Nike’s She Runs the Night Campaign

Details: Written by Taylor Wood

Nike’s She Runs the Night campaign won a Media Federation of Australia (MFA) award for Best Integrated Media Campaign.

Although Nike is a large, multinational corporation, this case study can be applied to all businesses - even small, local ones.

THE PROBLEM

Nike

In Nike’s case, its competitors were outselling the brand in female shoes.

Your Business

In a social media campaign, the “problem” doesn’t have to be as explicit as being outsold - it can be any issue a business wants to fix or a change a business wants to make. For example, in Auburn, a business could have any number of objectives:

Attract students
Attract young couples
Attract young families
Attract tourists (people who visit Auburn for athletic events and potential students and their families)

THE STRATEGY

Nike

Nike found a shared interest of its target market. By paying attention to what its customers were saying on social media, Nike discovered that many women were frustrated with their nervousness to run at night.

How was Nike able to discover this shared interest? The company created a digital community where customers could interact, encouraging women to share their training progress and other fitness experiences with each other. The community cultivated a supportive environment, and Nike’s customers enjoyed interacting with each other.

Your Business

Your business should find a shared interest of its target market. The best way to do so is through social media, so if your business isn’t currently active on sites like Facebook and Twitter, that needs to change. Your business also must utilize social media for more than just pushing content. Someone in your business should read through social media comments to see what your customers are saying.

However, you can’t see what your customers are talking about if they aren’t talking. So, you need to cultivate an online environment that encourages interaction. You can do so in several ways: Asking questions Posing calls to action Hosting contests prompting customers to share stories

THE TACTIC

Nike

The most important tactic Nike used in this campaign was creating a physical environment that was in sync with its digital environment. When Nike saw a common concern on social media, the brand did something to fix it. Women wanted to run in the dark without fear, so Nike provided a way for them to do so.

Furthermore, Nike gave digital incentives - medals - that encouraged women to participate in both the physical and digital environments. Nike rewarded women for sharing their training progress.

The campaign culminated in a nighttime race that celebrated the conquering of the target market’s shared concern. Nike brought together thousands of women online and then in person.

Your Business

Your business should ensure that its physical environment is in sync with its digital environment. Positive in-store interactions can produce positive feedback online, in turn creating a positive snowball effect.

It’s also a good idea to provide digital incentives to interact online and make purchases. Here are some ideas: Like and share a Facebook post to get a discount on next purchase Comment on a Facebook post to be entered into a drawing Tag three friends on an Instagram post to get a discount or be entered into a drawing Retweet a tweet to get a discount on next purchase

Make sure that you honor these incentives in store.

THE RESULTS

Nike

First and foremost, this campaign generated countless positive interactions with Nike. The brand identified these interactions as a key performance indicator (KPI). These positive interactions turned into brand loyalty, proven by the fact that 44 percent of the 3,200 racers purchased Nike footwear at the main event. Also, 90 percent of the original racers raced again the next year, serving as proof of how brand loyalty affects consumer behavior.

Your Business

Remember that brand loyalty affects consumer behavior. Identify what your business hopes to accomplish. Then, cultivate an environment on social media that can help your business reach its goal. Next, ensure that your business’s physical environment is reflective of its digital one. Know that a combination of positive interactions, both digital and physical, can foster brand loyalty, which should affect a consumer’s purchasing behavior. Nike is proof of how a social media campaign can affect sales, and it can do the same for your business.