I spent my Saturday working on my Digital Marketing certificate from the American Marketing Association. I figured it would be a breeze since I've been working in the field for a while, but I had to actually pay attention and learn a few things. I spent about 4-5 hours on the certificate completing the six modules. Maybe next weekend I will work on my Google Analytics and Advertising certificates.
What's in a logo? The GeneSIS of collegiate mascots
Brand trivia time: Ever wonder why so many college sports logos look alike, or are carbon copies some cases? Before there were brands, licensing, and trademarks in sports, one designer Arthur Evans of Angelus Pacific Co., designed 90% of the logos in the early part of his 45 year career.
If you wanted a lion, you got the stock lion with your name and color on it. This is one of the main reasons you see so many college programs rebranding over the last 20 or so years, to be original and to be able to trademark their marks.
What's in a logo? The Charlotte Hornets
What's in a logo? The Charlotte Hornets debuted as an expansion team in 1988, and their mascot Hugo the Hornet became an immediate hit with the fans. The Hornets moved back to Charlotte during the 2014 season under the ownership and direction of Micheal Jordan.
The team rebranded and updated their logo and elements. The rebrand was led by Darrin Crescenzi, a former designer for Nike brand (does their branding aesthetic make sense now?) The team also updated mascot Hugo and in the mascot version of the logo, you will see he is rocking a pair of Air Jordan Concorde XI shoes.
The team will also sport Jordan's famous "Jumpman" logo on their uniforms instead of the league standard Nike logo. Talk about branding and attention to detail. Even the real life Hugo rocks XIs. #rebranding #charlottehornets #nike#jumpman #hugothehornet #buzzcity#kevindavisbrand #jumpman #michealjordan
A Ding In Prairie View's Brand: Sending the Wrong Message
A Ding In Prairie View's Brand: Sending the Wrong Message
In the midst of all of the acts of excessive force and police brutality against black men and women, and folks being upset by athletes around the country for exercising their rights and kneeling during the national anthem, you may have very well missed the wild series of events that has taken place on college campuses all over the country. Students have been so active and focused on responding to current affairs through peaceful protests, and Black Lives Matter rallies, but new acts of racism keep meeting them in the face at every turn by their peers.
Before we get too deep into the topic, let’s level set and explain what the first amendment is and what it is not. I appreciate the first amendment, because it allows people to say what they really feel, which can be quite the double-edged sword.
What it is:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
What it is not:
Freedom from repercussion
For an expanded definition, click here
I’ll provide a brief recap of the incidents I can recall off the top of my head, and then get to the reason I decided to write this blog post in the first. I will kick it off at my alma mater, Eastern Michigan University.
Eastern Michigan University
On September 20th, students at EMU were greeted on campus with graffiti on the walls of one more symbolic buildings on campus. As a student, I went to King Hall many times for MLK events, study sessions, and programs. It was our African-American cultural center, our safe space. On the walls the phrases “KKK” and “Leave Niggers” were spray painted overnight. Students gathered and protested on the lawn of the university president, where he came out to meet the students and address their concerns. President Smith listened to the students, and made it clear that the university planned on finding the perpetrator(s), and prosecuting them to the full extent of the law, as well as offered a reward leading the arrest.
Kansas State University
On September 15th, Kansas State University student Paige Shoemaker and a buddy uploaded a photo to Snapchat with what looks to be a beauty mask on their faces with the caption “Feels good to be a nigger”. (LINK). Shoemaker responded to the reaction she received on social media by saying “It was sent in a joking manner to our friends,” she said. “I am the least racist and most accepting person you will meet. Never would I send it in a derogatory way.” The university responded within 24 hours, but did immediately state that Paige was not currently a student, and they went on disavow racist post.
University of North Dakota
On September 20th, a photo surfaced online with white students from UND in a dorm room with the caption, “Locked the black bitch out”. The university responded quickly on Twitter stating that this is a serious matter and they will look into it and take appropriate measures.
University of North Dakota, Again
In less than a week after the first incident, a second story surfaced at UND, this time with three young white women wearing makeup masks with the caption “Black Lives Matter”. The university responded immediately to the situation, acknowledging that the university has a long way to go, and needs to do better.
As I mentioned earlier, there have been a number of events taking place around the country increasing racial tensions on every level. Worth mentioning is the letter from John Ellison, dean of students at the University of Chicago sent to students which made waves in the news. The most notable paragraph in the letter stated;
"Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called trigger warnings, we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial and we do not condone the creation of intellectual safe spaces where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own,".
In a time where students are encountering intolerance and racial ignorance everywhere including campuses, this is the message that was sent to incoming freshman. It begs the question, where are students supposed to feel safe? Who has their backs?
Now we will get to the reason I decide to type this blog post.
Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University
Just a few days ago, a Snapchat post landed an athlete in hot water. Brooke Merino, a soccer player for Prairie View A&M University (one of the nation's historically black colleges and universities, also known as a HBCU), posted a photo as the other young ladies mentioned above, but this time with black duct tape, which was a play on “blackface”, with the caption, “When you just tryna fit in at your hbcu,”.
Non-black students at HBCUs aren’t an anomaly, but they are largely the minority on campus, which makes her actions bolder. Brooke’s post went viral, and it circulated on social media like a summer wildfire in the desert. I’m sure there have been acts of racism on the campuses before, but this one stands out because Brooke is an athlete for the school, and this is the new age of social media.
Everyone waited to see what the university’s response would be to this, as the predominately white institutions (PWI) for the most part had been swift and deliberate in their actions on their respective campuses.
Brooke’s father responded by saying "She didn't mean to do that. It's been blown out of proportion," he said. "She's not racist. We're not racist. We're Mexican. It's a bad thing and it's been blown way out of proportion. She's not like that."
In an effort to quell the firestorm brewing on the internet over what happened on his campus and put the minds of students and alumni at ease, PVAMU President George C. Wright issued a response.
"As a scholar of race relations in the United States and president of Prairie View A&M University, whose alumni, students, and many supporters have experienced firsthand racial insults in the form of words, caricatures and a wide range of other actions, I know clearly the hurt and harm that can be done from intentional and unintentional acts of this nature.
Let me be clear that, whether intentional or unintentional, the actions have the same impact, and as a community, we denounce any racial slight whenever it occurs.
But let us not forget that the First Amendment ensures that discussion of even the most controversial and provocative issues will be vigorous and unfettered on our campus-without it, there can be no search for truth.
We have a duty to educate our community to always try to act in a responsible manner and recognize that speech does have consequences.
For 140 years, this university has maintained a standard of excellence and will continue to be a beacon of light for years to come."
As a marketing and communications professional in higher education, and the father of two sons who will be entering college in a few years, “What?” was my reaction to that statement. There was no definitive acknowledgement of the incident, and there was no definitive plan of action on what was to happen next. That’s crisis communications 101!
I also noticed this statement was not posted on the university’s webpage, just on Facebook. It seemed as though there was an effort to issue a response, but not make it a big enough deal to share through all of the channels the university uses for communication.
The last news update on the PVAMU website was on September 2nd.
The way this offense has been covered and swept under the first amendment rug struck a nerve with me. I assumed by the wording that maybe there was a reason such a casual reply was given as an official response.
I was curious and began poking around to see what the PVAMU student code of conduct (SCOC) had to say about issues like this. I was sure there must be some sort of recourse or action that could be taken quickly in situations like this.
I did discover a couple of things in my reading of their SCOC, most notably there are only two issues to which the university has a zero tolerance policy; physical abuse and alcohol on campus. Racism and the like, aren’t included in that number.
There is one mention of racism/racial harassment in the document, section E, part 2;
I’m big on word play, that “repeated” part is what stood out to me. On a campus of a university founded in 1876, just a decade after the 13th Amendment went into effect, a time in which black students weren’t openly accepted by predominately white institutions, racism should be a ZERO TOLERANCE policy. The fact that an offense mentioned in the section of the code above has to be committed twice, because repeated means more than once, is problematic in my opinion.
My next question was what did the judicial process look like, if something like this needed to be played out in a formal fashion. I did see that there are ways around the process, if the university saw fit.
On page 14 of the SCOC it reads;
I’m not sure about you, but a student athlete posting a photo in blackface online while in PVAM apparel may cause the threat of disruption in the academic process, especially on the campus of a HBCU. I did feel a little bummed that on the campuses of PWIs, they issued responses which either removed the students, planned to look into the incidents, or they acknowledged they didn’t know who the perpetrators were. The HBCU handled the situation with kid gloves, publicly. I don’t know what the university has or has not done outside of the public eye, but I do know that their public response was lackluster, and I’d be a bit enraged if I were a current student or parent of a student enrolled at the school.
In times like this, we look to the university and/or the president for guidance, and for them to set the tone as to how things should proceed going forward with regards to the incident. I feel that PVAMU failed not only their collegiate community, but blacks overall. This seemingly rare occurrence played out in the public was a chance to make a bold statement- and be backed up by their own SCOC, but they didn’t.
Where are our safe spaces? We can’t have them on the campuses of PWIs, and now we don’t have them on the campus of a HBCU?
I see this as a misstep by the university, but also a wakeup call for universities to;
- Review their student code of conduct policies to make sure the right messages are being sent to the collegiate communities at all times
- Review their crisis communications plans and determine who will be issuing the statement, when the statement should be made, and more importantly who will be reviewing the statement
- When issuing a statement, send it through all channels used by the university (Facebook, Twitter, university email, and on university website)
- When all else fails, look at someone else’s template to develop or enhance your own crisis communications plan
When we don’t hold our leaders accountable and begin to make excuses for their actions (and I saw a LOT of excuses on this topic), you get what you deserve. Let’s raise the bar and demand more. Don’t let your pride for your alma mater cloud your judgment or cause you to look the other way. When the incidents happened at my alma mater Eastern Michigan University last week, pride went out the window in favor of a prompt and just response. I demand that as an alum, but more so for the students and parents of students attending the institution. Are you going to uphold the brand and perception of your university and collegiate experience, or let it be diminished by leadership’s lackluster response to pivotal incident on campus?
What people say about you based on what you present = Your brand
Again, I don’t know what the university has done in private, but as of October 2, 2016 at 1:35PM CST, Brooke Merino is still listed as a member of the women’s soccer team at Prairie View A&M University, and no further updates or details have been shared publicly.
We can't sell our HBCUs as the better choice for black students, when faced with a prime opportunity to reaffirm their relevance, we issue a weak response.
The country is watching, and PVAMU is still on the clock.
Being fired was a blessing in disguise. The birth of my personal brand.
This week, I got an email from LinkedIn with a few updates from my network. Some of my contacts had new jobs, some updated their profiles, and shared articles. This is all normal for LinkedIn emails, and it's generally how I keep up with what's going on in my network. This particular day in the "people you know" area of the email, I saw a former boss (see image above). The first person to ever fire me. I dropped a few four letter words at the screen, and wondered why of all people, would LinkedIn suggest this person as a possible connection. I don't have this particular role on my profile as it was many years ago, it was random. I looked at her profile, she's been successful, and had a nice career trajectory. She has no clue, how she impacted my life.
I sat and thought about it for a while, and mentally returned to January 2002.
I'm a public guy. I love to share. Some things I am very public about, and others, I am extremely private about. My wife had never heard this story until I told her after I read the email from LinkedIn. I had compartmentalized this era of my life as it was painful, and lead to a long early to upper 20s for me.
When I took the job, I was 21, I was married, was the proud father a super active baby boy, and another one would come later down the line. I was in school, I had a good job, my wife didn't need to work. I had solid credit, my IRA balance was way ahead of everyone else in my circle. I worked for an apartment community, so my rent was 50% off in a pretty uppity area of Ann Arbor- I had more money to save. Growing up, I had great role model and examples. My dad was a banker, and instilled the values of saving money, building credit, so I was well-versed in financial literacy. Life was sweet.
I began this job as leasing agent, and was quickly promoted, skipping the leasing manager position, to Assistant Property Manager. I split my time between two properties, which wasn't the norm for someone in my role, but gave me so much experience in working both the middle and high rental rate communities. I was known at the headquarters by name, and often called to float to different properties to help in times of need.
For whatever reason, I think my ambition and desire to climb the company ranks, I found myself out of favor with my manager. We never had any real issues, just some mentions of me needing to work on and a few things here and there-nothing major. One day my manager was gone on vacation and assigned a floater property manager to work with me. I had a great relationship with this manager, or so I thought.
Our standard operating procedure was to have a property manager sign off on move-in application packets, there was no way around this. I signed my areas as APM stating the process checklist had been completed, and I told the floater to sign hers. Apparently, she approved the file without completing her due diligence as PM, she never got everything she needed from the renters. We had taken their money, they were moved in. The manager never signed the application after discovering her error- she instead forged my signature, and told my manager, I signed off on it and she had never seen it before. Someone asking why I would pick this day, of all days to begin signing in the PM area, was never a question to the floater's mind.
Because of my title, this was a terminable offense. I was blindsided when my manager told me I was being terminated because of this oversight beyond my control. I pleaded my case, but remember, I was out of favor with her. She made up a few infractions she never spoke to me about, I had never been verbally reprimanded nor written up, ever. She had tears in her eyes as she politely told me I was fired, asked me for my master keys, and handed me a notice stating that due to separation of employment, my rental rate was going up to market rate, which meant 100% more than I had been paying.
At the age of 22, I had just been fired, my rent was going up 100%, I had to drop out of school for the time being, and my second son was due in 60 days. My appeals to reverse the termination were denied. I spoke to lawyers, no one would touch the case without a ridiculous retainer. As a grown man, I was no longer able to provide for my family- we had to move back to Detroit, and in with family while I tried to turn my life around. I'm forever grateful for my support system to this day. It could have been a lot worse.
I couldn't find a job, unemployment was a joke. I tried hard not to touch my retirement savings, but ended up having to withdraw half, and eventually all to survive. This sent my life into a spiral, that took many years to correct. My credit went to hell, my savings were gone, retirement account was being depleted, and I couldn't find a job. I had been paying my car note on my Jeep so inconsistently, I became familiar with the sounds of diesel engines at night- I feared every truck was a tow truck, coming to repossess it. The icing on the cake, 4 years later, I ended up getting a divorce. Out. Of. Control.
In 2005, I launched my business with Erik Stephens and Quinne Lowe, Crush Media Group. I made a pact with myself, that as long as I have a creative skill, I would never be broke again. Our company did well, everyone knew about it. We had developed a brand. I was developing the Kevin Davis Brand, and didn't know it.
In summary, I learned a few things from that experience back in 2002. 1) Coworkers aren't your friends. 2) Never leave your eggs in one basket. 3) If you have a creative skill, you should never be broke. 4) Never get so lost in your job, that it defines who you are, and without it you are nothing. 5) Always invest in yourself FIRST. When you know your value, and invest in yourself, you are more of an asset and folks know it. 6) Always have a plan B, and a possible plan C. Most importantly, 7) Stay prayerful, thankful, and patient. Never let your circumstances define you and deter you from your goals in life. Keep pushing, the time will pass anyway.
Why do I work so hard, why am I always talking about personal branding, why am I always talking about life goals, why am I always on the heads of young folks, why am I always talking about finances, why do I love my family and network so much- I have a story, let me tell it so others don't have to live it.
I'm from Detroit, nothing stops Detroit.
Be Dope.
-Kevin
My visit to the Chicago Under Armour Brand House
Lately I've been intrigued by the Under Armour brand, and have been paying attention to how the company moves, and how they plan to compete in the crowded athletic apparel space. I was surprised to learn that the company was founded here in America back in 1996. My interest this year has undoubtedly been due to the heightened popularity and visibility of NBA superstar Stephen Curry, of the 2014 championship Golden State Warriors. Curry is one of the most notable athletes Under Armour has signed to date, and their apparel is on display a LOT this season.
The Steph Curry shoe display wall, showcasing his "Curry Two" basketball shoes in various colorways.
My Pettiness
I won't lie, I used to view the company as some kinda off-brand entity that made performance underwear. As years roll by, and the more both the brand and myself have matured, I see things totally different. I've been a Nike brand loyalist for years, but didn't want to admit that I kinda had feelings for this other brand. It's a bit like a cute girl who's a grade or two behind you, but you wouldn't be caught dead not walking with the upperclassmen girls. Under Armour has grown up, developed, and become this brick house brand that can stand out in the crowd, yet attracts suitors for her own reasons.
The marketing and branding side of me loves Under Armour for different reasons, I love how the brand connects with its consumers. It doesn't pretend to be something it's not. It's an American Brand that has grown from performance t-shirts, to one that should make Nike, Adidas, and Reebok a tad bit worried, if they aren't already.
I also must admit, I used to hate the logo, but I've grown to like it in application- usually when it's not super huge on apparel.
The Business of Under Armour
“The company scored $3 billion in revenue last year for the first time in its history. Under Armour’s stock price and market value have risen about 40% in the past year. Its earnings beat expectations...again.”
Here is a comparison between Under Armour, Nike, and adidas over the past 5 years.
This week, I was able to visit the Under Armour Brand House here in Chicago. I've been in Chicago six years, and didn't know it opened earlier this year. I've seen the logo and thought, that's cool, they have a store on Michigan Avenue, and assumed it had been there for years. I had no idea, that whole building, was theirs. I thought at best, they had a few showrooms. I was wrong, big time.
Worth noting, the Chicago Brand House is a 3 minute walk from Niketown and 7 minutes from the Adidas store- that's close.
Inside the Store
The wall behind one of the cash registers, looks just like the ivy covered outfield wall at Wrigley Field- the home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. Chicago fare a is a major part of the of the design elements and decor.
The store made sure to cater to the local collegiate fanbase demographic showing off a a few uniforms for schools they sponsor. Chicago is short trip away from Northwestern University, and Notre Dame has a huge alumni base within the city. Both schools have campuses less than 5 minutes from this store.
If you are looking to try on football cleats, they have an artificial turf area to test out your traction and fit, without leaving the store.
If you are an outdoors person, there is section for you as well on the 2nd floor. There are plenty of displays to give you a realistic representation of the gear and wears.
The kiddies have a nice section in the store as well. Get em young, they'll be brand ambassadors for life.
...and then there is this huge 5-sided display, which is also viewable from the escalator on your way up to the 2nd floor.
...another opportunity to try out the gear. They have a TRX suspension training center set up for you to test out your equipment.
My sons were excited to visit the store, but not to take this photo.
After our trip to the Brand House, we happened to stumble into an Under Armour outlet location. I was sold. My wife and I ended up buying a few things.
If you look at the print design on the bag, you will notice something familiar if you are a sports fan. The founder, Kevin Plank founded the company while a football player at the University of Maryland. The print on the shopping bag is made up up elements in the state of Maryland's flag, which is also featured on the University of Maryland's athletic logo.
As you see above, and probably suspected, the University of Maryland is an Under Armour school.
Conclusion
In very few words. I am a fan. I am drinking the Kool-Aid. I will also be keeping an eye on their stock as well.
Additional Reading
Nike, Adidas or Under Armour: Who wears what in FBS?
Wisconsin is leaving Adidas in 2016 for 10-year deal with Under Armour
Under Armour is on fire. It's ready to play basketball with Nike
Under Armour: A Great Buy In The Making
How Under Armour Is Building a Winning Brand
Rebranding The Chicago Urban League's Golden Fellowship Dinner
I began woking with the Chicago Urban League (CUL) back in 2014, photographing their annual Christmas event for the community. Earlier this year, I began designing marketing materials for them. The highlight of this partnership thus far, has been working on the 54th Annual Golden Fellowship Dinner. This event is huge for the CUL, and draws about 1,600+ guests from the mayor of Chicago, on down to community leaders and corporate executives. It's a bit of a who's who of Chicago type event.
The event is a big deal. Below is an excerpt from the CUL's website about the event.
On Saturday, November 7, 2015, more than 1,600 of Chicago’s most notable corporate, civic and elected leaders committed to building a better Chicago will convene for the Chicago Urban League’s 54th Annual Golden Fellowship Dinner at the Hilton Chicago. Themed: Inspiration for the Next Generation, we will celebrate our dedication to inspiring the next generation of leaders by giving them access to the skills, training, and technology necessary to make lasting change and meaningful progress.
I love giving back to the community, but I often don't have time to really commit to meaningful initiatives. So, I give back the way I know best, through design. I've been doing this in organizations to which I am a member, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., 100 Black Men of Chicago for years, as well as the Boy Scouts of America.
I received the design brief from the CUL to create a look that would be different from the previous years, but not too far from the visual aesthetic to cause confusion about the event. I will share a few of the designs from the creative process and end with the final look and feel. I will even toss in photos of myself, wife, and friends. :-D
The original concept I had was to incorporate photos from the previous year right on the cover of the booklets.
I wanted to make use of the equal sign inside of the "54", which is a part of the Urban League's logo. In hopes to escape the traditional fancy type, I used "arial black" and "futura fixed" fonts to give a clean updated look.
The next version kept everything the same, but went with a damask texture background to add a bit of luxury to the design.
Eureka. The type and arrangement was set, the last change was to make sure the color was more of a maroon or burgundy. Boom. The look and feel was locked down.
Proudly standing next to one of the light boxes along the red carpet as guests entered the event. The creative direction I gave was carried out by the internal CUL design team flawlessly.
My clients, the development team at the CUL. These ladies definitely make sure their projects have the Kevin Davis Brand on it. (L-R, Erika Soria- Development Officer, myself, Melanie Sillas- Development Officer, and Tawanna Streater- Vice President & Chief Development Officer.)
My lovely wife (far right), Ruth Davis, of www.ruthdavisbeauty.com, provided makeup artistry to the ladies of CUL development.
With my better half, Ruth.
32 South State Street: Jordan Brand Store
Footaction and Nike's Jordan Brand teamed up to open a new store in Chicago, known as 32 South State Street, and held its grand opening last week. I first saw announcements for the store's opening all over Facebook a few weeks ago, and was immediately intrigued. The videos and teaser photos did as they were intended, made me eagerly await the opening of the store. Everyone knows I am a big fan of both the Nike and Jumpman brands, not because I am a sneakerhead or athlete, but because I am obsessed with mega brands and their cult followings. I like to see what they do to stay competitive, how well they adapt to market shifts, competition, embrace technology, and how well they attract new customers as well as retain old customers.
Nike is my preferred brand of choice when it comes to athletic gear (when I buy it). It's crazy how a swoosh or the silhouette of a leaping Micheal Jordan, or Jumpman can create such buzz and hype, but I love it.
Being a native Detroiter, I've been a lifelong Nike fan, but I hated Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Of course I would have loved for him to be a Detroit Piston, but that wasn't in the cards. With that said, I've never owned a pair of Jordan shoes, although I wanted one particular model, the Air Jordan VI. Who knows, one day I may grab a pair.
Fast Forward to 2015, I haven't been a Detroit Pistons fan in who knows how long, and now I live in Chicago. Isn't it funny how life works out? I have since come to appreciate the accomplishments of MJ and his contributions to the game, not only on the court but off the court as well. I am surrounded daily by the fruits of MJ's labor and the love folks have for him in this city.
When my brand grows up, I want it to be like the Jordan Brand- an asset itself, but can be a powerhouse with the right partnerships and collaborations. I want Kevin Davis Brand to be that brand to be affiliated with, and have the same dignity of simplicity and consistent execution as the Jordan Brand.
“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man! - Jay-Z on Kanye West’s “Diamonds From Sierra Leone””
2015 has been a pretty big year for Nike and Jordan Brand fans. Back home (unless you're a Michigan State Fan), you were pretty geeked up about this partnership coming back home to Ann Arbor. The internet sort of went nuts as the University of Michigan announced they were reestablishing their partnership with Nike Team Sports, and that Jumpman would be providing uniforms and equipment for their football team.
The excitement behind this partnership goes back to when Michigan's basketball team was dope in the 90s, and made waves in the NCAA. This blessed union between Nike and Michigan gave us the Air Flight Huarache shoes, the signature long basketball shorts, and low black socks adorned with the Nike swoosh- which were all unheard of in that era. So for us Michigan fans, this is a return to the golden era of Michigan Athletics, not just on the basketball court. You know, connecting product and/or brand with a life experience- all that marketing stuff, right?
So, as you see was quite excited to see this type of partnership come to life less than three miles from my home after the Michigan announcement.
The other big announcement sandwiched between the Michigan/Nike/Jumpman and the 32 South State Street announcements, was the collaboration between the Jordan Brand and Supreme. Supreme is known primarily as a skateboard culture company specializing in apparel, which has it's own cult following, to which my teenage sons are within that number- unless they aren't anymore, their brand loyalty is as consistent as midwest weather most of the time.
After seeing tons of videos and posts from the Jordan Brand Facebook page, I decided to head downtown after a meeting to check out the new store. You can't miss this store, which is in the middle of one of the busiest shopping districts in Chicago. Amidst all of the skyscrapers and glossy storefronts, you are greeted by a simple white facade with horizontal lines and a Jumpman logo with a glowing outline. It almost looks like an art gallery, which isn't that far off once you go inside.
Footaction and Nike wanted to make sure this venture was truly "From Chicago, For Chicago", which is the consistent message through out the store and is on display before you enter the it. In the front window, there are two sculptures designed by Chicago artist, Hebru Brantley, who is known for his playful characters sporting goggles appearing in many areas of the city.
The figures, one black and one white, are his interpretation of the iconic Jumpman logo.
On the left wall as soon as you enter the store, another Hebru Brantley original can't be missed. He painted Micheal Jordan with his signature goggles you find on many of his art works.
Along with Hebru Brantley, another Chicago artist has work on display in the store, TrashHand. TrashHand is a dope photographer I began following on Instagram a few years back. It's cool to see him go from social media photographer, to doing iPhone photography course at the Apple Store. Many of his shots are lining the walls of the new store, and special edition shirts were also available for sale during the grand opening featuring his photos.
Jordan artifacts line the display case beneath the huge Hebru Brantley mural.
On the other side of the wall is the Footaction store, which was unlike any I have seen before. There are many special and limited release items in the store, again you can't miss the connection to the city in the store.
During my visit to the store, I was able to meet one of the sales associates, Caleb, who happened to be a marketing student at University of Illinois at Chicago (also known as my day job). He gave his school a shout out after seeing the logo on my jacket (I'm always representing something when I walk out the house). Being a brand geek, I stopped and talked to Caleb about the new store and what it meant to him. He said the already loves working there and that Nike has taught him so much about marketing, placement, and positioning as it related to appealing to the buying signals and senses of customers.
Overall Thoughts
I think the store is dope and I plan on returning one day after work, when the crowd is smaller and I can truly explore it. I do wish I could have gone upstairs and seen the indoor basketball court and training facility, also known as "Station 23" . Those areas are not open to the public daily.
If you are a Nikehead or sneakerhead, or just someone who appreciates dope things, it's worth the trip down to 32 South State Street and taking it all in. if you are into the sneaker culture, you already know the price points inside of the store LOL.
I'm a fan because of the marketing campaign, the branding, and the commitment to making this a local thing.
