Nike and Gen Z
A huge focus of many clothing providers and retail stores is the need for a dominant online presence that also co-insides seamlessly with its brick-and-mortar stores. Doing such sets brands and their products up for easier access and brand awareness among their customers and their customers’ inner circle. Despite the large focus many brands put into their online and social media advertising, it’s quite shocking to see that a majority of gen z, who spend more time online than any other generation, are influenced more by their peers than anything else. A reason for this may relate to the need for children and young people to have a desire to fit in at this stage in their lives. So, it seems that gen z its more prone to buy from certain brands depending on if their friends are talking about it. The big question is why is Nike such a dominant brand when it comes to the purchases and preferences of gen z buyers?
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1292742/gen-z-millennial-clothing-purchase-influences/
With over 9.3 million followers on Twitter and 235 million followers on Instagram, Nike makes an effective and dominant online presence as they post daily compelling and engaging materials, which is most likely to be commented on, shared, or liked by their followers. Including athletes that already have a committed following allows Nike to constantly over-reach of advertising allows them to constantly be in the spotlight for their customers to see.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1297008/teenagers-favorite-footwear-brands-us/
A large importance of Nike is their dedication to inclusivity and constant awareness to what social changes are happening now. Whether its social injustice or racial discrimination, Nike is always one of the first companies to show support for the minorities and individuals that feel as if they don’t have a voice. Lots of Gen Z is pushing towards more social change and if Nike make a post on Instagram that reflects an inclusive behavior then individuals who support these attitudes are likely to like the post and possibly even share it with their like minded friends. But the main power of these types of social media posts is that they keep their brand in their customers mind even if the customer isn’t thinking about a new pair of sneakers.
Social awareness and a large social media presence all leads back to Nike’s overwhelming control on the gen z market when it comes to clothing. Nike uses their sponsored athletes along with their large following on Twitter and Instagram to bring their brand into the constant view of Gen z athletes who look up to athletes like Lebron James or Serena Williams. When kids and teenagers go to school, they aren’t going to talk about the Best Buy commercial they saw while scrolling Instagram last night, instead they would want to talk about the new basketball shoe that was just revealed on Lebron’s Instagram live last night. All generations, including Gen Z, want to be able to have interesting things to say when they speak to others. So, creating commercials or social media post that have cultural relevance allow for further discussion outside of the product itself.
