Nike says it has seen ‘record engagement’ since Kaepernick deal

Nike CEO Mark Parker said the sportswear brand has seen “record engagement” with customers since announcing its campaign featuring former NFL player Colin Kaepernick.

“We feel very good and are very proud of the work we’ve been doing,” Parker said in an earnings call on Tuesday, ESPN reported.

“We know it’s resonating quite strongly with consumers here in North America and around the world,” he continued.

{mosads}The company also announced in the earnings call that its revenue was up 9 percent to $9.9 billion during a period that ran until Aug. 31.

According to ESPN, Nike’s stock has risen 6.25 percent since it announced the deal with Kaepernick, who was the first NFL player to protest racial inequality and police brutality by taking a knee during the national anthem before games.

The company has also reportedly added $6.38 billion to its value since the deal, though it is unclear how much of that growth can be attributed to the partnership with Kaepernick.

Share prices for the company performed at an all-time high earlier this month after the company’s stock initially fell more than 3 percent following the announcement of their endorsement deal with Kaepernick.

Though the signing of Kaepernick was greeted by many consumers with praise, the move also generated backlash from critics of the protest movement, including President Trump.

“Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts,” the president tweeted shortly after the announcement of the deal.

In the new Nike ad, Kaepernick says, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” 

Kaepernick remains a free agent quarterback who has not played an NFL game since the end of 2016 after becoming the face of the protest movement by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem.