Your Brand Isn’t Nike. Stop Acting Like It Is.

Market like the brand you are, not the one you wish you were.

Photo by Linkedin.

Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of marketing for the big boys.

Nike. Apple. Coca-Cola.

The brands that didn’t just sell products but defined culture.

I imagined spearheading campaigns that made people stop mid-scroll, lean in, and think: Damn, that’s clever.

So naturally, when I started out, I did what any ambitious marketer would do — I studied them obsessively.

I analyzed their ads, their messaging, and their strategies.

I figured if I just followed their blueprint, I’d crack the code to marketing success.

Spoiler alert: I didn’t.

Because here’s the thing: Nike’s game plan works for Nike.

Not for you.

Nike can afford to slap a logo on a plain white tee, charge $50, and sell out. They don’t need to explain why their shoes cost more — they’re Nike.

But if you’re a smaller brand? That strategy will sink you.

You don’t have global awareness. You don’t have a rabid fanbase.