Another post about Nike

The Wall Street Journal has an article about Nike's marketing strategy, away from endorsement deals with the likes of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, and toward under the radar influencers, or even 'influencers of influencers'. So Nike has taken on Mr Cartoon, tatooist to Eminem and 50 Cent as a way of continuing to gain capital with young, Latino hip-hop loving people.

As with many other organisations, marketers employ 'coolhunters' to find out about what will be (or so they hope) the most cutting edge trends in culture. They then use their findings to help companies to resonate with their core audience.

Naomi Klein wrote about this kind of behaviour by companies in 'No Logo'. The effect is to make companies such as Nike look like they are in on whatever's new from the very beginning. They take hold of what's new to make it their own. Of course, not everyone is happy seeing Nike do this. After Steve "Birdo" Guisinger (owner of Consolidated Skateboards - a small but influential Santa Cruz retailer called ) painted three less skateboard decks with images that lampooned Nike's attempts to craft a more street-smart image, Sandy Bodecker - Nike Head of Global Design - bought them on eBay and displayed them proudly in a prototype for a Nike retail concept store. "I personally was very pleased to be in such august company" he says.