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Still, it never hurts to entertain a few ideas, which is why the Beaverton, Ore., company recently held getacquainted talks in Atlanta with Coca-Cola. And it’s why, in the coming months, Nike may also meet with PepsiCo, Sony and Levi Strauss.
“There are maybe five or six worldwide brands relevant to people under 25,” said Scott Bedbury, Nike’s director of advertising, “and those are opportunities to explore common platforms or share resources.”
Such sentiments signal a new attitude at Nike, a brand that has traditionally gone it alone. Yet these notions also fit nearly into alluded to by Bedbury. The term “strategic alliance” is fast becoming become the buzz phrase of the free market.
“The whole issue is marketers getting over the idea of ‘Others will think less of me if I don’t make the whole thing myself,'” said Larry Light, president of Arcature, a Stamford, Conn., brand consultancy. “The consumer is indifferent to whether or not you and you alone make the end product.”
Whfle outright co-branding by Nike is unlikely, the company’s newfound sociability reflects a recognition of its own limits. Nike’s stock took a seven-point hit on Wall Street last Tuesday after it lowered international sales projections.
A relatively immature media industry abroad has Nike strategists considering creating their own programming and possibly even investing in offshore media to better bring the company’s message to young consumers. Such efforts could go even further with a partner wooing the same market.
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