Chad Kersman of Nike on the Art of Storytelling

Photo Credit: SneakerNews.com

Chad Kersman loved every aspect of sports growing up. He loved playing and watching games, but it wasn't until high school that he discovered the power of communication within sports. Kersman, the Global Communications Director at Nike, discussed with Syracuse students through Zoom on Oct. 13 the role of athlete and brand communications from his home in Portland, Ore., where he has worked remotely since March.

"I shadowed the newspaper editor in high school and started to realize how sports and media can intersect. That's when I realized this is what I want to do with my life," Kersman said.

Today, Kersman drives brand strategy, reputation management and athlete positioning across sports for Nike, with a primary focus on Nike Basketball. After graduating from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a degree in public relations in 2001, he took a position at a sports PR firm before getting the call-up from Nike in 2009.

Of all the professional experience Kersman has accumulated over the last 20 years, one aspect of public relations and marketing remains the same: the power of storytelling in brand management.

Kersman has worked with some of the best professional basketball players in the world. Nike athletes like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyrie Irving and Paul George represent the best of the NBA, and Kersman has worked with all of them in hopes of helping them discover their voice.

Storytelling and Discovering the Voice

"Storytelling is all about authenticity and knowing your audience. This is fundamental in everything, whether a big project or small project," says Kersman about the public relations role in crafting stories for athletes.

The athletes and their individual brands are the stories. Consumers purchase their shoes and apparel not because they fit their feet or body but because they want to invest in LeBron, Durant or Kobe. The authenticity of the athlete and their brand matters because it drives the product and the story's direction.

"The success in storytelling is a threefold process: did we reach the kid who is our consumer, did we receive enough media coverage through our media campaigns and did we reach our sell-through rate," said Kersman. For example, he shared how the Kyrie 7 shoes drop at the end of November. However, media campaigns and marketing strategies begin now to pave the way to success. Storytelling is about reaching multiple audiences, but the line between media and consumer, two big audiences, becomes more proliferated daily.

Digging into an athlete's story to create a brand strategy requires trust on multiple levels and making the athlete feel comfortable. Successful athlete relationships require the athlete to trust Kersman with working relationships, family relationships and personal information. This trust builds over time and develops as athletes become more comfortable with their role at Nike when they feel their voice is being heard.

"When an athlete signs with Nike as an official endorser, they understand we as communicators are critical to their success just as they are critical to ours," says Kersman on the mutually beneficial relationship that comes with Nike athletes.

Athletes and Image Management

Nike and its communications department deal with how their athletes carry themselves and their interactions with others, especially on social media. Nike has historically supported athletes speaking out against societal norms or on political issues. Starting in 2019, Nike released its award-winning "Dream Crazy" campaign with Colin Kaepernick, which drew tons of positive and negative media attention. However, Nike still stood with Kaepernick at a time when NFL teams blacklisted and criticized him for kneeling and his outspoken actions. More recently, LeBron James and President Donald Trump have expressed their dissent for each other through social media and press conferences. Nike tries its best to counsel its athletes as they navigate social media, but some athletes are more influential than politicians when using their platforms. Navigating the geopolitical climate is very tricky if you are an athlete and knowing what to say when – or rather what not to say.

Photo Credits: Mike Ehrmann/AP

"Last year, one tweet changed the reputation of the NBA in China. Nike and the NBA had a major issue and equality and injustice were front and center. This was a good learning lesson as we headed into COVID and the political climate we are in right now," said Kersman about the proliferation of athletes, branding and politics. "I never thought athletes would play as prominent of a role going into an election, but I love seeing athletes use their platform for good change."

Kersman said himself the future of communications is bright. Companies are starting to realize through this pandemic the value of good public relations and what communications strategies can bring to a company of any industry. Kersman is proof of the importance of creativity, storytelling and brand management in PR, especially for athletes.

Our world is changing. Communication as a profession looks different than it did even ten years ago. Kersman's final advice? "You have to adapt or die. Learn how to evolve, be hungry and go after what you want."

For more information on the event, check out my live tweets @CathSBurns!