Nike: Sweat Home Kenneth Chan, Davy Law Source: WARC Awards for Asian Strategy, 2021 Downloaded from WARC Sportswear brand Nike ran a video and social media campaign in Hong Kong that aimed to create a home workout trend during the Covid-19 lockdown to boost Nike Training Camp (NTC) app use, increase engagement and grow revenue. Pandemic movement restrictions meant people lost access to gyms, fitness centres and sports facilities, leaving many stuck at home and restless. Nike saw an opportunity to be first-to-market with video and livestream home workout programmes to engage people of all ages and fitness levels. It launched the Home Sweat Home campaign with digital fitness videos, gamified workout programmes for families and livestream workouts to boost audience participation. As a result, NTC app downloads grew 160%, average active members grew 63% and interaction grew 100%. Campaign details Brand: Nike Brand owner: Nike Hong Kong Agency: SOCIETY Market: Bangladesh,Brunei Darussalam,Bhutan,Hong Kong,Indonesia,India,Japan,Cambodia,Korea, Democratic People's Republic,Korea, Republic of,Lao People's Democratic Republic,Sri Lanka,Myanmar,Mongolia,Malaysia,Nepal,Philippines,Singapore,Thailand,Taiwan,Vietnam Sector: Sportswear Media channels: Content marketing, Email marketing, Livestreaming, Mobile & apps, Online video, Social media, Websites & microsites, Word of mouth, influencers Budget: 500k - 1 million Executive summary During the Covid-19 pandemic, sports grounds closed and competitions were cancelled. Staying home became the new normal. People who relied on outdoor sports facilities became inactive and felt stuck. Nike was hit hard. Especially as it had put great effort into retail, competition and outdoor sport. How could it respond swiftly, to inspire and encourage people to stay active and mentally strong? Market background and cultural context Nike is one of the largest sports brands globally. Its mission is to expand human potential through groundbreaking innovations and sustainable products that make a positive impact. Covid 19 changed the way people live. Many business sectors shrank in 2020, including sporting goods, which shrank for the first time since the global financial crisis. Many businesses are still cataloguing the damage done by the disruptions, but the shifting landscape offered sales and revenue opportunities for some. The pandemic and subsequent movement restrictions made work and study from home the new normal. They also made people conscious of health and well-being. To let off steam while abiding by social distancing and containment measures, many switched from gyms and fitness studios to home workouts and individual outdoor sports. Objectives 1. Create a Home Sweat trend. 2. Drive downloads and use of the Nike Training Club (NTC) app. 3. Grow revenue by creating new home workout needs. Insight and strategic thinking The first step was to understand the consumers and establish Nike's credentials by addressing their needs. Speak to all During the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone suffered. Nike identified varied audience needs and motivations. 1. Dedicated Athlete Felt anxious as competitions cancelled; could not train as usual to maintain performance. 2. Everyday Athlete Felt stuck and could not maintain habitual exercise. 3. Potential Beginner Lacked motivation to start due to sports grounds being closed Swift action With a work from home policy in force, people became home-bound. Nike aimed to respond and be the first brand to encourage Hong Kong people to stay active, turning every home into a sports ground. Consumer insights Family tension More than 80% of HK parents were highly stressed as they managed their kids at home. Parents and kids sought activity to relieve stress and strengthen bonds. Growth of livestreaming Livestreaming was growing rapidly as people looked for excitement and entertainment. Livestreaming industry grew 99% in 2020. Average time spent watching online videos daily was 84 minutes. Digital ecosystem The strategy was to leverage Nike's digital ecosystem, collaborate with third-party media and provide accessible platforms to all audiences. Nike owned social Online media EDM NTC app Nike.com Creative and/or channel execution To introduce Home Sweat Home, Nike created easy-to-follow workout routines tailored for limited home spaces. All levels and types of workouts Beginner to advanced level. Exercises including strength focus, cardio, HIIT and yoga. Physical and mental health. Episode 1: Don't think, start training Kickstart your motivation. Episode 2: Keep training at home Higher-intensity. Episode 3: Parent-kids exercises, game on Gamified interactive workout. Episode 4: Keep calm and sports on Reboot your mind. Gamified content for parents and kids Nike trainers partnered with their kids for interactive game exercises. Work out and play, the perfect family activity. Workout livestreaming Nike collaborated with media platform FRUITGYM, the first fitness livestreaming app in Hong Kong, to create: Live tutorials by Nike trainers. Real-time audience interaction with trainer and classmates. Digital ecosystem Leveraging Nike's digital ecosystem provided accessible platforms for people to stay active. It identified different motivations for exercise and designed workouts and tools cater to them. An integrated approach was taken to this campaign. Each had a pivotal role in getting people talking about Home Sweat Home and experiencing sweat in a new way. Tapping into the brand's digital resources amplified the message through different channels. Performance against objectives Increase NTC app usage: Grew new downloads by 160%. Increased average active members by 63%. Create a Home Sweat trend: Achieved 9.4m impressions in a month. Interaction with content doubled in the same period. Lessons learned During Covid-19, the world came to a halt. Athletes learned to adapt; what they needed was to make progress. Nike's Home Sweat Home became a tool for athletes to make progress. Apart from the digital hub, which provided training tips and inspirations, it addressed the audience via the NTC (app) with videos with trainers, KOL, online media and EDM. It broke down the efforts into three phases which made it possible to plan and execute each stage with vigour. By communicating less than two weeks after the government announced the work from home policy, Nike created a Home Sweat trend and captured the audience's attention, keeping it top of mind. After a month of the journey, i.e. the four episodes of workout content, the NTC app reached its highest number of active users since 2016. The easy-to-follow, home-friendly workout content and complete user journey have driven exceptional NTC app performance and helped athletes to make progress in a difficult time. © Copyright Ascential Events (Europe) Limited 2021 Ascential Events (Europe) Limited Americas: 229 West 43rd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10036, United States - Tel: +1 212 201 2800 APAC: 5 Shenton Way, UIC Building #10-01, Singapore 068808 - Tel: +65 3157 6200 EMEA: 33 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6UF, United Kingdom - Tel: +44 (0)20 7467 8100 www.warc.com All rights reserved including database rights. This electronic file is for the personal use of authorised users based at the subscribing company's office location. It may not be reproduced, posted on intranets, extranets or the internet, e-mailed, archived or shared electronically either within the purchaser's organisation or externally without express written permission from Warc.
