Case Study Nike

Type Corporate Rebrand

Role Culture Research, Strategy, Brand System

Year 2025

Context

Nike’s transformation from an unassailable sportswear leader to a brand struggling with declining sales and market share represented one of the most striking strategic reversals in modern business history. Under newly appointed CEO Elliott Hill, Nike was beginning a strategic realignment toward its athletic roots, raising a fundamental question about how the brand could recover the principles that made it successful.

The Challenge

Between 2017 and 2024, Nike's dominance eroded. Sales fell, profits halved, and challengers like Hoka, On, and New Balance took share. The brand that defined athletic innovation had grown dependent on its legacy franchises, and a direct-to-consumer pivot left it with excess inventory and frayed wholesale ties.

What does Nike need to shed to lead again?

The Strategy

In athletics, a deload reduces intensity and returns an athlete to fundamentals, allowing recovery before the next phase of performance. For Nike, DELOAD is a strategic reset across six foundational brand equities that made the brand exceptional, creating the conditions to advance again.

Team: Kirstin Musselwhite, Noor Saade, Tina Lee