Marketing the Air Jordan

Everyone about my age remembers when Nike’s Air Jordan shoes first became a thing. It wasn’t just the ‘coolness’ of the shoe or the fact that Jordan endorsed them, although Jordan’s popularity was the bulk of it. His athletic dominance night after night turned him into the biggest star in the biggest sport. Nike’s control of basketball shoes began with a likeable star and a genius marketing campaign; it continues using the same formula today. 

Live sports on TV took a major financial leap in the late seventies and another in the eighties. Athlete salaries spiked in all three major sports (basketball, baseball, football) owing largely to television contracts for professional sports. Big contracts for TV rights ensured that clubs had larger payrolls. More people watching sports meant more people for advertisers to sell to.   

 What better way to sell products without creating events to market products. Instead of going to trade shows and marketing new kicks to dealers, well heeled (pun intended) shoe companies could sell direct. And sell they did.

The Air Jordan taught us that people bought products that had buzz and not quality. Not saying Michael’s shoe was crap just that its quality was beside the point. The aggressive marketing and Jordan’s easy charm sold the shoe more than anything. The sneaker aesthetics played a role, who didn’t love the black patent leather covering the bottom like a twenties era spat? Every single new pair looked different than the other models on the floor at the time. Most basketball shoes were pretty boring until Nike proved it was possible to sell a colorful trendy high top with some flash.

 The Air Jordan became the “it” product for kids desperate to stay hip.

The original shoes didn’t conform to the league's standard on colors that matched the jersey. So the NBA fined him. Nike picked up the tab for the fines and used the controversy to spotlight the banned shoes in commercials. A selling opportunity was born out of an unlikely event. 

Jordan the standout. Nike the rebel.  

After that Nike could use release dates to ramp up awareness of the shoe, a very expensive one for the time. The first model sold at $65. A sky high sum for the mid-eighties. After the first few models the company made just enough shoes to keep public interest high. By never making more than they could sell they ensured that interest stayed high and the prices even higher.

Gaming companies like Xbox and Playstation used to do this all the time. Create hype over the new system and produce less than you expect to sell. It does make sense to not overdo a good thing. Overproduction is the death knell for businesses hoping to keep selling similar models year after year. Too much of anything in the marketplace drives the cost down making the “it” product something everyone can buy. Better to make a few and sell them high. Keep demand soaring like the iconic Jumpman, always in the air.

 Nike knew it had a gold mine.

The increased money coming in from TV contracts added to increased visibility of stars able to sell, and sell some more. Jordan never made a lot of money in salary. Until his last couple years he was between 2 and 3 million a year. His money was through endorsements, none bigger or more important than Nike.

I read a quote recently from Kevin Durant about Nike’s popularity. “…Shoe companies have a real big influence on where these kids go. So, nobody wants to play in Under Armours, I’m sorry. Like the top kids because they all play Nike.” He was answering a question from Bill Simmons about why he didn’t want to go to Maryland (his home state school). Maryland is also ground zero for Under Armour apparel and shoes. I don’t know if Durant is right about kids not wanting to wear Under Armours, but knowing how Nike does marketing I wouldn’t be surprised if they set up the question and answer that way. Create doubt about the opponent.

Others have tried to crack the Nike code in basketball and get their own superstars like Jordan. Under Armour famously signed Steph Curry away from Nike. Adidas has a few stars, Damien Lillard and James Harden that show potential. But the battle is uphill for competitors hoping to cash in and create the next "it" shoe. Talented kids are spotted at the AAU(Amateur Athletic Union) level now and most just before that. The shoe companies sponsor many AAU teams with free sneakers and gear. Often kids want to remain loyal to a brand and sign with a college that also wears the same brand. At least that’s what Kevin Durant suggested. There is no bigger player in the shoe game than Nike and more teams wearing kicks with the swoosh on them the better it is for Nike Co. Now the Jordan brand is separate from the parent Nike but still a subsidiary. 

Long story short, Nike has been in this ad game for a while and they don’t take it for granted. Their sales techniques are still aggressive and they don’t hesitate to use bad press when it fits the situation. It will be fun to see them loose a little ground to Adidas or Under Armour and keep the shoe wars hot.

 Now if I could just afford a pair of the new Jordans.

Writing for Dummies

I’ve had a chance now to look back at several writings I’ve compiled over the last 5 years or so. The offerings are pretty slim there from 2011 to 2012, like searching for sea shells at the community pool. I graduated from college in 2012 and after that my writing began to improve a bit more. I determined to write more often but I held out on establishing a rigorous goal, a certain amount of words per week or so. I think I was genuinely worried about losing the passion for writing and missing that inspiration. I didn’t want writing to become homework, something to dread and avoid at all cost. That kind of thinking was nonsense. If we only worked when we felt like it how much would honestly get done?

 It’s the lazy man’s way out to talk about passion and inspiration. I figured that out the hard way.

I had a friend in college who majored in classical guitar. No one worked harder at practicing. He put in countless hours playing in his room and learning new techniques (is that a musical thing, not sure). I don’t think engineering or physics students put in as much time as him in the actual pursuit of excellence. Engineering is hardly an easy path but no one dedicated more time than the music majors. I don’t know if he stuck with it till graduation. I kind of lost touch with him after that year in the dorm. I know he had days when he didn’t want to practice for hours at a time but the discipline demanded he improve by putting in work. He wanted to be a great guitar player. He understood what it took.

If I broke down my previous writing into 3 segments it would probably look like this. First couple years I just needed to put something, anything into words whatever the format. I made a conscience decision to ignore all grammatical errors and focus on nothing but filling up a page with words. The essay needed to reflect a coherent thought but beyond that I wouldn’t get caught ‘churchin it up’. “For God’s sake man, just write it” was the idea. I knew if I focused on spelling or subject/verb agreement stuff I would never finish. Getting hung up on perfect grammar was a mental block for me. Now I can write much more carefree and go back later for edits.

Second, I knew that writing essays only once a month or so would lead to a pile of crappy essays. Here is where the ‘but what if I lose the passion’ instinct kicked in. People who are good have to work at it, whatever the discipline. I remembered my guitar strumming friend playing late into the night while staring at sheet music in his dorm. I wasn’t ready for hours of staring at a computer screen, but I could certainly do better than I was. I still hadn’t set specific goals but I managed to start writing every week, after that a couple times a week. I started doing the blog as a way to keep myself accountable and put out ideas that are edited and coherent-ish.

Third, I’ve started writing about things I didn't understand well by doing small amounts of research and putting together web blogs, some freelance work writing for companies that need copy. This phase is still in its infancy but making sense of topics I don’t fully understand is kind of fun. And I get to stretch myself a bit into other types of writing, and learning. It doesn’t pay well but the point is to get better and improve all around. I still mostly write practice logs for myself. I read the book On Writing: A memoir of the Craft by Stephen King and got the idea to write to a word count. King does at least 2000 words a day. I was thinking half of that to start out, not sure though.

So what have I learned so far about writing, and myself? Write when you don’t feel like it and make it as regular a habit as brushing your teeth. Sometimes it is dreary and my only concern is to get in the word count as quick as possible so I can go watch TV. The really dreary times are not as frequent though and I’ve found the more consistent the practice, the more I look forward to it.

Habitual activities designed to improve skill do pay off.

My classical guitar pal could have told me that years ago. If only I had asked. 

Why so Cynical?

Why cynicism?

Cynicism is learned trait the way anything is. Ever tried to throw a baseball? The first thing you learn is how to hit the strike zone. When you’re a kid this is the most important thing. Other kids will likely swing and miss at pitches right over the plate. Young kids don’t have the skill in their arms or the timing in their wrists to square up and drive one out to left field. Some advance quicker than others but baseball is a game of averages. Most kids swing and miss. Learn to throw strikes first. Worry about sliders and curve balls later. Negativity works the same way.

Cynicism creates early doubt in small personal matters but if not corrected becomes your default philosophy on life. 

Kids learn to be cynical right around the time they learn to play baseball. It isn’t intentional of course. No parent pops up off the chair on a beautiful Saturday and says “Listen, Toby (ruffles his son’s hair) these Senators and Congressman in Washington are out to screw us hard working folks. They line their pockets at the expense of decent people like me and your mom.” It’s generally more subtle. When effective, cynicism creates a feedback loop that parses every success and explains every failure.

How many times have you blamed a football player for dropping a pass because he wasn’t in a “contract year” or blasted the electric company for being “greedy” when the bill shot up in the summer? Ever blame the church clergy for having their “hands in the till” after a Christmas donation push?

Usually we learn to expect losing from our favorite team. The Chicago Bears fans have a saying, shorthand really: S.O.B for Same Ol Bears. Did the kicker miss a 30 yard field goal to lose the game in overtime? “SOB”. Did they just burn through another quarterback that throws picks and loses games? “SOB” In reality most franchises have up and down seasons and similarities between fan complaints can be heard across fandom. Most people dump on their team.

Cynicism plants a seed that says “Expect less”.

Cynical people are class conscience. I used to think it was an old world or even European thing to view people by breeding and money, Downton Abby style. Maybe it always existed in America but more in pockets of the country than something in the ether. I see resentment of success and wealth more than disdain for the poor. This is almost the reverse of the old model where titled land holders joined exclusive clubs and kept ‘undesirables’ out of certain industries.

 In America we have too many ‘victims’, victims of poverty, of discrimination, of sexism, of homophobia and of ‘reckless’ capitalism. If you’re a victim there’s a group. A person who imagines they are taken advantage of will most likely always feel that way. The negativity reminds the individual of the mistreatment, unfairness and the ‘stacked deck’. 

Cynicism is easy because you don't need to defend the failures of a system or belief. You needn't have awkward conversations about why a famous athlete (Lance Armstrong) turned out to be crooked and vindictive. We can cover ourselves up with cynicism like a shield and pretend we “ain’t surprised” when someone famous falls from the pedestal. 

Change is tough for jaded people but some common wisdom from the interwebs goes like this. First recognize the problem. If you always bring down the conversation in group with a dig about pop culture, religion and politics, you have a problem. Second, stop hanging around others who complain and assume ulterior motives about everything from sports to the manufacturing of foods-“they use horse meat you know!” If people have stopped being around you because of your dark cloud and social anomie consider yourself warned. Third, accentuate the positives (yes I know, but it fits).

If being a cynic means assuming conspiracy or wicked design behind every good deed, try instead to relate something positive with the individual. You don’t have to ignore that inner Sméagol that says “I knew they were up to something” but don’t encourage it either. Overwhelm negative with positive. Do it enough times and the new positive feedback replaces the old.

The same mind that learned how to throw a curve ball and picked up cynical thinking can undo it through replacement thinking and positive attitude. The mind is a wonderful tool. 

Sadness in Vegas

Sadly another shooting claimed the lives of almost 60 people late last night. This time a Vegas country music concert became a horrific scene of mayhem as fans ran for cover as a man from across the street rained down bullets on them. I got the alert early this morning on my phone. I need to turn that thing off for peace and quiet before I start the day. Some days are tough enough to just begin as it is. This is partly why I start off my days with teaching and a bible verse. I need to get my mind centered on positive things. Also I avoid the radio in the car on the way to work. I used to love the local talk radio station, anymore though I need to go to God.

There is still too much we don’t know about why the 64 year old single man decided to go sniper on a crowd of people. I won’t say conspiracy but some things don’t add up. He used a fully automatic weapon. Those are almost impossible to get even by illegal means and he wasn’t really a gun guy. He owned a handgun and a couple of rifles but nothing in his past suggests a fascination with firearms. The Islamic terrorist group I.S.I.S claimed responsibility but even this seemed fishy. So far investigators can’t locate any evidence of that. I am sure older white Americans occasionally sign up for jihad without anyone knowing how radical they are, but it isn’t likely. This guy owned a handful of properties and seemed to be well off if not wealthy. Nothing suggests he might fire indiscriminately into a crowd killing 60 and wounded over 500.

 This was monstrous--a real nightmare scenario for Vegas police. Over 40,000 fans crammed into an open air venue make a perfect target for a psychopath. Unfortunately even large scale mass murders like this recent act of terror are getting too common. This may carry a news cycle for a few more days; the ugliness of it washed over by the regularity of it. Not that the slaughter of so many people happens every few weeks but the lone killer taking a few with him before he offs himself is shockingly regular. The Orlando night club shooting happened just over a year ago. Most of these acts of terrorism, recently, are connected to Islam. This may be as well but he doesn’t seem like the convert to Islam type.

 I.S.I.S has been keen on a war with the West from the Paris concert killings to the Brussels airport bombing and truck attacks in London. They have professed jihad and set about recruiting Americans, Brits, French and other Europeans. This latest one is a real mystery, a total head scratcher. It could take a week or so to make sense of it. God be with the families of those poor souls gunned down for doing nothing more than enjoying live country music. I started off trying to read other stuff online, Facebook posts and job board listings. Everything seems hollow next to this. Tom Petty also died today but there doesn’t seem room in our minds for mention. Nothing against Tom but a whole lot of people just had their world turned upside down. Fixating on celeb deaths and sports feels so wrong.