Nike Trips Over Woke, Bud Light Still Broke

Letter to Philippians: When Bud Light and Ben & Jerry’s went mega-woke I lost my taste for the products. So, it’s little wonder here that Nike stock has s(t)unk to a 12-year low after a decade of left-wing activism, from Colin Kaepernick to Dylan Mulvaney …

The Q is why’d dey do dat? One A is woke marketing gurus thought they knew best but ruined a once brand juggernaut instead. True, as the Outkick coverage cautions, Nike’s “social justice” messaging fiasco “isn’t the only reason the company is struggling.” We’re reminded new competitors have chipped away at Nike’s market share with cooler shoes, while its own products haven’t generated the “excitement” they used to. Price may be another factor. Yet, as Outkick says, “It’s hard not to notice what Nike has been doing while its business has sputtered: Picking fights over politics, race, patriotism, transgenderism & DEI.” Indeed, “From Colin Kaepernick to the Betsy Ross flag, Dylan Mulvaney & a study involving ‘transgender’ youth athletes,” the company continues its record of left-wing corporate activism.

Having also been bit in the A by its corporate marketers wanting to go all in on woke, Bud Light would now say, “I feel you, man.” A massive, multi-million marketing “course-correction by booking “anti-woke” or mainstream figures like Peyton Manning has failed to stop Bud Light’s steady decline in sales. But, does going woke always mean going broke? Ben & Jerry’s ice cream sales are reportedly still going strong, despite years of lawsuits between executives & its activist founders who continue their food fight in federal court. In B&J’s case, however, it took an epic (and still ongoing) effort to protect if not save the brand: Acquisition by a corporate conglomerate that allowed it to operate under a special board meant to protect its “social mission;” a demerger in 2025; and co-founders’ resignations over that curious never-ending “social mission” they insisted wasn’t being honored to their li(c)king.

Davd Soul