The range of Osaka’s interests and passions are on full display through her apparel pieces. The collection releases June 17.
Source: Naomi Osaka Apparel Collection 2021 Official Images Release Date
Note: I am stating immediately that I support Naomi’s decision to back out of the Roland Garros French Open. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t a business discussion to tackle here and I hope that no one takes this as diminishing the importance of mental health. It is not.
Osaka’s withdrawal from the tournament disrupts the roll out of her newest collection with the Swoosh. The 4 time champion’s latest collection features a co-design with Nike’s Court Division. It’s important to note that the last few years saw Nike fall on the wrong side of support for women athletes:
Nike is Bulletproof for this Reason Although Allyson Felix and Mary Cain Have Horrifying Stories
The treatment of women athletes by Nike has been abhorrent. Many of the athletes are walking away from the company as Simone Biles recently made the decision to do so. This makes Nike vulnerable in a demographic that is extremely important to nail down and provide product for. Osaka’s latest collection was going to introduced during the French Open. The collection featured a shoe with Swarovski Crystals and an apparel line that would drop for off court and on-court wear as the tournament came to an end. What happens when an athlete makes a decision like this? The company can’t continue to promote the collection as it can be seen as insensitive and it can compound the narrative around an athlete’s well-being.
Nike has come out in defense of Osaka, but this is not a one time thing. Mental health is no longer a shadow disease. Where it was once maligned as something made up, or all in the mind of the person suffering, Gen Z is more straightforward in discussing the issues of depression. It’s admirable, but it can also be isolating and place more pressure on people. The unfortunate aspect is that there is considerable money involved in this decision and Nike can’t expect Serena to take up the mantle for Naomi’s collection. Serena is an older athlete who has had to manage these issues for years. She is still competing which creates another interesting topic of discussion about support. I will leave that for another time. What I’d like to look at are the opportunities that are born from these circumstances.
Yes, that’s an adidas picture above. Since 2016 adidas has hosted the adidas Boost Boston Games. I’ve spoken recently about New Balance’s The Track facility and how it is a game changer. Nike’s events at Oregon already are prominent and I’ve also discussed that the PK80 basketball tourney is primed to disrupt the NCAA Tourney.
NewBalance_TrackFilm_03_Combo_FINAL_v2 from Boston Landing on Vimeo.
Where am I heading here? How am I taking Naomi’s departure from Roland Garros as a signal that there could be a major shift? In every discussion I’ve made about sneaker brands in the last five years, I’ve discussed all of these brands controlling their media to drive engagement with the brand. I’ve also talked about how Breaking2 was a warning shot to the sports industry. Every major sports industry is propped up by sporting goods companies. The amateur and niche sports are primed for disruption and because of the power of the internet, small digital audiences allow for a quicker transition into the digital eco-systems of sneaker companies. Nike announced four years ago that people in their Nike SNKRS App system spend three times as much. As brands begin to build these adidas Boost styled events, on YouTube there are over 12 different videos of the events with almost a million total views in one week, these brands can create in app experiences.
Naomi creates an interesting discussion that should be occurring within Nike. Brand sponsored tournaments could create sports events that are more supportive and understanding of the issues involved with today’s athletes. Those events will foster empowerment and opportunity. The athlete can receive the treatment needed to excel and create better entertainment opportunities and the old guard will either adjust or lose ground. Sports brands have the ability to create their own champions leagues generating larger paydays and more participation by fans. Product launches can be built into the events. While winning the French Open is a badge of honor, Naomi hasn’t won there and answering questions about why could weight heavily on her. Gen Z isn’t like previous generations. They will forgo acceptance for sanity. This generation will support that and they will go with the athlete. Could Naomi’s departure hurt her apparel release? Possibly, with purists… but she’s just endeared herself to a community that isn’t as involved with sport as past generations have been. There is a powerful discussion available here, I hope I didn’t diminish its importance.
