Nike has plenty of visibility. But does it have enough connection?

If only I could get my hands on Nike. 🤗

I suspect Nike does not have a tactic problem. I suspect it has an information problem.

When a massive brand stumbles, the corporate instinct is understandable: adjust distribution, rethink wholesale, change product priorities, reorganize categories, launch campaigns.

But knowing where inventory moves does not necessarily tell you why someone chooses one brand over another.

Instead of beginning with what Nike wants to sell and pushing outward, I would begin with the people most likely to care: athletes, kids, parents, coaches, and communities. Then work backward.

Who is Nike most relevant to today? What patterns are changing? What do those audiences care about now? What creates the strongest emotional connection? Where is Nike highly visible but not deeply felt?

Then I would keep asking questions beneath those questions, because that is where the clues usually live.

The best strategy rarely starts with the answer. It starts with better questions.

Nike has no shortage of logos.

As a sports mom, I see the swoosh constantly: jerseys, shoes, bags, uniforms, tournament signage, teams, kids. Nike is physically present.

But physical presence and emotional connection are not necessarily the same thing.

That makes me wonder whether Nike needs more personification. We are living in a world increasingly built around identification, relatability, community, and human connection. People do not just want to see brands. They want to see something of themselves in them.

That is different from asking how Nike can generate more impressions. It asks how the brand can create deeper identification.

I do not know the answer. That is precisely the point. I would not assume it. I would keep asking.

Find the people. Follow the signals. Identify the patterns. Find the connection. Then build the strategy around what the evidence reveals.