How does Nike use brand storytelling to sell their products?

Nike and their brand storytelling are as famous as their products, but how do they stay on top, and how has their brand of storytelling evolved over the years?

MichaelStnr | Pixabay.com

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Yes, there was a significant financial investment, which always makes marketing easier and gives you more flexibility with your campaign. However, what’s interesting about Nike’s brand storytelling isn’t how many billions they were able to invest, but the methods they used to tell human stories. 

Using the slogan “just do it” is synonymous with Nike’s brand and the early Michael Jordan ads. The slogan is now 37 years old and still going strong, an integral part of their advertising and branding.

Recently, they’ve focused more on D2C performance marketing, but now they are returning to brand storytelling and to what they were famous for. 

They’ve also come up with a new slogan, “So Win.” They describe this new slogan as being about being - 

• a celebration of the power of sport — harnessing Nike’s iconic roster to encourage all athletes to block out the noise, dig in, and let their hard work speak for itself.

  
  

Its focus is on women and “the outstanding rise of women athletes.” Its return to emotive storytelling is at the ‘heart of the brand,’ and this has kept them at the top of their game. Rather than focus on features, Nike focuses on inspiration, perseverance, and emotion, establishing a connection with its core audience. 

To inspire and innovate is part of Nike’s mission, and their messaging is consistent with this (something to note). So Win is matched by Nike’s famous swoosh tick logo. Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of all their campaigns and reinforce their core values and messaging.

So what does this have to do with nonprofits and assistive tech? In essence, focus on your people, your audience. Make stories about people, about their triumphs, their struggles, their ability to win over adversity. 

What part did your nonprofit play?  

Also, consider your donors, how can they do more, how can you make them feel like their part of what you’re doing? You can help them leave your website feeling like they’ve made a difference, and if they haven’t donated or raised funds for your charity, how can you inspire them to do something?

Assistive Tech - don’t just focus on the specifications, but show your audience how your tech empowers those who’ll benefit from it, helping them to be independent and helping them to achieve their ambitions. Use examples, such as people who’ve used your technology and who’ve benefited from having it in their lives. 

Nike uses their brand storytelling to make their users the heroes. Again, it’s about framing stories around the people who use your products, and thinking about why you exist and who you're trying to help. What drives you on? Always make sure you have consistent messaging, like Nike, and make sure you check that all of your copy reflects your values and core message.

Although I’ve mentioned the word ‘audience’ a few times, you might want to consider ‘community’ rather than audience. By being inclusive and creating a community of like-minded thinkers, you are making people feel they are a part of the journey and your mission.

Stories should be rich, addressing any challenges as well as the successes, and the stories should be authentic. 

How does your work, as either a nonprofit or an assistive tech, make an impact, or how does the way your piece of tech or software impact the people who’ve used it? You can show the impact, too, by using video to show how it’s benefited its users.

To create a really useful piece of technology or software or develop a nonprofit based on need, you need to know your users/donors/volunteers extremely well. You need to familiarise yourself with their values, ambitions, and motivations. You can then tailor your stories to them, so they get something out of reading them.

Rather than report your achievements and figures, use the power of storytelling to connect and create a community of like-minded people. Make your users/donors/volunteers the heroes of your mission and inspire more loyalty, action, and connections.

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If you need help with your brand storytelling, get in touch. I provide brand story strategy, copy, and content to assistive tech companies and nonprofits, both startups and seasoned companies. I will consider you if you come from outside this arena, either a business or a solopreneur, if I think we're a good fit. Get in touch by dropping me a message here on my website or directly to: gillianjonescopywriting@gmail.com

My prices are reasonable, and I'm a great communicator, meeting deadlines to time and always helpful. Your business is my business for the time we work together. Why not take a look at my packages while you're here?