Quite an MLK Day week in and around the industry.
I am going to try and do this as many weekends as possible, looking at a few things to be looking at as we go forward. Here are four from the week that are on the radar.
Up Chucks: This was a big week for Sneakerheads and buzz, especially for Nike and for Converse and Chuck Taylor. On Sunday Vice President Kamala Harris had a great sit down on CBS Sunday Morning with husband Doug Imhoff, and she talked all about her love for Converses iconic Chuck Taylor sneakers. “I love my Chucks,” the VEEP declared, and talked about the over 50 pairs she has. Her Chucks also made the cover of Vanity Fair. So how long before Kamala-themed Chucks make it to young women everywhere? There needs to be some entrepreneurial sneaker designer doing their own custom “Chucks” right now, and hopefully we will see some smart athletes or coaches donning their own version of Kamala Chucks soon. The opportunity is there, who grabs it.
Then there was Inauguration Day, and Harris niece and nephew in law caught the camera as well. There was Nikolas Ajagu, the husband of Kamala’s niece Meena Harris. wearing some rare kicks himself, Nike Dior 1’s. Great catch, and elevated value, all in fun.
Kicks are cool in and around the West Wing.
Peloton Keeps Riding The Wave to The White House: Peloton’s growth during the Pandemic will be one of the biggest stories that has arisen in the past year. The company’s value continues to grow, especially as talk of an Apple acquisition gets louder and louder. Not that they needed it, but the company also got some great viral buzz during Inauguration week as it was mentioned that President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will be finding a way to bring his Peloton to the White House in the coming weeks.
Custom classes with Joe and Jill in the offing? How about opening up more Peloton opportunities to a growing demo over 60? It keeps getting better and better for the company, who will keep riding the wave.
Psaki and Professionalism: I don’t know Jen Psaki, the new White House Press Secretary, but I do know what informed and professional looks like, and Psaki seems to be it. Having been around a few people who have taken the position behind the mic at the White House, it is safe to say that job is not an easy one. Prepared and professional are two words that always come up when you think about what the job should embody, and Psaki was all of that in her first few briefings, with more to come. She addressed people by name, worked little narratives into conversations, she smiled, she listened and she treated people as people. Great few lines from PR Week also summed it up.
Speaking in the James Brady Press Briefing Room, Psaki promised to bring “truth and transparency” to her exchanges with the news media and took questions from almost every reporter. The Obama administration alum said she has a “deep respect for the role of a free and independent press in our democracy,” and pledged to hold daily briefings, save for weekends.
“There will be moments where we disagree,” she added. “But we have a common goal, which is sharing accurate information with the American people.”
While not every day will be a CJ Cregg moment (the character played by Alison Janney in Aaron Sorkin’s series The West Wing), Psaki summoned the best of her inner CJ while she assumed her new role. Can’t wait to see how she, and her team, continue to progress in the storytelling and leadership spots they are in.
The Value of Access: The access media will have in the future in and around sporting events is still very much up in the air. While few think that traditional media scrums will be back any time soon, if ever, there will be a need to have those doing reporting and storytelling back in the fold and closer to the action, and the personalities, as we get closer to having fans back in the stands in a larger way.
That showing up, that being around, being able to capture moments, came out this past week again, when NFL Network’s James Palmer, on site well after the NFC Playoff game between the Bucs and the Saints ended, captured the moment when Drew Brees and Tom Brady spoke well after most had left, and Brady played catch with Brees’ son. That time well before kickoff, and well after the final buzzer sounds, is where great stories are found, and they take time, relationships, trust and timing to build and find. They can’t be found in a Zoom call or in watching a game on a streaming service. They only come from being in the building, with the people, and they are what really makes consumers love the games, the teams, and the athletes they follow.
There have been lots of best practices that have arisen during The Pandemic in terms of access…here is a great piece about the Milwaukee Bucks access for fans leading into games that they have created…but having skilled storytellers watching, listening and forming their own POV for their audience, be it in video, spoken word, print or any combination…is perhaps even more important than ever. How it all plays out, we will see.
We will be watching not just this, but all four of the above. So should you. Get your Chucks yet?
