The Nike Better World website is a wonderful feat of interaction design. Maybe it’s just because this is the first time I’ve seen this parallax scrolling action, but I keep going back. It is an example of a company who mainly produces shoes and apparel who more often than not raise the bar in their communications efforts by showcasing new techniques and approaches, and doing it really well. In Better World, they paint a broad picture of how the mega-brand is touching and effecting all four pillars of sustainability – environmental, personal, social and even spiritual – all around the world.
The Free TR Fit is designed with a lower environmental impact using environmentally preferred rubber, water-based cementing and recycled polyester. That means every step in the multi-directional flex groove outsole replicates the foot's natural movement and helps women get more out of their workout without leaving a huge environmental footprint.
According to The SHIFT Report, which asks 5000 North Americans, in their opinion, which leading brands are socially responsible or not. Nike, with its big bold statements on making a better world, fared just OK. Thirty one percent of the population credit Nike as a socially responsible company, while sixteen percent said nay. That leaves fifty three percent saying they just don’t know.
It is interesting to consider the resources going into their SR communications and how this gets reflected in cultural awareness and brand trust. It goes to show, it is not easy!
If we know that sixty seven percent of the population want to know about the socially responsible behaviour of the brands they buy, that sixty percent of the population look to overall product design and life cycle, seventy three percent look to whether the product is toxin free when determining whether a product is ‘SR’ or not, it would seem that Nike is on the right path to authentic alignment and engagement.
In Soweto, South Africa, Nike built a football training center so 20,000 young footballers have access to a program that includes high-end training facilities, top-level coaching and HIV education.
Time will tell, and you can bet The SHIFT Report will be tracking it!
