(Source: Highsnobiety)
Since its inception in 1997, Jordan Brand has become a sports fashion brand that sets the trend in basketball and trends. From equipping the NCAA Cincinnati Panda, to cross-border signing with Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, to launching co-branded products with rapper Travis Scott and fashion brand Off-White™... Jordan Brand's influence has grown year by year, and it is now an integral part of Nike's vast business empire. According to statistics, Nike can sell $3 million Jordan Brand merchandise per hour.
But Jordan Brand's ambitions don't stop there, trying to expand the business into a much wider field – rugby. A little-known fact is that Jordan Brand is gradually expanding its share of the US football market. After successfully signing San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Deebo Samuel, Jordan Brand's layout in football has become clearer.
01 Start with professional athletes
Jordan Brand's first relationship with football dates back to 1999. At that time, Jordan Brand introduced its first football training shoes, which were endorsed by NFL Minnesota Vikings rookie Randy Moss. As one of the NFL's best wide receivers, Randy Morse has repeatedly delivered wonderful touchdowns, and Jordan Brand has made a name for himself for his signature shoes.
Randy Morse wears Jorand Brand. (Source: Andscape)
After a successful partnership with Randy Morse, Jordan Brand began building its Jordan Team in rugby, with players including Warren Sapp, Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens joining the Jordan Brand family.
Although Michael Jordan does not play rugby, when the football players wearing Jordan Brand appear in front of fans, they invisibly help the brand gain popularity and attention, and also build a close connection between the brand and fans.
At the time, Jordan retired from the NBA for the second time, and he began to turn his attention to his own business world. He hopes Jordan Brand's excellence extends beyond basketball, with the rugby market becoming another target they are targeting.
02 Polishing high-quality products
For years, signing with Jordan Brand was the only way NFL players could get their hands on Air Jordan vintage football shoes. However, with the popularity of e-commerce, this phenomenon has begun to change.
In the mid-00s of the 21st century, Eastbay, the world's leading sports goods shopping website, began to sell Air Jordan football shoes. As the go-to place to buy sneakers, the Wisconsin-based company sells the basic black-and-white Air Jordan vintage football shoes almost every year.
Initially, Jordan Brand would transition its classic shoes to rugby with specific cuts and modifications. The Air Jordan 3, Air Jordan 12 and Air Jordan 14 have all been modified to meet the needs of rugby. With classic styles and professional performance, Jordan Brand's rugby shoes quickly captured the hearts of amateur basketball enthusiasts, and the brand bridged the gap between professional athletes and sports enthusiasts.
▲ Air Jordan 12 PE rugby shoes. (Source: Sneaker News)
Vintage rugby shoes are no longer reserved for star players like Charles Woodson or Marvin Harrison; instead, anyone can wear them for an entire season.
However, Jordan Brand's business puzzle is still missing a key piece.
03 Return to campus
As Jordan's alma mater, the University of North Carolina is very important to him, so after the establishment of Jordan Brand, Jordan has tried to promote the cooperation between the two. In addition, Jordan Brand has also won the sponsorship rights of basketball teams such as Marquette University and Georgetown University. By equipping basketball teams at NCAA acaacies, Jordan Brand has successfully penetrated the vision of more student groups, cultivated a high-quality audience, and further strengthened the brand's professional attributes in the field of basketball.
Because of this, after deciding on crossover rugby, Jordan Brand will naturally not let go of the campus market. In 2015, the University of Michigan ended its long-standing partnership with Adidas, becoming the first NCAA college to sign a football sponsorship agreement with Jordan Brand. This unconventional collaboration has not only caused a sensation in the industry, but also greatly stimulated the retail market. When the classic Jumpman logo was unveiled in the 2016 fall NCAA League, fans went crazy.
The University of Michigan wears Jordan Brand products. (Source: AP)
Jordan Brand President Larry Miller said in an interview earlier this year, "The University of Michigan is a perfect fit for the strength and tonality of our brand, and the collaboration has created an amazing spark." On the first weekend we launched our merchandise, the store sold more club products than in an entire year. ”
Given the strong foundation he built in early years into college basketball and the brand's openness to sponsoring NCAA football teams, Jordan Brand signed football cooperation agreements with the University of Oklahoma, the University of Florida and the University of California, Los Angeles in the following years to further expand their college base.
In addition, Jordan Brand is also well versed in marketing, making full use of TV, the Internet and other media resources to promote its products during the NCAA season.
Miller said, "The partnership with the University of Michigan marks Jordan Brand's first solid step in the football industry. ”
04 A qualitative leap
While it's been nearly a quarter of a century since Jordan Brand signed his first football player, getting the Jumpman logo to appear on NFL gameday apparel isn't easy.
For more than 20 years, Jordan Brand has provided spokespeople with a variety of rugby shoes including Air Jordan 3, Air Jordan 11, Air Jordan 12 and Air Jordan 13. These shoes were chosen because they are easily recognizable, and even without a logo, fans can recognize them as belonging to Jordan Brand.
The NFL's barrier to entry for trademark visibility is high, and for the past two seasons, Tom Brady has been able to play only wearing unbranded Under Armour sneakers. Previously, Jordan Brand believed that it was not feasible to pay such a huge trademark fee. That all changed in 2018, when they began to discover the potential of the football market and began to invest heavily in making the Jumpman logo appear generously on NFL courts.
Kansas Chiefs running back Damian Williams wears an Air Jordan 1. (Source: WTOP)
Soon, Jordan Brand signed a series of athletes on a short-term partnership. Stars including Le'Veon Bell, Earl Thomas, Tyrann Mathieu, Jimmy Garoppolo and Jalen Ramsey began wearing eye-catching and retro AJ sneakers on game day.
At the same time, more models of rugby shoes were introduced to the market. Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan 10 and Air Jordan 11 and other shoes have begun to be used in the design of rugby shoes, combining the upper of basketball shoes and the outsole of football shoes, which not only meets the needs of professional sports, but also retains the brand's fashion genes.
Some argue that Jordan Brand's exploration and development in rugby is only a small part of Nike's brand strategy. In October 2015, Nike set a goal of $50 billion in total sales by 2020. As the trump card of the Nike family, Jordan Brand naturally had high hopes that it would have to multiply its already burgeoning business.
The market has also given positive feedback on Jordan Brand's business expansion. According to the financial report, Jordan Brand will reach $4.711 billion in revenue in 2021, accounting for 13.17% of Nike Group's annual revenue, second only to Nike Sportswear, becoming the second most important product category of the group.
With such a strong performance, it's hard not to imagine its next step: perhaps, the day the Jumpman logo appears on NFL jerseys is not far off.