Nike's turn to dialogue with anxious new generations

Rewriting history from a simple but powerful question mark. In a world where certainties are thinning out, a small graphic sign can redefine the positioning of a brand and rewrite the relationship with a global community that has changed over the years. Inevitably, Nike's new campaign, launched a few days ago, has made the rounds around the world. After almost four decades of inspiring athletes to realise their dreams through Just Do It - the year was 1988 - the Beaverton-based giant is reintroducing the iconic battle cry accompanied by Why Do It?.

"Greatness is something you conquer with every choice, every training and every comeback. I've had to overcome setbacks, but it's what makes the journey authentic'. So said Saquon Barkley, award-winning running back at the Super Bowl. When you commit, anything is possible. You fall, but you can get back up. What counts is the choice, not the result. The cast of athletes involved is international, as is the house style. Besides Saquon Barkley there are Carlos Alcaraz, LeBron James, Rayssa Leal, Qinwen Zheng and Tara Davis-Woodhall. 'We are lighting a spark for the new generation,' said Nicole Graham, Nike's Director of Marketing. From the concept of fixity to that of mutability and imperfection. From what we do to why we do it. No longer just a call to action, but a question about the deeper reasons for that action. A semantic shift that redefines the relationship with consumers.

"People today are not just buying shoes: they are looking for meaning and vision. Marketing is no longer a slogan, but an ongoing dialogue. We move from clear, almost authoritarian command to a demand that recognises fears of failure and generational anxiety,' Brittaney Kiefer wrote a few days ago, commenting on the campaign, in Adweek. It is a time of many whys, with a turn towards a more introspective and realistic season. In the new existential marketing, running is no longer just about performance but about mental health, community, a sense of belonging. "Brands that ask questions become more relevant than those that give answers. People are no longer looking for heroes, but for fellow travellers," wrote Harvard Business Review.

Not only Nike. In this historical phase there are more and more organisations updating their positioning. "We are in a period of great social transformation and greater uncertainty than in the past. The aftermath of the pandemic, armed conflicts, the reduction in the purchasing power of families, the stagnation of the economy and the advent of the new generations are all elements that are changing the scenario markedly. We have moved from certainties to continuous uncertainty. In this scenario,companies have to adapt their positions, while keeping their DNA intact. A strong concern of Italians in the past was the environment. Many have seen little impact in the practice of environmental policies, and today the concerns are others: conflicts, the search for peace and coping with purchasing power eroded in recent years by inflation,' says economist Sandro Castaldo, professor in the marketing department of Bocconi University. The aim is to influence young people in a less assertive and more doubtful way. "In the current situation of uncertainty, the new generations need to know why, that is, the deep-seated reason that should drive them to action. In a way, it is a more mature and conscious behaviour,' Castaldo points out.

In this repositioning, the headwinds against activism from America are blowing with a waning of the season of engagement. "The widespread perception is that green or inclusive extremism has not borne fruit initially. The reality is probably not so, but the problem is in the perceptions of customers. This has occurred especially overseas. Therefore, companies are adapting by trying to capture this need for pragmatism and empirical feedback, even with reference to sustainability, measuring concrete results. In reality, all companies need this adjustment in the ways, but not in the ultimate goals, which should remain firm. Many are trying to follow the path of pragmatism, without losing sight of their original values. It is a natural evolution, not a value revolution,' says Castaldo.