This looks ....promising, not definitive or even dramatic long term but promising. I wonder what percentage of Nike's sales are online v. in store?
This past Labor Day there was speculation that Nike’s Colin Kaepernick ad campaign could lead to a drop in sales. Edison Trends investigated the sales over the holiday and its research, at this point, does not seem to support that theory. In fact, Nike sales grew 31% from Sunday through Tuesday over Labor Day this year, besting 2017's comparative 17% increase. 
*The data shown is based on a sample of anonymized and aggregated e-receipts from more than 3 million consumers in the United States.
(Source: trends.edison.tech
More interesting to me was this analysis of Nike's marketing strategy.
Nike’s most engaged audience persona is “Made it and Know it,” said 4C Chief Marketing Officer Aaron Goldman, one of 70 categories of consumers that 4C has identified by analyzing social-media engagement on a range of platforms. People in that bracket are generally successful in their careers and personal lives, are typically single with robust social lives, and like to spend money on entertainment and travel, as well as online streaming services.
“Racial equality is a top concern for this audience, along with causes like clean-water access and gun control,” Goldman said.
Sentiment toward Kaepernick actually improved by 40% this week, he said.
“You can be darn sure that Nike has done its research and knows what will move its product and who this campaign will resonate with,” said Goldman. “They are the ones [Nike has] decided will be its future customers, so, if others are getting upset, [Nike has] planned for that, and it doesn’t care.”
Daring to take a political stand has become a new paradigm for brands, as they seek to connect with a younger generation and changing political views, said Goldman.
“A company like Procter & Gamble PG, -0.90% that makes products for everyone from young to old, male and female, are not going to do something controversial that might alienate half their audience. But a company like REI can take a stance on national parks, because they know that is really important for their customers.”
The outdoor-pursuits retailer REI was one of the companies that hit back against Trump’s executive order late last year that would dramatically reduce the size of two national monuments in Utah.
Oppenheimer analyst Brian Nagel commended Nike for its “more edgy, risky” campaign, while refreshing the three-decades-old “Just Do It” slogan.
“The extensive roster of athletes and their powerful stories are core to the company’s stepped-up efforts in reaching a younger demographic,” Nagel wrote in a note earlier this week.
The Kaepernick campaign “is clearly an effective way to make some noise in the industry, regardless of any political bent. Over time, for Nike, we think the power of the messaging from this new broader campaign is apt to overshadow any potential backlash, near term, in our view,” Nagel wrote.
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