“Take a knee” Protests in Professional Sports: An Empirical Study about the Influence on Customer Loyalty to Nike in Germany

Abstract

The article deals with the research of opportunities and prospects to use “Take a knee” protest in professional sports for Nike marketing purposes in terms of influencing customer loyalty to that brand. The action “Take a knee” became widely known in 2016, when the coloured quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, Colin Kaepernick, knelt in protest while singing the national anthem of the United States of America before several games to denounce police violence against blacks and coloured people. In 2017 the European community for professional sports firstly supported that action, when Hertha BSC’s Bundesliga team went down on their knees before the kick-off of a Bundesliga game to demonstrate for diversity, tolerance and responsibility. Since Hertha BSC is equipped with the sporting goods of Nike manufacturer, the article suggested and tested the hypothesis that “Take a knee” could have an impact on customer loyalty growth to the Nike brand.