Nike doubles it’s online engagement with a perfectly timed sample of storytelling. Prior to the ‘golf clash’ between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, Nike launches its latest feel good video: don’t dream, #justdoit. Nike captures the feeling of a student surpassing its master perfectly in this video. Even if you’re not a golf fanatic, this form of storytelling is a very interesting development. This week in our Social War Research, the power and results of perfect storytelling.
An online video of two minutes and eleven seconds scores over 4.500.000 Facebook views in only one week’s time. With 72.757 Facebook likes, 44.163 Facebook shares and 3.095 Facebook comments, the ‘Ripple’ video of the American Sports brand is a big online hit. A PTAT rise of +249.12% asks for a closer look. Especially when we realise that Nike with its social media channels is already the most successful fashion brand as showed in our earlier Social War research. How does Nike not only keep but surpass their success?
When we go back to 5 april 2015, Nike posts a video that confirms and strengthens its position. We see Nike’s figureheads on the golf track, Rory Mcllroy and Tiger Woods in their early years. A young Tiger and Rory, fresh out his diapers and so very eager to follow in the footsteps of his idol. It speaks to the imagination, the fan that eventually measures up to his idol.
The timing of Ripple is perfect, as the two meet again for the second time in their careers, not even a week after the publishment of the video. It all adds up to the message and momentum. Don’t dream #justdoit.
Nike knows better than anyone that storytelling reaches further than simply telling a story. It starts with closely listening to your followers and finding the right metaphors for telling your story. But Nike doesn’t simply tell. They create a story, raise it and stimulate it to full growth. This way of storytelling grants their followers a peek into emotions, in feelings and most of all in developing lives.
When Tiger Woods is ready to pass on the torch to Rory McIIroy, Nike secures it’s own future immediately. They create continuity in marketing statements by using storytelling. Nike is truly the master in this specific form of marketing.
In the Netherlands we’re familiar with this form of storytelling through the Calvé peanut butter commercials. They’ve shown us a young Robin van Persie and Pieter van de Hoogeband these past years. In the most recent Calvé commercial we see Robin van Persie fresh out his diapers, still too young to participate in the junior competition. To eventually dominate in stadium ‘De Kuip’.
In an earlier video we see a young Pieter van den Hoogeband who quickly realizes it is best for him to kiss his football shoes goodbye for good.
Van Persie and Van den Hoogenband follow in the footsteps of Evert van Benthem and Joop Zoetemelk for Calve.
In the summer of 2014 we already proclaimed Nike as the Social War winner of that summer.
During the World Cup of 2014 we already concluded that Nike has the guts to choose the story and feeling over success in sports. Its Icons Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Christiano Ronaldo didn’t have a significant meaning sportswise during the Cup, where competitor adidas dominated the finals by sponsoring Germany as well as opponent Argentina. Even so Nike’s decisions paid off and in means of social media they won the World Cup gracefully.
The visual above shows that Nike clearly beats adidas based on fan growth and interaction.