Nike Football

Nike Team Football wanted to deepen its connection with everyday football, not just with global stars. Market research showed a gap. Many French amateur clubs chose lower‑priced kit providers for the team order, even though plenty of players already wore Nike off the pitch. The task was to reposition Nike as the complete, good‑value package for clubs and to do it in a way that felt personal to each committee, coach and kit manager. We used customer experience (CX) principles and Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) to make the case club by club.

Competing brands were winning on price and habit. Nike needed to show total value: quality that lasts a season and beyond, reliable supply, custom design, service that reduces admin and pricing models that work for grassroots budgets. Our brief was to reach local decision‑makers with messages that matched their reality and their calendar, then guide them through clear steps from interest to quote to order.

We treated clubs as partners, not prospects. The campaign combined credible endorsement with precise targeting. Working alongside the French national team gave the story authority, but the day‑to‑day work lived in SFMC. We built a data model around club‑level fields, roles and timing, so journeys could reflect how teams actually choose kit. That meant recognising the difference between a senior side and a youth academy, a city club and a village team, pre‑season planning and a mid‑season top‑up.

SFMC handled the orchestration. We designed journeys with Journey Builder, set up dynamic content for regions and roles, and used testing to refine the pitch. Emails introduced the package offer in plain terms, linked to lookbooks and customisation tools, and made next steps easy: book a call, request samples, download size guides or build a draft kit. As people engaged, the content adapted. A coach exploring training wear saw different follow‑ups to a treasurer comparing total cost of ownership. Where a club paused, journeys nudged gently with helpful reminders rather than generic repeats.

Quality and value led the story. We put durability, fit and design at the forefront, alongside the practical benefits that matter to volunteers who run clubs in their spare time. Exclusive team ranges, custom designs and clear, tiered pricing made the package feel complete. We supported committees with tools that reduce effort: templates for squad lists, guidance on sizing nights, and straightforward timelines so orders land before the first whistle.

Under the surface, data stitched the experience together. Engagement signals flowed back into SFMC so we could see who was moving forward and who needed a different conversation. A/B tests tuned subject lines, layouts and calls to action. Regional calendars shaped send dates to align with local league schedules and school holidays. The aim throughout was simple: respect people’s time and make the decision easier.

The shift showed up in both response and orders. Clubs told us the offer felt more relevant, because it spoke to their real constraints and gave them tools they could use. Journeys converted interest into structured conversations, which reduced back‑and‑forth and shortened time to quote. Over the campaign window sales increased and a meaningful number of clubs switched from lower‑priced competitors to Nike for their team wear. Internally, the team gained clearer sight of what worked where, which fed directly into the next season’s plan.

By pairing a credible brand story with designed journeys, Nike Team Football positioned itself as the smart, complete choice for French amateur clubs. Salesforce Marketing Cloud provided the mechanics, but the win came from empathy for how clubs operate and decisions are made. The approach scales for future seasons and other markets: start from the club’s needs, show total value, and make each step obvious and easy.