dckingsfan wrote:queridiculo wrote:dckingsfan wrote:Wait what? When does it make sense to limit your base as a manufacturer? This is just ridiculous...
Branding and brand loyalty are far more important than how wide your base is.
You make a good point. But as a manufacturer, you aren't trying to alienate a potential group of buyers. Especially one that isn't small.
That's a very macro view to take.
Sure, all things being equal you want to sell as many widgets as you possibly can, but our markets nowadays are far too complex to take such a simplistic view.
Consumers aren't just looking for products that satisfy a basic need. They are increasingly making purchasing decisions based on emotions and attaining a sense of belonging or being a part of something. To a lot of people what they buy is an expression of who they are or who they aspire to be.
There are a gazillion companies out there that can sell you shoes or sporting goods of quality similar to Nike at a much cheaper price, so why are they flocking to companies that sell those products at a premium?
Nike's ascension is basically a marketing success story, and you can bet your ass that when Phil Knight signed of on making Kaepernick a centerpiece of their new campaign they were acutely aware of who their customer base is and what impact that choice could have.
The amplification effect of the conservative outrage alone carries a monetary value that's hard to measure.
Heck, to anybody with even a degree of intellectual honesty making the choice to stand with the athletes that market and promote their products shouldn't even be a question.
For a company with global reach, the risk of alienating people that use Kaepernick as a lightning rod for their hatred shouldn't ever factor into their decision making.
