Driven by Faith.

Nike-Making Moves.

Nike. The bench marker of success - the brand with arguably the most recognized slogan. Started from the back of a car, Nike is an the industry leader in providing athletic apparel. The amazing part is how they manage to engage the average Joe and the professional athlete with the same products.

Recently, Nike made two huge moves that serves as tangible examples of their market dominance.

1. 5-Year Deal with the NFL

Although fears of radical changes were originally stirred with this forward-thinking company, all were delighted by the Nike’s huge launch event in New York.

The Seattle Seahawks received the most drastic makeover among the 32 teams  with their deeper shades of dark blue, neon green highlights, etc.

2. Sponsoring the 2016 Olympics (Brazil)

Arguable the biggest signed deal for an Organizing Committee, Nike secured a contract (roughly $24-$40 million range). Brazil, one of the newest markets in the world with its rising middle class, is the future audience of marketing. A corporate victory in the race for the Brazil marketing share, Nike has an agreement with Rio 2016 and the Brazilian national team.

It’s remarkable that a dying man’s last words, “just do it,” is known throughout the world an industry leader. Of course like any sports marketing enthusiast, working for Nike would be a dream come true (how to get there is the main challenge).

Speaking of a dying man’s last words, my team and I recently returned from Fiji a week ago where we faced Cyclone Daphne. A spring break trip turned into a national disaster, my teammates and I swam to the airport (literally swam) in flooded streets of Nadi. Funny thing through this experience, is in the middle of it all, I new campaign came to mind…not necessarily “new” but at least I haven’t seen the developments of one yet. I stood their drenched in my clothes, and looking down at my shoes (currently a mini-swimming pool of dirty water), I thought of “good ol’ nikes.”

Which made me think ofwhy doesn’t Nike show just how universal their brand is with showing where Nike’s go. Now when I say this, it sounds a bit ambiguous, but lets think about this. Most of us buy our Nikes from the Nike store, online, a sporting good store, etc…then from there, where does this go? Almost like the “day-in-the-life” of a Nike. Most of us would think of the concrete streets of suburbia on a morning run, the grocery store with a soccer mom buying dinner mixings, maybe the hs sports athlete lacing up before conditioning…but if you really think about where Nike’s end-up, its in the streets of third world countries where shoes are randomly saved from people’s trash/tourist leave behinds, or in the locker room of a pro-team/college team who’s made it to the finals, or its in the dirty waters of Nadi.

One of the biggest values Nike has to offer is its market penetration. Their brand awareness is unmatched to where they have an impact with people an all corners of the world.So why not show it?Finding an interactive way to “show us where your nike goes” (something more creative, simple, and shorten..but you get the point), to where people can submit photos/videos of them and their Nikes. Talk to an athlete and some of them still have their cleats from 2nd grade, in many cases, the same goes for Nikes.

Maybe a good way to step into the marketing for the 2016 olympics or just in general…but really, think about all the places your best Nikes have gone with you. It’s that consistent thing that you walk in, you play in, you run in, you work in, you compete in, you grow in, you love in, etc…your nikes are part of the experience…its just having the audience recognize it that offers us a creative opportunity.

If I do make it to the Nike office one day (which I’ll make sure happens even if its just a visit), I am interested to see how their campaign process is developed. Nike is my inspiration. Even if the only way I can contribute to it is by buying their brand, I am and will always be a Nike lover.

Complete side note, but some ideas to management/motivations come from the always useful INC.com…I bet working for Nike has many of these characteristics.

How to Motivate Yourself:

http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/how-to-motivate-yourself-14-easy-ways.html?nav=next

2011 ..reflection time?

New Years Eve is like a silent killer.

It comes out of nowhere. It hides behind the festive Christmas lights, the super-consumerism of returns and marked down prices. It’s the little pop-quiz you weren’t expecting Monday morning after a weekend of debauchery. There’s that time period, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, where most Americans throw their hands up, and warmly embrace the beautiful excuses of overconsumption..both with chocolate and the newest “toy.” How can anyone fight it? It’s the world of White Elephants, Holiday Parties, Gum Drops, and Christmas cheer. Then after the gifts are unwrapped, the family visits are at its tail end…suddenly, the big 3 -1 approaches. A dress? A plan? A NYE kiss? then BAM! Thoughts of “is another year really over?” “what are my NYE resolutions?”…”2011, what did I do this year?”

Then those worldwinds of memories come back, becoming a cluster of broken pieces of random faces and moments. What is your biggest accomplishment? What was your biggest failure? What individuals changed your life for the best? What family and friends did you lose? How did you change as a person? Are you better off, or worst off than the year before? What are your plans for this upcoming year? You’re graduating, then what? When does your unemployment run out? Where are you going to find a job? What do you want to change?

I can not even begin to think of all that’s happened this year. It’s flown by like that 5 year old birthday celebration you don’t really remember, but you do remember that Polly Pocket Dream House you got..the purple one of course or the Hot Wheels truck with the fire strips. Being a kid is the best, isn’t it?

My life as a kid is coming to a quick end. I’ve been in my Gaucho Disneyland, and it’s coming to a  bitter-sweet end in a matter of months. Then, it’s the scary real world. Finding a job, having more taxes, paying for insurance….wait, self-sufficiency? The horror!

In an attempt to prep for the real world, I’m currently in the process of making my own website. Sure, I have the brainpower and the capabilities of learning DreamWeaver, a brillant program, but right now, I’m more concerned with have a home for a place to show my future employers what I have to offer.

Self-branding…what a concept.

How do I even begin artistically communicating who “Rochelle Farnum is” to the professional world? Heck, I don’t even know that answer half the time..how am I suppose to create some brilliantly artistic story that captures the minds of my audience that stirs their curiosity into wanting “more Ro please!” The experts say it’s easy. Mashable even has a whole guide on this concept…but to actually do that…where does one start? There’s the simple way of saying who are you. “I am a senior at UCSB. I want to have a career in sports marketing.”….”look at Jane run…Look at Jane jump.”

…and I say I want to be part of a “CREATIVE” world with this half-wit presentation? I need some inspiration..any help is greatly appreciated. I can start with my experiences, my family, my self-understanding…but does telling that actually work? No. So how do I show that? I need some ideas. I’d love some guidance..and if any of you have some wise words to the little guppy entering the water of the sharks…it would be most greatly appreciated.

2011, the year before the transition. 2012, bring the unsettled feelings, bring the TBD, bring the curiosity.

PS. I asked Santa for a job this year.

A “Year” Rewind

As July approaches, it will mark the one year anniversary of my role as the Student Marketing Manager of UCSB Recreational Sports. Thank the lord for this experience.

I consider myself to have one of the best, if not the best student job on campus.
A bold claim, but not without merit. My position at UCSB Rec Sports allows me the opportunity create. I’m restricted only by my imagination and my ability to weave through university red tape (which, there is a lot of).

Last July, I worked directly under the guidance of Joel, “my sensei.” Joel recently graduated from UCSB that spring, and had been working for UCSB Rec Sports for almost his entire time in college - what a spitfire that one. Joel has an unwavering persistence and a laid-back attitude, which gives him a unique balance that most “enthusiast” do not possess (ie. me).

He passed on the rungs during that July, and said “Hey, you’ll be fine.”
What he passed on was an endless amount of responsibility: the only “student” position that was in charge of a career staff position. What I mean by this, is that as the Student Marketing Manager, I was now put in charge of not only an entire marketing staff but the marketing of the program (arguably the LARGEST program on campus) in general.

I quickly realized my “point person” position transformed to the conflict resolutions, decision makings, deadline stress, incompetent employees, etc. that most managers deal with. Having to hire, fire, conduct reviews, make changes for deadlines, stay late to complete others works (not the best method), schedule meetings, reschedule meetings, calling people to come in for shifts, asking for project status updates, needing to come up with a solution for a missed deadlines, etc. A headache and a half.

The best thing about my job is the people I work with: my peers. Students love Rec Sports. It’s a participatory brand, and all that it requires is a bit of interest. Gauchos are active, and they love being outside; rec sports is the program that provides students to do exactly that. My co-workers, are (mostly) the ones that love this program. Trust me, the student pay rate isn’t enough to validate the constant sacrifices; but the involvement, the significance, the impact that working for rec sports facilitates is.

My co-workers are just like me: college students looking to learn, enjoy life, and not be in the real world (just yet). My management style, does try to faciliate an understanding that “if you’re 5 minutes late, you’re fired in the real world,” but college life can be demanding with classes, other commitments, and social “obligations.” Unlike other student positions, the marketing team gets to make its own rules. We come up with the deadlines, the campaign ideas, the designs, the swag, etc…we dont always get to decide what projects we take on, but we do decide how we carry them out..which is pretty cool.

I’m hoping to transform the marketing team this summer. And by transform, i really mean provide it with a foundation. Since the marketing team is fairly new to rec sports, there is no “policy and procedures,” or a magic manual to turn to when your head is spinning in 10 different directions. In some ways, its a pain, to have my summer fun reading be “management 101” or “how to be an extraordinary leader,” but I do have to say, Ferrer was right, there is no such thing as “wasted knowledge.”

Recently, I came across an INC magazine. The cover had a note about leadership on it. The best part was the companies they highlighted for their leadership/”Company culture.” It’s inspiring to say the least. (www.inc.com)

This “rewind” was a bit confusing, but if anything, just get that there are going to be some big things going on for us, and that wasted knowledge, doesn’t exist.