London – The activewear giant is shifting the spotlight towards its shopfloor staff in a bid to stimulate footfall across its bricks-and-mortar retail spaces. Through its Ask Our Athletes campaign, Nike focuses on the talent and expertise of seven Nike employees from across the brand’s London branches. Shown through a series of short films, each staff member showcases the ways they bring their athletic experiences into their work.
Here, Nike is promoting its workforce's expertise to inspire physical shopping after a period of digital-only transactions. ‘Nike stores aren’t staffed by your average retail worker, they’re staffed by athletes – people who love sport and love the brand, and have extensive knowledge of both,’ says Matt Lever, chief creative officer from BMB, the agency behind the campaign. ‘We wanted to showcase how their passion influences and informs the experience for every customer.’
At a time when the future of bricks-and-mortar retail remains uncertain, the decision to highlight employee expertise is likely to encourage more customers to re-embrace in-person shopping. For more, we examine why retail staff are the new influencers, in particular for fashion, food and luxury brands.
Strategic opportunity
Retailers should elevate the voices of their local teams to boost customer loyalty. Consider ways you can use your talent through both physical and digital brand touchpoints such as live-streaming or social media content from the shop floor