#Nike Oregon Project

[mariacallous]

For the first time in more than 40 years, a Republican could win the governor’s seat in Oregon, breaching the seemingly solid Democratic line of states running along the Pacific coastline of the US.

The tight race between former Oregon House speaker Tina Kotek, a Democrat, and former Oregon House minority leader Christine Drazan, a Republican, which in the latest polling showed Drazan with a hairline lead, indicates a rebuff of the current term-limited liberal governor, Kate Brown.

Brown has one of the lowest approval ratings of any governor in the country amid brewing concern over how state leadership has handled everything from the pandemic to homelessness.

But it’s a third-party candidate with support from both Republicans and Democrats, along with contributions from the richest man in the state, that have truly set a Republican on a path toward possible victory.

“Democrats are pretty good at running a red-blue race in Oregon … But the dynamics of a three-way race have really kind of thrown that playbook out the window,” said Jake Weigler, a progressive political strategist in Oregon not involved in the race.

Betsy Johnson, who was a moderate Democrat while serving as a state senator and now is running as an independent, has been forecast to receive as much as 14% of the vote. Outside of independent voters, 17% of Democrats plan to vote for her, while only 9% of Republicans do, according to an Emerson College Polling survey released earlier this month.

Rebecca Tweed, a Republican strategist in Oregon with no connection to the governor’s race, said it will be this subset of voters to watch come election day.

“We’ll have to see if any of those voters that got pulled toward Betsy end up going back into their corners of the Democratic and Republican parties,” she said.

But it could also come down to what independent voters decide to do next month.

Ariya Ahrary, who has lived in Oregon since 2007, said she was initially very happy to see the independent candidate on the ballot. But after taking a closer look at each candidate’s policies, she said she now will likely vote for Kotek in hopes that she will help change the direction of the state.

“We do want actual real change instead of just all talk. Hopefully that happens, that it’s not just all talk, that it’s actual action,” she said.

By far Johnson’s largest single financial contribution has come from Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike. Altogether, he has sent $3.75m to Johnson’s campaign since January, and then earlier this month sent $1.5m to Drazan. In an interview with the New York Times earlier this month, he said he would do anything to keep Kotek out of the governor’s seat.

The gubernatorial race projections in a state where Joe Biden won by 16 points just two years ago have been a shock to many across the nation. They have prompted national political figures to visit the Pacific north-west hoping to drum up support for their candidates.

On Saturday, Biden spoke at an event in Portland, where he highlighted the increasingly important role governors play in policy implementation, while praising Kotek’s leadership and bravery.

“You’re a progressive state. You’re a state that’s always been ahead of the curve. Stay ahead of the curve, and elect Tina,” he said.

Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin, a rising Republican star, spoke at a rally for Drazan on Tuesday, while Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, attended an event for Kotek this weekend.

Kotek, Drazan and Johnson recently came together for the race’s final televised debate. The largely mild-mannered occasion was punctuated by sharp criticisms hurled between Drazan, Johnson and their Democratic rival, including over abortion.

Following the US supreme court’s overturning of Roe v Wade earlier this year, Oregon has positioned itself as a safe haven for abortions. Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood board member, described herself as pro-choice. Kotek, who was endorsed by Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregon and helped with the legislative effort to codify abortion access into state law in 2017, said she is a strong supporter of abortion access, including potentially using taxpayer money to support that type of care. She accused Drazan of posing a threat to abortion access in the state.

Drazan rebutted by saying while she wouldn’t use taxpayer funds to support abortion, the practice would remain legal. “It gets more and more startling to me the extent to which Tina Kotek will lie to voters,” she said

Another key issue the candidates responded to during the debate was the state’s response to the pandemic when it came to closing schools. Drazan accused both Governor Brown and Kotek of throwing “our kids under the bus”, while Johnson said: “The single worst thing we did during Covid was to shut kids out of the classroom.”

Kotek, who agreed that students were kept out of the classroom too long, said it was in fact her Republican opponent who did the throwing by voting against a multibillion-dollar education bill in 2019.

But it was a question from a resident of Wilsonville, a city about 17 miles south of Portland, that spotlighted an issue at the center of this race: “Since you’ve been a lifelong Democrat, how do you square yourself with knowing that your current efforts will probably cost Democrats the governorship for the state?”

Johnson told the audience that she joined the race because she sees herself as the best candidate to lead a state that has “gone off the rails”, and that she has no plan to drop out.

She said: “I believe sports oddsmakers don’t win games. Polls don’t predict elections. I’ve seen enough fourth-quarter finishes to know that it’s not over until it’s over. And I’m in this race until the absolute end.”

[amazingarchitecturewebsite]

The new Serena Williams Building by Skylab Architecture @skylabarchitecture at Nike World Headquarters in #Beaverton, Oregon Read more: Link in bio! Photography: Jeremy Bittermann, Stephen Miller, J.P. Paull, PLACE Skylab Architecture: The Serena Williams Building—a workplace for 2,750 occupants at more than 1 million square feet—is the largest structure at Nike World Headquarters. We led the design of all aspects of this complex building and program, including core and shell, interior design and furniture selection, and branding integration. Beyond its sheer scale, the project presented three principle challenges: - How to create a new prototype for design-focused workspace that fosters chemistry and collaboration on an enormous scale. - How to leverage regenerative principles to design for both the site and the building occupants through a partnership with nature. - How to capture the ethos of sport, Nike’s heritage, and the spirit of Serena Williams, the ultimate warrior-muse and the building’s namesake… #usa #oregon #архитектура www.amazingarchitecture.com ✔ A collection of the best contemporary architecture to inspire you. #design #architecture #amazingarchitecture #architect #arquitectura #luxury #realestate #life #cute #architettura #interiordesign #photooftheday #love #travel #construction #furniture #instagood #fashion #beautiful #archilovers #home #house ‎#amazing #picoftheday #architecturephotography ‎#معماری (at Beaverton, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CiY737TMSvS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#beaverton #usa #oregon #архитектура #design #architecture #amazingarchitecture #architect #arquitectura #luxury #realestate #life #cute #architettura #interiordesign #photooftheday #love #travel #construction #furniture #instagood #fashion #beautiful #archilovers #home #house #amazing #picoftheday #architecturephotography #معماری

[opiatemasses]

Athlete welfare and the mental challenge

We all know that professional athletes are in the top tier of sportspeople in the world. They possess natural talent that has been nurtured and coached over time, which is now on show at the highest level. Athletes are some of the  hardest working people, striving to achieve to be the best. However, from this  questions arise: how do athletes compare the physical challenge to the mental challenge, and how does abuse and harassment impact on this?

Example

There are a number of different issues to explore. The first of these relates to a woman called Mary Cain.

Photo credit: https://gen.medium.com/it-will-take-female-coaches-to-protect-the-next-mary-cain-a0edf5ad9538

To understand some of the contest, watch the video below. 

In short, Mary Cain was one of the best up-and-coming track and field athletes in the world. She got an offer to join the Nike Oregon project from Alberto Salazar who at the time was the number one track and field coach. She had future aspirations to be the world’s best female athlete, but was instead abused by Alberto Salazar with endorsement from Nike. Some of the things she experienced included:

Dangerous levels of weight loss

Her period had stopped

Publicly humiliated

Got weighed in front of her teammates to hit a target of 114 lbs

Alongside these, Cain had to deal with severe mental health challenges as well as the physical demands of the sport and training. 

To add to this illustrative example. there are a number of other news articles which have interviews from other athletes talking about their mental health and the challenges they have faced. To see a short list, which includes some other examples see here: 12 athletes who have spoken up about their mental health

Facts and statistics

Thinking more broadly about mental wellbeing, here are some non-sport related statistics: 

The World Health Organisation stated in 2015 that an estimated 350 million people worldwide are experiencing depression or have had depression in their life

1 In 4 people are affected by mental health in any year

It is recognised as a significant public health issue

Linked to levels of functioning and work/performance

What the above illustrates is that mental health is a challenge which can affect anyone, as well as how commonplace it is. It is widely acknowledged that if someone is stressed or struggling with their mental health, a good stimulant to stop this is by taking part in physical activity or exercise. This can include both team or individual sports as well. In my case, anything I worry or stress about I love to take it out on the rugby pitch, whether it be tackling or running. It’s fun and you feel amazing at the end.

Below includes some more information on the potential mental health benefits of participating in sport and the WHO website to learn more about mental wellbeing.

World Health Organization (WHO)

10 mental benefits of sport

However, for professional athletes this might not be the same. 

Research has suggested that “athletes may be more predisposed than the general population to depression, because of the physical and psychological demands placed on them by the sporting environment. Stress is associated with depression and is inherent In the life of an athlete.” 

Taking this into consideration, this perspective provides a counterpoint, referring to the physical and psychological challenges athletes experience and so  participating in sport may also create different challenges to add to the stress already there. It also mentions that athletes could have higher levels of mental ill-health in comparison to the general population. 

Some potential reasons for this have been explored by Parham (1993). These are: 

Academic challenges

Social and leisure challenges

Challenge to succeed

Health and injury challenges

When fans stop cheering

Contextual parameters

These factors are especially particular for young athletes just like Mary Cain. They may struggle to have time to learn, struggle to meet people and have relatively little time to themselves to relax. They are always being pushed to succeed to the top level while trying to stay in peak physical shape and without injury. They are also trying to impress fans or family who support them and may respond negatively if they under-performed. Finally, it is important to recognise the background to every performer and their upbringing or other challenges they have to face alongside the stress of being an athlete.

So that begs the question, what can be done to help athletes both novice and experienced? There are many different coping methods that can be used instead of sport to provide the same effects. 

The first is meditation. Many well-known athletes including Michael Jordon use meditation. It is used to relax participants, improve mental clarity and self control.  

Another coping strategy is imagery. This can be used to increase mental stimulation and can also be used to improve performance as athletes can imagine themselves in a situation in their sport completing a task to maybe win a game or score crucial points. 

More methods of coping can be found at Oregonsportnews.com. 

Additionally, another way to help is to donate or read about the Mental Health Foundation. They have a page linked here which is specifically related to athletes.

N0918704

#mental health #athletes #Sports #challenge #who #ntu #ntu sport #sociology

[studioahead]

Studio Spotlight: Heath Ceramics

Heath Ceramics needs no introduction, but we'll give one anyway. The pioneering ceramics company was founded in 1948 by Edith and Brian Heath in Sausalito. Edith's handmade, small batch tableware gained widespread praise for its durability and characteristic glazing—soon becoming iconic and collectable. In 2003, another husband and wife duo, Cathy Bailey and Robin Petravic, bought the company and revitalized it for the twenty-first century, continuing the local and personalized tradition started by Edith. We spoke with Cathy Bailey and Tung Chiang, the ceramicist responsible for Heath's extraordinary Design Series.

Studio AHEAD: How did you come to be in California, and how do you continue the unique Californian tradition that Edith Heath began with her use of local materials?

Cathy Bailey: I moved to San Francisco after spending about 5 years designing for Nike in Portland, Oregon. I moved south wanting to experience the city; the design culture and talent felt vibrant and I wanted to be a part of it. I followed my instinct and the sun in joining what was happening here. About 7 years after moving to San Francisco, my husband and I stumbled on the old Heath Factory in Sausalito. At that time Edith and her work continued on, but it felt like it had been overshadowed by the new, shiny things happening in the Bay Area. It felt as though it might be forgotten if someone didn’t inject new energy into the company and continue to shape it for the world we're now living in. What was apparent to us is that Edith’s approach to material-based design and local manufacturing was increasingly relevant.

Tung Chiang: I was born and raised in Hong Kong and worked in advertising for a decade. In 2000, I moved to Pasadena for the Art Center College of Design to study and begin my second career. I eventually landed an industrial design job in San Francisco, which eventually led me to working at Heath Ceramics in 2012. As my career has progressed through many fields, I am so grateful to spend time on clay as a creative medium. It feels personal to me, like an heirloom passed down directly from Edith. Using clay and design, Edith painted a lasting foundation for us. It is exciting to continue using that to create the future of craft and community that we care about.

SA: Tell us about what role chance and accident play in your design process.

TC: Clay and glaze have their own soul, you can guide them to create what you envision, but you can’t bend their will and who they are. Our works are often more chance and accident than calculation. No matter how much experience you have, opening the kiln and unloading works is always a surprise. Most often the best piece is created when fire, chemistry, atmosphere, environment, and intention all blend together.

CB: Like Tung mentioned, guiding clay and glaze in the studio is part of the business, we must be open to their nature. It is the same in developing products for production—the process may have some more rigidity but it’s crucial to leave room for variability and chance. This is what gives the objects soul and beauty. I think this is as important with the materials as it is with the people and the decisions in our business. So many of the wonderful parts of Heath have come out of noticing opportunities that came about by chance. Our Newsstand, our collaborations, and even the clay studio that Tung leads have come about by leaving room for chance and intuition.

SA:  What do you look for in the artists you choose to collaborate with?

CB: We collaborate with artists or designers that we’ve already developed a relationship with, we never collaborate just to collaborate. It’s always been about meeting someone who inspires us on several levels. Generally we are inspired by their work, their craft, and their philosophy, and we really enjoy spending time together. When this all aligns, usually there is a pretty obvious project idea that comes up. We also like to continue our work together for as long as we continue to have creative chemistry. We’ve developed many different iterations of etched patterns with Natalie Chanin over the years (Alabama Chanin), and we are now working on some new dinnerware with Commune Design who we worked with to design our LA store over 14 years ago.

StA: What really strikes us about the Design Series is how each year's theme relates to a larger issue. Forms of Care comes during a time that has been difficult for a lot of people. Last year's Pairs of Sound, whether intentional or not, could be read as commenting on quarantine, since the pieces come in pairs and the clay beads that rattle inside them can't be touched. How do you balance between telling a story through your ceramics while also creating something that people find beautiful and want to use?

TC: Since design series 5, The Animal Series, I realized the collection is about how I see the world as a designer/potter/artist. It is not about how I solve a general problem on design; instead, what I care about is what matters. How I live and love, and what is important to me becomes the source of inspiration. Ceramics design is often a simple design. A cup is a cup and a bowl is a bowl. I have no interest in changing them, yet if I feel something and can put it into the design, even if the design stays simple, the audience may be able to feel it, too.

SA: You worked in advertising before becoming a ceramacist. Has your former job had an influence on how you design?

TC: I consider myself very lucky to have started my career in advertising. It trained me in developing fresh ideas and clear perspectives, two important starting points in creative work. In a way, I believe craft without ideas and perspective becomes only a skill. What excites me now as a potter is to continuously combine ideas and skills together.

In advertising, we used a broad range of media to execute the idea. I think that helps me build confidence in any material. With clay and glaze, I am far from mastery, yet it is this room between familiarity and newness that excites me.

SA: We always ask for three Instagram accounts to follow.

CB & TC: @AlabamaChanin—we are long-time friends and collaborators with Natalie Chanin, the founder of Alabama Chanin, who was an early leader in the sustainable fashion movement and has always been deeply committed to traditional craft, the art of hand-stitching, and the advancement of a more sustainable textile industry. Her Instagram is a beautiful source of inspiration about all of the above and more...

@ido_yoshimoto—a woodworker from Inverness, CA.  I love his balance of work and love of nature. [longtime readers of this journal will know how much Studio AHEAD loves his work too!]

@janikasma—many of you also know my connection with Finland and Finnish design runs deep. Jani Kasma is a local collector and his collection of Finnish master design is out of this world. With his tasteful home and beautiful photography, it is my daily fix for good taste and design.

@misterngo—Mr Dung Ngo is the editor-in-chief of AUGUST Journal and publisher of August Editions. I follow him to see design and architecture around the world through his eyes

SA: What are some local culture spots you love?

CB & TC: Japonesque Gallery has been my favorite gallery since I moved to SF. Also Blunk Space [you can read our interview with J. B. Blunk’s daughter here]. And the Botanical Gardens at Berkeley. This is my favorite garden in the bay area.

Photos by Ekaterina Izmestieva

#heath ceramics #cathy bailey #tung chiang #studioahead #ceramics

[losttrailrunner]

Liked on YouTube: Nike’s DIRTY SECRET: Olympian Kara Goucher on Doping, Abuse & Deception | Rich Roll Podcast

Nike’s DIRTY SECRET: Olympian Kara Goucher on Doping, Abuse & Deception | Rich Roll Podcast Rich sits down with two-time Olympian and NBC Sports track and field analyst Kara Goucher to talk about the Nike Oregon Project scandal, the mistreatment of pregnant athletes by sponsors, her identity beyond athletics, and more. To read more about Kara and peruse the full show notes, go…

View On WordPress

#IFTTT #YouTube

[michaelnguyendotme]

In this series of "Extreme Ads Makeover", I will be tearing down ads of Nike and have them completely remodeled to have better targeting and ROI. Check out more ad makeover case studies such as Lexus, Chanel, Chase Bank, Amazon, Starbucks, Nike, Target, Home Depot, and Nature Made. About Nike Nike is the world's largest athletic footwear and apparel brand. It has seen steady growth since being founded in 1964. In 2021, Nike reported annual revenues of $44.5 billion, up 19% from the previous year. Net income was $5.7 billion in 2021. Nike has an estimated 100,000 employees globally. The Nike app and website have over 100 million members. Nike products are sold in over 190 countries through wholesale customers, Nike-owned stores, and ecommerce. Nike continues to dominate the athletic footwear and apparel market through product innovation, brand recognition, and celebrity/athlete endorsements. About Nike's marketing agency Nike handles most of its marketing in-house, though it does work with some external agencies for certain projects and campaigns. Some key facts about Nike's marketing: In-house marketing team: Nike has an internal Global Marketing team based out of its headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon that handles core marketing functions. Some key agencies: While Nike relies mostly on internal staff, they have collaborated with agencies like Wieden+Kennedy, Mindshare, AKQA, and R/GA on various initiatives over the years. About Michael Nguyen - CEO of Produce Results Agency, aka the "Extreme Ads Makeover" Host Since 1999, Produce Results Agency has helped clients double assets from $5ooM to $1B and generated 4000% ROI for a regional bank turning their $66K marketing budget to $2.8M in revenue. In this post, I will perform an ad audit on Nike's ads, analyze what's missing from the ads, come up with new ads, and eventually validate those new ads by running paid traffic on my own dime to see how new ads perform. I am using Meta Ads in this case study but the same principle applies to other mediums such as Google, Youtube, Programmatic Ads, and short forms. Table of Content 1. Ads Audit 2. Gaps Analysis 3. Ads Makeover 4. Validate New Ads 5. Insights/Takeaways 6. Next Steps Ads Audit Promoted Product: Training shoe Landing page: https://www.nike.com/t/air-monarch-iv-mens-training-shoes-G5Xn1k/415445-001 Facebook Ads: The Nike team created one ad set to promote. Ad set #1 (see link) Analysis While Nike is a powerhouse in shoe and has already achieved its status as a household name, the increasing competition from brands like Adidas, Under Armour and Lululemon should be taken seriously because any mistake like the above ad creates an opportunity for Nike's competitors to sneak in and steal market shares. As you probably read other "Extreme Ads Makeover" cases, I loathe having one ad. Here are the disadvantages when having only one control ad: Lack of A/B Testing Limited Insights: With only one ad, you won't be able to perform A/B tests, which are essential for determining what aspects of the ad are working and what aren't. Targeting Limitations Missed Opportunities for Segmentation: Different ad sets can target different customer segments. A single ad may not be as effective across all segments, missing out on some potentially lucrative opportunities. Reduced Personalization: Multiple ad sets allow you to customize messages based on user behavior, geography, or other demographics. A single ad will be less personalized and potentially less effective (more on this below when I do an ad makeover) Creativity and Message Fatigue Ad Fatigue: Over time, the same ad is likely to become less effective as users get tired of seeing it. Multiple ad sets can help mitigate this effect. Limited Creative Testing: Having multiple ads allows for testing different creative elements like headlines, images, and call-to-actions. A single ad limits this flexibility.

Risk Management Higher Risk: If your one ad doesn't perform well, you don't have other ad sets to fall back on. This all-or-nothing approach can be riskier. Budget Allocation: With multiple ad sets, you can allocate more budget to higher-performing ads. A single ad does not offer this flexibility. Optimization Challenges Limited Learning: If your single ad isn't performing well, it's harder to pinpoint what exactly is going wrong. Multiple ad sets can provide you with more data, making it easier to optimize. Inability to Leverage Platform Algorithms: Many advertising platforms use machine learning algorithms to automatically allocate budget to the best-performing ads in a campaign. With just one ad, you can't take advantage of this feature. Data and Analytics Limited Data for Analytics: Having only one ad will provide you less data, reducing the reliability and validity of your performance metrics. As a global brand like Nike, I am in shock when there's only one ad created to promote this popular training shoe. Moreover, the Nike team doesn't add any headlines & ad copies to emphasize, educate, entertain, or interact with the prospective buyer. I am sure there are many angles to talk about this training shoe but what I saw is the generic CTA "Shop Fall styles to start fresh and members get free shipping on orders $50+." as if this ad is printed from a catalog. For example, Adidas's ad TERREX Free Hiker 2 at least takes the time to educate prospective shoppers that the TERREX helps them tackle the trails and enjoy moments of adventure. Every opportunity to showcase your product counts. But Nike didn't take the time to maximize this opportunity and waste the ads money. Attention: If you had multiple product lines and currently ran paid ads, there's a 97% chance that you had less than 3 ads based on my experiences of remodeling ads from Lexus, Chanel, Chase Bank, Amazon, Starbucks, Nike, Target, Home Depot, and Nature Made. Maybe you are perfectly okay with one control ad and burn your ad budget without ROI. But if you would like to have a second-opinion ads critique so that you can see the gaps and areas where you can extract MORE juice out of your ads, click on the link below to have me critique your ads. Gaps Analysis The Landing Page (see link ) Audience avatar: By analyzing the landing page, here's what I think the avatar Nike is targeting for this shoe is: A middle-aged, likely male shopper seeking affordable, durable workout shoes. This customer leads an active lifestyle and values proven comfort and functionality over style. They want a shoe that will hold up to regular use for exercise or daily wear. Brand trust in Nike and word-of-mouth drive purchase decisions rather than trendiness. The marketing and reviews focus on long-term comfort, durability and a basic, simple design. Defects like squeaking and poor fit are major frustrations. Overall, the Monarch IV caters to male buyers around 30-50 seeking no-frills workout shoes they can rely on long-term. I will keep Nike's landing page the same. because any additional improvement can lead to a marginal result. Meanwhile, a huge improvement can be made from the ad creatives. Ads Makeover Here's the disease that most marketing agencies and businesses running paid ads: "They think they've tested 20 ads but they really just tested 2 ads 10 different times." The best analogy for this is if you play the game "Battleship". Battleship is a strategy-type guessing game for two players. It is played on ruled grids (paper or board) on which each player's fleet of warships is marked. The locations of the fleets are concealed from the other players. Players alternate turns calling "shots" at the other player's ships, and the objective of the game is to destroy the opposing player's fleet. Using the context of the Battleship game, the fact that you just tested 2 ads 10 different times is like you are calling "shots" for the same spot 10 different times at the other player's ships.

The lack of ideas for ad angles is making your ads dull and boring and ultimately leads to ad fatigue. Using the proprietary Bionic Framework leveraging 17-layer analysis to come up with ad ideas touching different aspects of human relationships, fears, shame, language structures, and pop culture rather than the boring feature/benefit-driven ads that most marketing agencies default to. Here are possibilities for ad makeovers: Headline Options "The Reliability You've Been Looking For: Nike Air Monarch IV" "Exercise with Assurance: Proven Comfort & Durability" "Workout Shoes That Last: Step into a Legacy" "No Gimmicks. Just Proven Performance with Nike Air Monarch IV" "Tired of Trendy Shoes That Fail? Experience Monarch IV’s Timeless Design" "For the Ones Who Value Substance Over Style: Nike Air Monarch IV" "Ready for the Sneaker Game’s Best Kept Secret?" "Ever Felt the Heartbreak of Worn-Out Shoes Too Soon?" "Guess What’s Changing the Workout Shoe Game?" "Tired of Mediocre Sneakers Letting You Down?" "Envious of Premium Shoe Comfort Without the Price Tag?" "Stand Defiant Against Subpar Shoe Standards!" Body Copy Options "Step into a realm where simplicity reigns supreme. The Nike Air Monarch IV is the culmination of decades of commitment to lasting comfort and trusted durability. Perfectly designed for the man who values practicality. Order a half size up for a perfect fit. Plus, enjoy free standard shipping for orders over $50. Don’t just take our word for it, read our glowing reviews." Models Used: Capability (Does, True), Proof (Credibility, Social Proof), Numbers (Price, Free, Shipping), Time (Now). "Longing for a shoe that matches your lifestyle? Meet the Nike Air Monarch IV. Its no-frills design is crafted for men who appreciate reliability in every stride. Lightweight, supportive, and crafted for the long haul. Fits small, consider ordering half a size larger." Models Used: Relationships (Avatar), Imagery (Visual), Capability (Is, Does), Numbers (Savings, Size), Time (Now). "Embrace a workout companion that shares your values. The Nike Air Monarch IV is synonymous with long-term comfort, resilience, and unadorned efficiency. Dive into the legacy of trust and ensure every step is backed by Nike’s promise. Recommendation: Go half a size up for unmatched comfort." Models Used: Relationships (Your customer), Imagery (Kinesthetic), Emotions (Trust), Capability (Is, Ensure), Time (Now). "Reject fleeting trends. With the Nike Air Monarch IV, you're investing in a legacy of uncompromising comfort and steadfast durability. Built for the genuine man leading an active life. Consider ordering a half size up for a snug fit." Models Used: Relationships (Avatar), Emotions (Rejection, Trust), Capability (Is, Built), Time (Now). "Choosing Nike Air Monarch IV means choosing a timeless design that doesn't fade with trends. A shoe that understands your need for relentless comfort and unwavering quality. Get yours and be part of a lineage that values genuine performance. Tip: It fits slightly small; order a half size up." Models Used: Relationships (Your customer, Avatar), Emotions (Trust, Desire), Capability (Means, Understands), Time (Now). "Don't settle for style without substance. The Nike Air Monarch IV offers the stability, durability, and comfort that the modern man craves. Wear it daily, wear it proudly. Ordering tip: Runs a tad snug, so order half a size up for a fit that's just right." Models Used: Relationships (Your customer, Avatar), Emotions (Pride), Capability (Offers, Wear), Time (Now), Numbers (Size). "Yo, you think you've seen it all in sneakers? Think again! Dive into the anticipation of unmatched performance with the Nike Air Monarch IV. Don't be the last to catch on to the next big thing in durability and comfort. And here’s a promise: You're about to experience a sneaker revolution. Note: They run small, bro – cop a half size up!"

Models Used: Emotions (Anticipation, Surprise), Types of Statements (Question), Future (Promise), Language Devices (Slang), Shame (Stupidity), Capability (Does), Numbers (Size). "Ever felt that sinking feeling of a shoe giving up on you? We get the tragedy. It's time for a sneaker that doesn't leave you high and dry. The Nike Air Monarch IV promises not just comfort, but a future where sadness over shoes is history. Question is, are you ready for the change? Heads up: Sizing’s a bit tight – go half a size up." Models Used: Emotions (Sadness, Anticipation), Types of Statements (Question), Future (Promise), Language Devices (Tragedy), Shame (Vulnerability), Capability (Does), Numbers (Size). "Surprise! Thought all workout shoes were the same? The Nike Air Monarch IV is here to shatter that myth. For those tired of the usual, anticipate a shift in the sneaker paradigm. We predict you won’t just like them; you’ll be telling all your mates about ‘em. Pro tip: They’re snug, so size up a smidge!" Models Used: Emotions (Surprise, Anticipation), Types of Statements (Question), Future (Prediction), Language Devices (Slang), Shame (Stupidity), Capability (Is), Numbers (Size). "Had enough of shoes that just don’t cut it? Feel the anger when they wear out way before their time? If you're sick of the usual tragedies in the sneaker world, the Nike Air Monarch IV has got your back. This ain't just another shoe; it's a revolt against the mundane. Warning: Be ready to be the envy of every gym-goer. Side note: They fit like a glove, so snag a half size up!" Models Used: Emotions (Anger, Envy, Disgust), Types of Statements (Condition), Future (Warning), Language Devices (Slang, Tragedy), Shame (Defeat), Numbers (Size). "Ever looked at someone’s sneakers and felt that sting of envy? If you want shoes that get everyone green with jealousy, Nike Air Monarch IV is the way to go. The tragedy of settling for less ends here. Warning: Once you lace these up, going back to your old kicks might just feel like a defeat. Yo, and remember, these bad boys run a bit snug - you know what to do." Models Used: Emotions (Envy, Disgust), Types of Statements (Condition), Future (Warning), Language Devices (Slang, Tragedy), Shame (Defeat), Numbers (Size). "Say no to mediocre. Stand defiant and choose a shoe that matches your spirit. If you’re fed up with the disgust of the same old, same old, Nike Air Monarch IV is your war cry. But here’s a warning: Once you experience this level of defiance in footwear, there's no going back. FYI: For a winning fit, upsize a tad!" Models Used: Emotions (Defiance, Disgust), Types of Statements (Condition), Future (Warning), Language Devices (Slang), Shame (Defeat), Numbers (Size). Validate New Ads This is where the rubber meets the road as I am going to validate ad concepts from the previous step by running paid traffic to see which ad concepts would resonate most with the customers. Here's how I set the adset on Facebook Budget: $10 Lifetime Product/Service: Shoe Targeted audience: Target with interest in Nike Placement: News Feed Optimization: Optimized for Traffic Here are all the 12 ads being launched. Fast-forwarding 24 hours to let the ads run. Here's the results Campaign Numbers: Ad budget: $15.80 Total Impressions: 2,869 Total Reach: 2,569 Total Clicks: 38 Cost Per Click (CPC): $0.42 CTR (all): 1.32% Ad results Summary Reach and Impressions: 'Headline 6' has the highest reach with 585 and the highest impressions with 611. 'Headline 11' has the lowest reach with 55, and also the lowest impressions with 62. Amount Spent: 'Headline 6' had the highest amount spent at $3.46. 'Headline 11' had the least amount spent at $0.27. CPM (Cost per 1,000 Impressions): 'Headline 3' has the highest CPM at $6.45, indicating it's the most expensive ad per 1000 impressions.

'Headline 12' has the lowest CPM at $2.63. Link Clicks and CTR (Click-Through Rate): 'Headline 6' has the highest number of link clicks at 12. 'Headline 3' stands out with a CTR of 2.73%, making it the most effective ad in terms of engagement. 'Headline 10' has the lowest CTR at 0.61%. CPC (Cost per Link Click): 'Headline 10' has the highest CPC at $0.90. 'Headline 3' has the lowest CPC at $0.24, making it the most cost-effective ad in terms of link clicks. Ad Performance: 'Headline 6', despite not having the highest CPM, stands out with the highest reach and impressions. It also has a reasonable CTR and CPC, indicating a good balance between reach and cost-effectiveness. 'Headline 11' has the lowest reach, impressions, and amount spent. It might be worth investigating why this ad is underperforming compared to others. In conclusion, while 'Headline 6' reached the most people, 'Headline 3' was the most effective in terms of engagement and cost-effectiveness for link clicks. It's essential to consider both reach and engagement metrics when evaluating the performance of ads. Analytics: Winning Ads:  If the goal is to get maximum reach and impressions, 'Headline 6' is the top performer. Headline: "For the Ones Who Value Substance Over Style: Nike Air Monarch IV" Ad body: "Don't settle for style without substance. The Nike Air Monarch IV offers the stability, durability, and comfort that the modern man craves. Wear it daily, wear it proudly. Ordering tip: Runs a tad snug, so order half a size up for a fit that's just right." Models Used: Relationships (Your customer, Avatar), Emotions (Pride), Capability (Offers, Wear), Time (Now), Numbers (Size). Total Impressions: 611 Total Reach: 585 Clicks: 12 CPC: $0.29 CTR: 1.96%  If the objective is to get the most clicks at the lowest cost, 'Headline 3' stands out. Headline: "Workout Shoes That Last: Step into a Legacy" Ad Body: "Embrace a workout companion that shares your values. The Nike Air Monarch IV is synonymous with long-term comfort, resilience, and unadorned efficiency. Dive into the legacy of trust and ensure every step is backed by Nike’s promise. Recommendation: Go half a size up for unmatched comfort." Models Used: Relationships (Your customer), Imagery (Kinesthetic), Emotions (Trust), Capability (Is, Ensure), Time (Now). Total Impressions: 110 Total Reach: 102 Clicks: 3 CPC: $0.24 CTR: 2.73%  Takeaways/Insights So in this thorough case study, I extensively analyze, examine, and audit Nike's ads relating to the workout shoe, then come up with new ad ideas based on 17 analysis "lenses", and finally validate ad ideas by running them through paid FB traffic to determine the winning ad. Leveraging on the fact that Nike has been a household athletic shoe brand for years, the 2 winning ads dive deeper into the benefit of long-term properties of Nike like "legacy". For example: Ad 6: "For the Ones Who Value Substance Over Style: Nike Air Monarch IV" (Substance) Ad 3: "Workout Shoes That Last: Step into a Legacy" (Legacy) Ads 3 & 6 can be bred into a new ad with the dominating ad #6 because #6 has collected lots of reach, impressions, and clicks while #3 has a better edge in CPC & CTR. Surprisingly, shame-model ads such as 7, 8, and 9 aren't delivering this time. Despite their disappointing performance, I wouldn't write them off yet and would make the following adjustments such as: Identify a new group of audience who are more susceptible to the emotions triggered by the shame-model. Update the landing page to address the emotions from the shame model so that you can appear sympathetic to the affected groups of audiences. Having only one control ad can seriously underperform your entire campaign because of the lack of A/B Testing, targeting limitations, ad fatigue, risk management, and optimization challenges.

Having multiple analysis "lenses" is the foundation to come up with ad ideas addressing customers' needs, wants, objections, pains, and frustrations. Without additional analysis "lenses", you are more likely to get "stuck" with boring and mediocre "features & benefits" angle. Ideas & creatives are the name of the game. I'd recommend Nike create more ad angles for each of their products. The path of "Extreme Ads Makeover" doesn't stop and should be continuously evolving with the market. What-If Revenue Impact Analysis What If Lexus went ahead and doubled down on ad #3 with the lowest CPC,  what would be the revenue impact? Let's make some assumptions: The conversion rate is 1% (given the normal conversion rate of 2%) The shoe costs $75 Double down on ad #3 by increasing the number of clicks to 10,000 clicks (Cost = 10,000 clicks x $0.24 = $2,400) Let's calculate the potential revenues At 0.1% conversion rate, 10,000 x 0.1% = 10 shoppers purchased Revenue = 10 x $75 = $750 ROI = -69%  ($750- $2,400) / $2,400) At 0.5% conversion rate, 10,000 x 0.5% = 50 shoppers purchased Revenue = 50 x $75 = $3750 ROI = 56%  ($3750- $2,400) / $2,400) At 1% conversion rate, 10,000 x 0.1% = 100 shoppers purchased Revenue = 100 x $75 = $7500 ROI = 213%  ($7500- $2,400) / $2,400) Next Step Double down on the winning ad and amp up the budget on it because I've done the homework for you, all you need is to increase the ad budget. I share with you the 17 proprietary models I used to create ad ideas. While those 17 models appear easy for me because I've used them to generate thousands of ad ideas, for you, generating ideas may not come easily. That's why I want to introduce the... "Second Opinion" Package If you are a 7-figure business owner and already run paid ads and need someone to critique your ads for a potential makeover, go ahead and order my "Second Opinion" package.   https://michaelnguyen.me/extreme-ads-makeover-nike/?feed_id=366&_unique_id=64fe3e5066f69

[englishendeavors]

My reflections on the book "Shoe dog" by Phil Knight

The book called "Shoe dog" written by Phil Knight is a memoir of the creator of shorts apparel "Nike" with the notorious slogan "Just do it!"

Here I will reflect on it in several parts as I read through the book. I will indicate the dates and chapters I read to capture ideas and interesting facts.

Reflection 1. pages 1-41

The book starts from the author sharing his experience of running in the dawn one day in Oregon, USA in small town called Portland. It was in 1962 and he was back to his parents house after seven years since he left them. He studied at the University of Oregon, then did his master's from a top business school - Stanford, served a year in the US Army.

The author describes himself as shy, pale and rail-thin 24 years old kid. Even though he is 24, he felt himself as a young kid coming back to parents' house and live in his own room. He also mentioned that he questioned what he wants and would become. He had no idea at that point. However, his project paper on exporting shoes that he worked during the MBA Entrepreneurship class excited him and he dreamed about it because he was an athlete himself and knew a lot about running. So, he called this idea as a crazy idea throughout first few chapters.

Then pitched his crazy idea to his father one evening. His father was very respectful man in Oregon and was a publisher of Oregon Journal and apparently he was above average class worker at that time. Surprisingly to the author his father was supportive and he started to prepare to his trip, the world trip.

He convinced his college friend to join the journey and started it from Hawaii. Once they landed in the airport of Hanolulu, the beautiful islands they wanted to hang on there for a while. They find a job as salesmen of encyclopedias and later Phil started selling securities though conducting many cold phone calls and closing deals. He succeeds but his crazy idea motivates him to leave his friend behind (his friend found a girlfriend and wanted to be with her) and flies to Japan. In Japan he manages to convince 4 executives of one shoe company (Onitsuka & Co, in Kobe) to become their representative in the US. Phil describes that morning meeting with Onitsuka representatives in details how he felt and tons of controversial ideas flew through his mind and how surprisingly well his peach was and how odd Japanese culture was. Then he continued his journey to Malaysia, Thailand, Hong-Kong, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Cairo, Jerusalem, Turkey, Rome, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, UK, Greece. The trip took him almost six months (he left on 7 September 1962 and returned 24 February 1963).

Interesting facts:

Phil Knight was called Buck by his family members and friends;

He learned and quite good mastered surfing while living in Hanolulu;

He was in Hawaii while the cold war between US and Soviet contry reached it's peak and everyone was expecting start of WW3;

His father's friends from United Press Internationals helped him to get around in Tokyo and collected to former colleages who were importing goods from Japan.

He tension between US and Japan after the WW2 felt so recent when he arrived to Tokyo as many buildings remain damaged after the bombing;

how weird the Jananize culture, they don't say yes or no and always talk in circles that you can't expect clear answer from them;

He made up the company which he represented to Onitsuka. He called it "Blue Ribbon Sports of Portland, Oregon" :-). These blue ribbons were from his past tracks (marathons) that he was proud of.

Isn't it interesting that at the age of 24 and be able to visit 16 countries in six months.

Reflection 2. pages 42-76 (1963-1964 years)

Throughout the year of 1963, Phil completed the accounting courses (yes, even more school) and got his CPA (Certified Public Account) certification then started working in an accounting firm Ross Bros.&Montgomery. The accounting company branch in Portland was very small and from November to April the workload was enormous. They worked twelve hours a day, six days a week. So, this year passed away while he was still waiting for his sports shoes from Japan.

After the new year, Phil got his first box with sports shoes (twelve pairs) and was impressed with the quality and appearance. He describes them as they were more than beautiful and he hasn't seen any other shoes like them in Italy or France. He immediately sends two pairs to his track coach at Oregon, Bill Bowerman. Bowerman was a brilliant coach and natural leader of young people with enormous obsession of gear for running. He had spend days on modifying the footwear of his athletes, improving them so they run like deer. Phil hoped that Bowerman would place order for the shoes for his athletes which he did. Eventually, they agreed to be a partners with 51/49 percent share of the deal and Phil be in control.

Second time, Phil placed 300 pairs of shoes worth of 3,000$ and became official distributor in the West US after receiving a confirmation letter from Mr Miyazaki, one of representatives of the Onitsuka company. Few months later he received a letter from another person from New York who claimed that he is only official distributor of Onitsuka. To clarify and get this straighten he went to Japan and met with the head of Onitsuka, Mr. Onitsuka himself. Apparently, all his executives were scared of Mr. Onitsuka but Phil's meeting went very well and he had gotten the confirmation that he would be the one offical distributor of his shoes in the West US. (The other person, in New York apparently was selling wrestling shoes and not the track shoes. Thus, Phil will be selling the track shoes in West US while the other representative will be selling wrestling shoes nationwide and track shoes only in the East Cost). After this high-level meeting he goes to climb the Mount Fuji, where he met his love, a girl named Sarah. He had fallen in love with her. She visits him after several weeks and they celebrate Christmas (1964) together. On the other occasion she visited him for couple of weeks. However, her parents prohibited her from dating with Phil. Eventually, she drops him. He goes through enormous heartbreak and with support of one of his twin sisters, Jeanne, he resumes his work with the Blue Ribbon (selling the shoes).

In 1965 the year starts from the request of his former classmate, Jeff Johnson to become his sales representative because the pair of shoes that Phil send him were great and everyone was interested to buy. Eventually, he starts selling the shoes and overwhelms Phil with mail communication by sending daily mails. Jeff being a social worker loved socializing and decided to quit his social work and unite with runners and became full time sales person of Blue Ribbon. Jeff's persistence wins and he becomes the first full time sales with the salary of 400$ (even as a social worker he got 460$).

A friend of his father gave advice on Phil's career path saying that anyone changes jobs at least three times and each time they have to start all over again. So, he advised Phil to get his CPA while he is young. The CPA (Certified Public Account) along with MBA will put solid floor under the earnings. This way he can change jobs but will always maintain his salary level. Nice advice, isn't it?

Phil bought shoes (tiger model) for 3.33$ per pair and sold it for 6.95$ in the US.

During the flight to Japan, Phil was so nervous that he was trying to memorize a content of the book "How to do business with the Japanese".

in 1965 running wan't a sport. Apparently, people mocked the runners. Drivers would throw a beer or soda at them.

Reflection 3. pages 77-??? (1965-1980 years)

There were a lot happening starting from breaking up with Onitsuka in extremely unpleasant way, going through the trial and winning it, launch of new Blue Ribbon's brand "Nike", recruitment of promising athletes, constant shortage of cash and many other challenges that will be described below.

Blue Ribbon (BR) started to grow in sales with 100% growth each year. In 1967, it had Johnson on the East Coast and Bork in California. In addition, Bowerman recommended several people, including Bob Woodell who played a crucial role in the development of BR. He was a promising athlete (a track star) if not an accident where he injured his vertebra and had no hope of walking. Even though Bob was in the wheelchair, he had a strong stamina and will and never complained and furiously tackled all challenges at BR. At one moment, when Phil desperately needed cash to close his debt Bob's parents had given him all their savings. In 1974 there was a trial with Onisutka and Pre died. In 1975 BR bought their first factory in the US and started repairing it for 250,000

Cash. 150,000 in sales in 1968, 300,000 in sales in 1969, 1.3 million USD in 1971,

Phil's personal life. He was working as an accountant at Price Waterhouse for almost two years (1966-1967), then he became an assistant professor at Portland State University in Fall 1967. His aim was to free up time to dedicate to BR. At the university he had met his wife and married her within a year. She started working at BR and after four months they started dating and exchanged their vows on 13 September 1968. Phil quits teaching next year and accidentally learned that one of students were looking for a job and he offered to be design print ads, logoes, visuals for presentations (it was Caroly Davidson, who created a today's Nike swoosh). Phil describes himself as absentminded (he would drive to the grocery store and come home empty-handed, without the one item Penny asked. It was because of many business problems he had). Also, he apparently misplaced everything at home, especially wallets and keys. Besides, he wasn't housebroken. He left his clothes everywhere, left food on the counter, etc. Moreover, he was into himself. He was lost in his own thoughts, trying to solve some problems and developing plans. He didn't hear her or remember what she said. Finally, he hated loosing anything. He always blamed someone, remembered how his father didn;t let him win ping-pong when he was a child. On top of this, Penny had to manage tiny (25 USD per week) budget for groceries. In September 1969, they had a first baby (boy whom they named Matthew). In search of a new shoe supplier he agrees to do a business in a factory called, Canada in Guadalajara, Mexico. They produced first batch of the shoes but the quality was poor and shoes broke down quickly. Then BR had problems with the First National bank and Ito, from Nissho basically saved them and payed all the load fully after carefull examination of BR's accounting books. I stopped at page 255. he almost always was tongue-tied. loss of words,

Person:

Bowerman, Olympics trainer of track runners, very ambitious, meticulous, callous, persistent.

Hiraku Iwano, personal assistant of Kitami, one of Onitsuka's main representatives. Iwano in his twenties, innocent, just a kid.

Nissho Iwai, Japanese trading company, who helped BR a lot by loaning the cash. he believed that BR was very promising and could be 20 mln worth company. Ito is another person from this company, he was the most smartest man Phil ever met, meticulous, super confident, so self-assured. Phil called him the Ice Man.

Kitami, Onitsutka's main representative. He once played a guitar and sang an Italian song in the voice of an Irish tenor. The room was surreal. He proposes to sell the BR and later he refuses saying it. Onitsuka's plan was to replace BR with other distributors.

Pre, promising young athlete who changed after 1972 olympics and was never the same. He died at age of 24 in a car accident.

Bob Strasser, young lawyer, who helped BR win the case over Onitsutka and later because the partner of BR. His was best at negotiations. However, when Nike went public he stopped listening Phil and left the company. He joined adidas and Phil took it as betrail.

[rankertopgoogle]

black owned advertising agency

Agility means the ability to think quickly on your feet.

best advertising agencies in south Africa - It also means the ability to out-think, outwit and out-manoeuvre the competition. Agility at Agency 9one1 is more than just the definition of quick-thinking.

It’s a business philosophy that we use to leverage our client’s brands over and above their counter parts. Because we believe that agility should be more than a business response, and like creativity, it should be a way of life.

 Marketing agency in johannesburg

There are several marketing agencies in Johannesburg, South Africa. Here are some reputable marketing agencies based in Johannesburg:

Ogilvy South Africa: Ogilvy is a global advertising and marketing communications agency with an office in Johannesburg. They offer a wide range of services including advertising, brand strategy, digital marketing, public relations, and more.

TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris: TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris is an advertising agency with a strong presence in Johannesburg. They are known for their creative campaigns and strategic brand communication solutions.

 Quick turn advertising agency

Quick Turn Advertising Agency is a fictional name and does not exist in the real world. However, many advertising agencies offer quick turnaround times for their services. When looking for an advertising agency that can provide fast and efficient services, it's important to consider agencies with a track record of delivering projects on time and meeting deadlines. You can search for reputable advertising agencies in your area and inquire about their turnaround times and capabilities to find one that aligns with your needs.

 Advertising agency

There are numerous advertising agencies globally, and it's important to find one that suits your specific needs and location. Here are a few well-known advertising agencies that operate internationally:

Wieden+Kennedy: Wieden+Kennedy is a global advertising agency headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with additional offices in New York, London, Shanghai, Amsterdam, and more. They have a reputation for their creative campaigns and have worked with major brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, and Old Spice.

 Digital agency

There are numerous digital agencies that specialize in various aspects of digital marketing and online advertising. Here are some well-known digital agencies:

Accenture Interactive: Accenture Interactive is a global digital agency that offers services ranging from digital strategy and experience design to digital marketing and technology solutions.

Wunderman Thompson: Wunderman Thompson is a global digital agency that combines creativity and technology to deliver digital marketing, customer experience, and e-commerce solutions.

Isobar: Isobar is a digital agency that specializes in digital transformation, experience design, and marketing services. They have a global presence and work with clients to create innovative digital experiences.

 https://www.agency9one1.co.za/

[earaercircular]

World first: BCTN takes first hydrogen vessel into regular scheduled service

After a retrofit process of eighteen months, one of the existing ships in the BCTN fleet was converted into a zero-emission barge.

Together with partners Nike[1], Future proof shipping[2] and Air-Liquide[3], the ship "H2 Barge 1" will be deployed from the beginning of June in a regular scheduled service between Rotterdam and Meerhout (B). This will save an additional 2,000 tons of CO² annually. An additional advantage is that this barge is much quieter than a regular barge.

"BCTN[4] has been on the road to zero-emission for a number of years. This is prompted by our customers who continuously inspire and motivate us, so that we have to keep raising the bar" says David Huybrechts, general manager for BCTN Belgium. “At the moment we are pioneering and exploring how we can continue on the road to zero-emissions in the future - a combination of battery ships and hydrogen ships, electric cranes, electric and hydrogen trucks will be used to achieve our sustainability goals in the short term. This all fits in with our own business objective, but of course also with a green deal objective of Europe and Flanders. We want to play a pioneering role in this, but this can of course only be successful with the support of strong partners.”

Source

Annelies Frederickx, Wereldprimeur: BCTN neemt eerste waterstofschip op in reguliere lijndienst, in: Made in Kempen, 25-05-2023: https://www.made-in.be/kempen/wereldprimeur-bctn-neemt-eerste-waterstofschip-op-in-reguliere-lijndienst/

[1]  Nike, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, in the Portland metropolitan area. It is the world's largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment, with revenue in excess of US$46 billion in its fiscal year 2022 The EMEA distribution centre has been located in Laakdal (Vorst) in Belgium since 1994.

[2] FPS is a Rotterdam based shipping company. It has a small yet formidable team when it comes to developing realistic and practical sustainable shipping solutions. It has taken on the challenge to prove that zero-emission shipping is not only possible but it’s achievable at a reasonable cost that is priceless for our planet. Its aim at FPS is to have ten zero-emissions ship projects kickstarted within the next five years and we are currently in the process of retrofitting an inland container vessel fuelled 100% by green hydrogen.

[3] Air Liquide S.A. is a French multinational company which supplies industrial gases and services to various industries including medical, chemical and electronic manufacturers. Founded in 1902, after Linde it is the second largest supplier of industrial gases by revenues and has operations in over 80 countries. It has headquarters at the 7th arrondissement of Paris. Air Liquide owned the patent for Aqua-Lung until it expired.

[4] BCTN has been active since 1987 with a container terminal in Nijmegen (NL). This initiative has since been widely followed. A large proportion of the containers destined for the domestic market are already delivered/delivered via one of our terminals, and more and more companies are seeing the advantages of this method of transport. BCTN's first terminal is the terminal in Nijmegen. This was set up in 1987. This initiative has been followed many times. Meanwhile, 7 terminals have been added. Namely in Alblasserdam, Beringen (B), Den Bosch, Geel (B), Meerhout (B), Roermond and Venray. In the very near future, BCTN will open its ninth and tenth terminals in Deventer (NL) and Lommel (B). A large part of the containers destined for the domestic market are delivered/delivered via one of our terminals and more and more companies are seeing the advantages of this method of transport. Read more about our services that relieve our customers of logistics issues. https://bctn.nl/over-bctn/

#sustainable transport

[evenplayingfieldwis]

FemWashing

As mentioned in my last blog post, many sportswear companies are creating a new narrative towards women in sport. Companies like Adidas, Nike, Under Armour, to name a few, have created a strong marketing presence to support women in sport and female athletes, yet for who's gain. I will be looking at Nike to discuss the term Femwashing and what it means for women in sport and gender inequality.

Nike’s tactics to reaching the female market was through generating emotional lead experiences of female athletes. Grow expresses that sports advertising needs to capture “the heart of the female experiences of fitness and sports in a personal way.” For example, Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan in the late 1900s, focuses on empowerment, and is not gender specific, making it a relatable symbol and adaptable for female empowerment and to embrace the emergence of female sport. Nike appears to be sympathetic to women in sport and entices new consumers by championing a romantic vision of modern, liberated femininity and liberal feminism. The brand used this to their advantage to get capital gain and expand their market to turn into financial success using ‘commodity feminism’. British sociologist and feminist cultural theorist, Rosalind Gill refers commodity feminism as:

…to the way feminist ideas and icons are appropriated for commercial purposes, emptied of their political significance and offered back to the public in a commodified form – usually in advertising. The term pays homage to Marx's notion of “commodity fetishism” and is often framed within contemporary Marxist and feminist terms.

This raises questions as to how does Nike’s advertising of feminist perspectives through ‘commodity feminism’ increase the inclusion of women in sports. In 2018, Nike released a campaign ad “Dream Crazier” narrated by World tennis champion, Serena Williams. The advertisement focuses on female athletes and the moments they are considered “crazy” by pursuing their sport. It features sportswomen who in their careers have been perceived as hysterical, irrational and over dramatic when standing up for their achievements, but this campaign breaks these stereotypes and dents the notion that women are inferior. This advertising campaign is described as the best embodiment of women’s determination and shows victorious and fighting moments but also a variety of unfair and challenged scenes that female athletes have met. Its powerful messaging, emotion and thought provoking concept makes it a great example of advocacy for women in sport through the use of experience of female athletes. Nike gives a voice for these female athletes and a platform for their brand as strong athletes to be seen. This advertisement shows women’s bravery, independence and pursuit of marketing. It caters to women’s psychology successfully… a brilliant model of female marketing. 

Similar to the concept of “green-washing”, “woke-washing” can be used by global corporations by attaching activist messaging for their purpose, values and practice to enact in inauthentic brand activism, mainly used as a marketing ploy. This campaign was effective in boosting its brand awareness, yet it could be questioned is Nike using these campaigns to fight for activism or for capital gain, and is this an unethical practice?  Nike have been under scrutiny for the treatment of female athletes and female workers. In 2013, runner Mary Cain was sponsored by Nike to train under the Nike Oregon Project with world famous coach Alberto Salazar, but the corporation mistreated Cain and other female sponsored athletes by compelling them to lose weight and resulted in many athletes suffering with severe physical and mental health issues . Crouse further sheds light on how Nike treated female athletic adaptions in the same way that you would for male athletes:

"A big part of this problem is that women and girls are being forced to meet athletic standards that are based on how men and boys develop. If you try to make a girl fit a boy’s development time line, her body is at risk of breaking down."

As a result this damages female athletes bodies and shows a lack of study and awareness for how female athlete development differ to male athletes. Nike also refused to sponsor many female athletes while on maternity leave and would only return back to paying them once they started racing again.

In later years, Nike came out with a commercial advert captioned “To every mother, everywhere: you are the toughest athlete”  advocating for athletes during pregnancy and early motherhood, to counter act the scandals that came out in 2019. Since then Nike have announced new pregnancy policies that protects athletes from pay reductions during pregnancy. Furthermore, Nike still don’t seem to acknowledge that they are still underpaying workers, who are mostly female. The National Organization for Women and the Ms. Foundation For Women wrote a letter to the Nike Chairman, Philip Knight: 

"While the women who wear Nike shoes in the United States are encouraged to perform their best, the Indonesian, Vietnamese and Chines women making the shoes often suffer from inadequate wages, corporal punishment, forced overtime and/or sexual harassment."

These messages of empowerment are on these adverts but there is a disconnect between the narrative of these advertisements and the actions Nike take to create equality in labour rights. Corporations like Nike need to look at how creating adverts like these are negatively impacting their brand equity if they are not supporting all female rights and not just female athletes as a marketing strategy. 

Global companies are starting to see the growing market within women in sports, and see that there is a space for capital gain. Yet it is also the responsibility of these corporations to look beyond surface level projections or virtue signals of equality and address the global inequity they perpetuate, in order to promote true and ethical equality for women.

References:

#Youtube

[letscollectnft]

RTFKT and Division Street Drop Exclusive NFT Collection

RTFKT and Division Street Drop Exclusive NFT Collection

Nike owned mega fashion brand, RTFKT, has partnered with branding company, Division Street, to drop an exclusive AR helmet NFT collection. Following the sale, Division Street will then use the proceeds from the NFTs to support student athletes at the University of Oregon. Who benefits from the collection? The project aims to help athletes commercialize their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL).…

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[apwmagazine]

Is Bol Bol Related To Manute Bol? Father Son Age Gap,

Is Bol Bol Related To Manute Bol? Father Son Age Gap,

Is Bol Bol related to Manute Bol? Here’s what you need to know about their relationship. Bol Bol wants to carry on the project his Father, Manute Bol, began. The son of former NBA center Bol hopes to aid the Sudanese people someday. At the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon, Bol competed for Team USA, a group of accomplished high school seniors from the United States, against a group of…

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[kicksaddictny]

Nike and Eliud Kipchoge Celebrate 20 Years of Breaking Barriers

According to NIKE

Twenty years of dominating performances. Twenty years of redefining human potential. Twenty years of inspiration and indispensable partnership. Nike is celebrating two decades with Eliud Kipchoge, the world’s greatest marathoner, whose steadfast determination and gentle nature has forever changed the running community.

From his first race as a Nike athlete in Paris in 2003 — when he won the 5,000-meter World Championship — to his storied marathon career, Eliud has pushed the boundaries of what is possible with his unique grit and grace. Across the last two decades with Nike, he’s won 11 World Marathon Majors, captured four Olympic medals, and broken his own marathon world record two times to become the most dominant marathon runner in history. Partnering with Nike for the Breaking2 project, Eliud showed the world that the impossible — running 26.2 miles in under two hours — was within reach. Throughout the pursuit and his historic 1:59:40 run in Vienna in 2019, he paved the way for all runners to chase their own moon-shot dreams.

That inspiration to the running community is what sets Eliud apart. In addition to his accolades on the road and track, Eliud has also worked closely with Nike product innovators and designers to create footwear and apparel to fuel all runners’ journeys — whether they’re chasing their own personal best or heading out for their first mile. The Eliud Kipchoge Foundation goes beyond sport and focuses on education and environment, giving children across the world access to knowledge through building and maintaining libraries and planting trees to conserve forests in a sustainable way.

Across the world, Nike is commemorating the best marathoner in history. From October 12 to 16, Nike will host Eluid for his third China tour, with stops in Beijing and Shanghai to celebrate the growth of running across the country. Throughout the tour, Eliud will meet with NIKE, Inc. employees and local running communities to host discussions, lead immersive runs, and inspire and enable the next generation of Chinese runners to enjoy the sport and continue breaking limits.

To honor Eliud’s legacy as a storied Nike athlete, Nike will also unveil two permanent fixtures at its campuses. The company has commissioned a bronzed statue of Eliud for its World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., to be placed near a beloved running path on campus. The statue was created by local Oregon artist Alison Caswell and captures Eliud’s signature gate and unique running style. The brand has also renamed the track at its Nike European Headquarters the “Eliud Kipchoge Track & Field.” Renovated earlier this year to expand the number of lanes and modernize the track surface, the space serves a growing number of passionate runners from the local athletic club and the Hilversum community. 

Earlier this summer, Nike released the EK Umoja Collection, a capsule of running footwear and apparel honoring the unifying legacy the champion has had on the running community. “‘Umoja’ stands for unity in my native Swahili,” explains Eliud. “This collection represents the work done together as a running family and community.” 

Eliud Kipchoge and Nike continue to look to the future, knowing the potential and possibilities to break new barriers and further inspire the world to fall in love with running are infinite. “Together, we have gone to the moon and back and changed the world of running,” says Eliud. “My hope is that we continue to make this world a running world, as a running world is a peaceful world.”

#nike #eliud kipchoge #kicksaddict

[assisttonki]

Dior johnson

Johnson grew up in Saugerties, New York, rising to national prominence as a seventh grader because of his outstanding ball handling, prolific scoring prowess and exciting style of play. Johnson recently decommitted from Oregon after the school signed two upperclassmen guards from the NCAA transfer portal and returned starting point guard Will Richardson, who tested the NBA draft waters. He picked Pitt over a group of schools that included Washington State and Mississippi State. 35 prospect in the ESPN 100, was the top available high school recruit remaining. Having an elite leader like himself, after us talking I knew Pitt is where I needed to be." I honestly feel like he's going to pour into me as a person and player. Coach Capel has a great track record and was a great player himself. "I still have some things to work on and another level to tap into, in all phases of the game. "I was looking for a coach to challenge me and hold me in high account," Johnson said via text. Men's College Basketball, Men Basketball Recruiting, Pittsburgh Panthersįour-star basketball recruit Dior Johnson has committed to Pittsburgh, he told ESPN on Monday. He'll also have opportunities to attend the high school all-star events in the spring, which should continue next April after taking a two-year hiatus, prior to enrolling in Eugene.ESPN 100 guard Dior Johnson commits to join Pittsburgh men's basketball program, knowing it's 'where I needed to be' The event will be open to NBA scouts for the first time since the abolishment of the age limit in 2006. His natural talent with the ball in his hands and ability to get anywhere he wants on the floor with his unique pace has earned him a significant following from a young age, with 569,000 followers on instagram alone.Īfter missing on significant exposure over the past year due to travel restrictions caused by the pandemic, has two years to continue to build his candidacy as a potential lottery pick in the 2023 draft starting at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam in Augusta, Georgia next month. Johnson is considered one of the best NBA prospects in the class due to his electrifying combination of ball-handling, passing and overall scoring prowess. I am glad that I went through those situations early on as now I understand the process in decision making and can continue to pass along the information to help the next generation not have to deal with the downfalls I've experienced." I have been introduced to great people and have had great coaches within my journey that I am very thankful for. However, I have grown from these situations spiritually and my relationship with God has been strengthened. That came with me not embracing the right guidance and not understanding how certain decisions can affect my future. "In the past, I was immature with some of the decisions I have made being that everything surrounding basketball started to happen at a very young age for me. Johnson, who is currently undecided regarding where to spend his senior year before enrolling at Oregon, says the notoriety he gained from an early age played a role in the lack of stability he's projected with his constant movement. He committed to play at Syracuse in February of 2020 but elected to change gears after nine months and reopened his recruitment. He's bounced around the country since, attending powerhouse basketball programs Findlay Prep, IMG and Oak Hill Academy before spending the past two years in Southern California at Mayfair and then Centennial high school. Johnson grew up in Saugerties, New York, rising to national prominence as a seventh grader due to his significant scoring exploits and highlight reel style of play. I also felt that it was important for me to build an early bond with my future teammates and have the ability to recruit other guys to come play with me." He is a Coach that will push you every day to be great and that is something I like. The relationship I have been able to establish with Coach Altman is special and being that he is a legendary coach, I feel that learning from him on a daily basis on and off the court will be huge for my development. I am a person who is big on relationships and trust. "I wanted to commit now because I felt like Oregon was the place for me.

#Dior johnson

[lookninjas]

#can't find the sue sylvester gif so this will work #alberto salazar #nike oregon project #usatf #ha ha fuck off salazar

[thatrunnertori]

Another Runner’s World piece highlighting our favorite defunct (former) Nike coach, Alberto Salazar. I wish we knew more details in regard to the latest investigation, but time will tell. I’m saddened by the way this coach seemed to have handled his power, but feel content knowing that Salazar has been removed from sport pending further investigation into these claims.

#my life #read for free in incognito mode #runners world #informative #good read #nike #nike oregon project #alberto salazar #mary cain #mary cain movement #we believe mary cain