Considering the backlash instead of "Just Doing It"

How many of you actually sit down and think of every negative spin something can have before you post on social media? Not many of us right? We often think "Well this is my page and I can post what I want." and we go on about our days. Now, how many of you have looked at a video or post that an influencer has made and said "Yea I don't think I would have posted that." Probably all of us. 

We live in a day and age where social media is king. People post their entire lives on various platforms, and sometimes that comes back to bite them or even the companies that they partner with. One of the most infamous PR scandals in the last five years was Nike's partnership with Dylan Mulvaney. 

In April of 2023, Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer, posted a paid advertisement for Nike’s women’s athletic wear on her Instagram account. Mulvaney posted pictures of her in the Nike sports bra and leggings to her feed and then posted a couple of Instagram stories showing her dancing around and pretending to work out in the Nike gear. She tagged Nike and Nike Women’s Instagram accounts and uses the hashtags TeamNike, NikePartner, and FeelYourAll across the posts. 

 

Criticism sparked from many different sources after this advertisement was posted. Most notable was the backlash from another member of the transgender community, Caitlyn Jenner. In a tweet posted on April 6, 2023, Jenner says “it is a shame to see such an iconic American company go so woke! We can be inclusive but not at the expense of the mass majority of people, and have some decency while being inclusive. This is an outrage."  Her tweet was in response to Oli London’s tweet about Mulvaney being praised, but 10-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix being treated unfairly by Nike after her pregnancy.  Jenner has been very vocal about how it was not the transgender model that was the issue to her, it was the fact that Dylan Mulvaney is not an athlete but is now a spokesperson for athletic wear.

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Another vocal critic of the Dylan MulvaneyNike advertisement is Olympian Sharron Davies. She called for a boycott of Nike as a whole stating, “It's so frustrating. We take two steps forward with World Athletics and Swim England protecting women's sport and then Nike does this. The ad feels like a parody of what women are." Davies is upset that Mulvaney is prancing around and making jokes about not knowing workouts, yet she is the one who is promoting Nike athletic wear. She goes on to say that the partnership is a “kick in the teeth” to women. 

Nike has not responded to individuals who criticized this partnership individually, but did go on their Instagram page and say “We welcome comments that contribute to a positive and constructive discussion: Be kind… Be inclusive… Encourage each other… Hate speech, bullying, or other behaviors that are not in the spirit of a diverse and inclusive community will be deleted." The company is not backing down from naysayers. Instead, they have continued their partnership with Mulvaney and are working to “inspire every athlete in the world” as stated in their mission statement.

In 2023, inclusivity was a major topic. Nike wanted to be a part of the conversation. Using Dylan Mulvaney as a brand ambassador shows consumers that they are inclusive, and they do not discriminate. Nike wanted to reach a wider audience and partnering with Mulvaney allowed them to communicate their message with the LGBTQIA+ community. While the advertisement was well received by that community, Nike, in turn, severed ties with some of their long-time athlete customers. 

This example is a sensitive one, but is important to discuss. Nike did not do anything wrong by offering a brand partnership to Mulvaney. They were thinking progressively and trying to appeal to wider audiences. Unfortunately, this plan backfired. So they had to come up with a plan to win back their supporters and also be inclusive to all.

Revive Social gives us a great example on how to handle bad PR on social media. They say before any crisis occurs you must develop a strong brand culture. Nike does just that by having a strong mission statement that promotes every body being an athletes body, and emphasizing that Nike is for everyone.

Secondly, you have to be prepared. This is something we have to always be vigilant of as strategic communicators. Proactively thinking. Staying a step ahead. This only helps us in the long run. You can never be too prepared.

During the PR crisis, you have to take responsibility, but also be human. Nike accomplishes this with their Instagram story saying “We welcome comments that contribute to a positive and constructive discussion: Be kind… Be inclusive… Encourage each other… Hate speech, bullying, or other behaviors that are not in the spirit of a diverse and inclusive community will be deleted." This reminds everyone that there are a lot of different people, opinions, and backgrounds in a comment section. People should avoid name calling and bashing of others.

After the crisis, companies should emphasize their positive track record and not delete any comments. Nike has always been a top brand for athletic wear, and they knew they had been through this situation before with Colin Kaepernick. Name recognition alone would help Nike through, they were more concerned with reaching a new audience. That is why Nike did not delete any comments. They doubled down on their messaging and emphasized fairness and equality.

PR crisis's can pop up at any moment. As strategic communicators, we must stay vigilant in preparing for them. Being concise in your messaging, sensitive to others, and transparent with stakeholders, you can cover your bases before, during and after a crisis occurs. When in doubt, you should circle the wagons to make sure that you preserve the reputation of your organization and ensure the future success of it as well.