, sit-on-the-fence approach NFL sponsors typically take amidst scandals.
Nike, on the other hand, took a side.
The NFL’s official sponsors include mostly big consumer-facing brands like Anheuser-Busch InBev, Barclays, Bose, Bridgestone, Campbell’s, FedEx, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Nationwide, Nike, PepsiCo, Ticketmaster, Under Armour, and Visa.
And $1.25 billion of the NFL’s revenue last year came from those sponsors.
Nike has led the way by issuing a statement on the Trump vs NFL controversy, a story that is unlikely to go away in the coming weeks. For now, Nike stands alone. But other sponsors may be studying the response to Nike’s statement for an indicator of what they should do. And the response has already begun.
On social media, search “Nike NFL” and you’ll find Twitter users claiming they will boycott or stop purchasing Nike products because of Nike’s implicit support of the player protests.
Nike becomes first NFL sponsor to take a side in Trump vs NFL
Daniel Roberts
Sep 25th 2017
After President Trump unleashed a verbal tirade on the NFL at a rally in Alabama on Friday night and NFL owners and players responded on Saturday, many wondered how NFL sponsors would respond to the controversy.
On Monday, Nike became the first to take a clear position.
In a statement sent to the media, the company said: “Nike supports athletes and their right to freedom of expression on issues that are of great importance to our society.”
It’s a short statement, but it speaks volumes. Nike came out in support of the players’ right to protest. That’s not the same as saying Nike supports the protests themselves, but even supporting the players’ rights to protest represents a big risk for the brand.
Another NFL sponsor, Under Armour, sent out a tweet on Saturday about Trump’s comments, but the statement very carefully avoided taking a side. The company said it “stands for the flag and by our Athletes for free speech, expression and a unified America.” It is a good example of the cautious, sit-on-the-fence approach NFL sponsors typically take amidst scandals.
Nike, on the other hand, took a side.
The NFL’s official sponsors include mostly big consumer-facing brands like Anheuser-Busch InBev, Barclays, Bose, Bridgestone, Campbell’s, FedEx, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Nationwide, Nike, PepsiCo, Ticketmaster, Under Armour, and Visa.
And $1.25 billion of the NFL’s revenue last year came from those sponsors.
Nike has led the way by issuing a statement on the Trump vs NFL controversy, a story that is unlikely to go away in the coming weeks. For now, Nike stands alone. But other sponsors may be studying the response to Nike’s statement for an indicator of what they should do. And the response has already begun.
On social media, search “Nike NFL” and you’ll find Twitter users claiming they will boycott or stop purchasing Nike products because of Nike’s implicit support of the player protests.
