Crisis management is one of the most important aspects of public relations. For a company as big as Nike, the importance is doubled. From its controversial Colin Kaepernick advertisement in 2018, to various lawsuits, to the recent Kyrie Irving and Ja Morant incidents and much more, Nike’s crisis management and communications team have kept the company from severe damage and backlash.

Let’s take it back to February 2019. Zion Williamson, who went on to become the NBA’s top draft pick and Nike superstar athlete, had a major malfunction in a big-time game while playing for Duke University. In the first minute of a game against North Carolina, Williamson’s Nike shoe “exploded” with his foot pushing straight through the bottom of the shoe. Not only did Nike immediately receive backlash and questioning for the manufacturing of the shoe, it also resulted in an injury to Williamson. Social media then began running with “Shoegate” and and it was being called “a major brand failure”. What did Nike do? Uncharacteristically, they waited until the next day to put out a response, saying “We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery. The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance. While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue.”

While the response could’ve been quicker, Nike stuck to their word and made sure that it was in fact an isolated occurrence. They sent a group of researchers to China to inspect the manufacturing of their shoes and find out how the problem occurred. Williamson then returned a few weeks later–still wearing Nike shoes–and the issue was in the past.

Let’s take it back a few months prior to this incident. Nike’s infamous Colin Kaepernick ad campaign (which I touched on in a previous blog post: https://jackberensonpr.com/equality-inclusion/) was the embodiment of mixed reviews. While many people were in support of Nike taking a stand against racial inequality and the NFL’s treatment of Kaepernick, many others were using the hashtags #JustBurnIt and #BoycottNike. In response, Nike stood their ground and released a graphic detailing how people can “burn [their] products safely.”

In this era of social media, it is imperative for a major company like Nike to not only respond to a crisis in a timely manner but make sure it puts out the best statement/response possible. Nike has made their PR mistakes, but making sure a problem doesn’t occur twice and standing on what you believe in are two of the many ways to properly deal with a crisis and come back even stronger. They say all publicity is good publicity, but there must be a plan to handle all of that publicity.