Shortly after signing a four year, 45 million endorsement deal in June 2003, Kobe Bryant was accused of criminal sexual assault. Kobe Bryant was eventually cleared of all charges, but the stained on his image would remain on the minds of many. Nike had to decide whether or not to continue their contract with Kobe Bryant. Unlike many of the other companies whom had contracts with Kobe Bryant, Nike decided uphold their current contract while Bryant was in the midst of all of his legal troubles. In the article titled, “Nike relaunches Kobe Bryant after two years of prep work”, it discusses how Nike handled the situation and how they are trying to slowing make Bryant marketable once again.
Until Kobe Bryant was cleared of all charges, Nike decided to endorse other athletes in place of Kobe in the public but kept Kobe’s name alive with the underground crowd. Nike had a strong, favorable response from the fans. The underground crowd interest in Kobe was remarkable and this plan kept Kobe’s name in the minds of fans. Nike had to strategize and work diligently to bring Bryant’s name back to the public.
After waiting two years Nike decided it was time to reintroduce Kobe’s shoe line back to the mainstream stores. Many of the fans were excited but Nike did face some resistance from other critics. So to better understand how the public would respond, Nike decided to release some of Bryant’s shoes independently. The response Nike received from the public would assist them to know whether or not Kobe Bryant’s imaged was repaired enough to begin marketing him again. The outcome of the company’s response was very positive for Nike. The shoes sold very well in this assisted Nike with their decision to launch a full line of Kobe’s shoes and apparel. If Nike would have rushed to respond like many other companies in which Bryant had contracts with, it would have prevented them from making million. The extent in which Nike can continue to profit off of Kobe has yet to be seen, but the demand for Kobe’s shoes and apparels is still going strong.