🏈 Happy Draft Day to all who celebrate. (Psst: Vontae Mack no matter what.)
Nike tripped on a curb and got called out in record time.
In sports, there can be a fine line between trash talk and criticism, and what’s motivating to one can be antagonizing to another. Confuse people and you might spark a negative PR storm.
Was Nike trying to be clever or was it truly critical of walkers with a blaring red sign and black block letters on Boston’s well-traveled Newbury Street before the 2026 Boston Marathon? My guess it was the former.
Nike removed a sign that read “Runners Welcome. Walkers Tolerated” in Boston soon after public backlash dominated the internet.
Nike spends millions on marketing, and its public relations is purposeful. But in advance of a major event, especially one that features wheelchair competitors, it’s surprising the verbiage wasn’t flagged before it appeared in public.
Some people who earn spots in the Boston Marathon can’t physically run the route or much of it. That doesn’t make them any less a Boston Marathon participant.
To its credit, Nike quickly pivoted after public backlash and issued an apology, saying one of its signs “missed the mark.”
Competing companies were ready
The good news is that Nike heard and responded to the public’s complaints and concerns. The bad news for the Portland, Oregon-based company is that competitors’ public relations and marketing crews were ready to take advantage of a stumbling peer.
Almost instantly, other apparel businesses jumped at the chance to show up Nike. Danish company, Ecco, bumped a campaign tagged, “No run intended —Walk your walk” and reportedly gave away 100 pairs of shoes to walkers and Boston Marathon spectators. Asics also got in on the subliminal invitation and welcomed everyone to Boston on a billboard.
PR takeaways
• You don’t need a long lead time or campaign to jump on a PR opportunity.
• You need to know what’s happening in your industry at all times, then decide if your response fits when another company strays. Activate it before people move on.
• Review every word of your campaign and taglines, individually and together, three times … five times … be sure they don’t diss your fans and those on the fringe.
While those loyal to Nike will remain if they like its products, others will veer to others they feel appreciated them all along.
© 2026 Gail Sideman; gpublicity.com; SIDEbar
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