Nike’s shift towards DTC and digital-first marketing under new leadership since 2020 has led to some serious challenges. They abandoned their traditional wholesale model and category-based structure, betting big on e-commerce and performance marketing. The results? Plummeting stock price, inventory issues, and erosion of their brand equity.
It’s a stark reminder that even giants can stumble when they lose sight of what made them successful in the first place. Nike’s story highlights the importance of understanding your core strengths, respecting your existing ecosystem (including partners and loyal customers), and not getting caught up in the hype of “digital transformation” at the expense of proven strategies.
Stay true to our brand essence, and always keep our customers (not just our metrics) at the heart of our decisions.