NOP brand value after doping allegations

Rhso wrote:

Furthermore, the vast majority of the people who will even click on this thread are self-selected to hate NOP.

How so? Why wouldn't NOP fans from LRC be just as likely to click on the thread?

Your first mistake is your survey audience. Asking these questions about the NOP on the Letsrun message boards is like asking about Hillary Clinton at a Trump rally.

Now go down to any top HS meet and ask the distance kids what they think about the NOP and you may be surprised with the answers. The NOP is incredibly popular.

Kids today grow up in an invironmemt where everyone is lambasted and guilty of something on social. Everything is disposable, everything they read could be a lie, and just about everything is forgivable.

The folks on these message boards, like myself, are irrelevant.

1. Tarnished

2. Less willing. I don’t like doping or people/companies who mess around with gray area stuff.

3. Less likely. I feel like with athletic gear, you’re sort of flying the flag for the brand, even if you’re far from a sponsored athlete. And obviously you're supporting the company with $$. Why should I pay to do that for Nike?

4. I think that maybe we don’t share the same values or maybe they are checked out.

As an aside, I’ve always found myself most excited about athletes/teams that weren’t expected to win but pulled something off through hard work, smart tactics, etc. Think Desi. You could make the argument that this is an exact description of what NOP has done, but now that they have had success through athletes like Galen. and these allegations are out there, it’s hard for me to think of them in the same way as Des. And I guess the company as a whole comes across to me as lacking a solid ethical compass– just as they help the sport, they also cause damage. Think USATF deal & limits on OLY athlete sponsorships or the fact that they’ve pulled out of local running stores that do so much for the running community.

Interesting project. But I think there's a bit of a problem with your second and fourth questions and as such I'm not really sure how to answer. Specifically you're asking about people's reactions to NOP. But NOP doesn't sell anything. So I cannot be more or less willing to "purchase merchandise from a group with these kinds of allegations against them" and I cannot think differently of someone "with merchandise from a suspect group" because again, in this case that suspect group does not sell anything. But then it occurs that maybe this is a question about Nike and not just NOP ,in which case my answer to question 3 applies. But as phrased, the question could be a general question about any or all suspect groups, e.g, if I see someone in a Make America Great hat does it affect how I think of him/her. Sorry if this seems pedantic but after years of reading papers and occasionally critiquing research from grad and undergrad students I can't give a serious response without thinking of things like this. Anyway, here goes:

1. Yes. Unquestionably

2. Don't know? N/A?

3. Literally, yes, less willing, but I wonder here if you really mean unwilling which would get a different answer from me. So if you really mean less willing rather than not willing, yes.

4. See #2.

Good luck.

lada wrote:

Just don't care about it at all. Good shoes are good shoes...

And Nike makes terrible shoes, that fall apart in pro races.

HRE wrote:

But NOP doesn't sell anything.

Yes they do. They have a store page on their website that regularly updates with new gear.

teddy_farley wrote:

HRE wrote:

But NOP doesn't sell anything.

Yes they do. They have a store page on their website that regularly updates with new gear.

I did not know that. Thanks.

1. it never occurred to me that NOP had a "brand image." it's just some bloke coaching runners. there have been some unproven allegations, but a person is entitled to the assumption of innocence until proven guilty.

2. NOP aren't selling anything. there isn't anything to purchase. but if they were, I would purchase based on how good the item is, not on unproven allegations. which means that I am neither more nor less willing to purchase from them.

3. weird this, but although it's called the Nike Oregon Project, I do not associate Nike the company with Alberto Salazar's training group. what he does does not affect my opinion of Nike. and vice versa.

4. no. I do not judge people for making choices different from my own.

cheers.

1. Do you think the NOP brand image has been tarnished, improved, or stayed the same after the doping allegations?

Stayed the same for anyone who follows it around here. There's more than enough smoke coming from Beaverton to assume that the NOP house is actually on fire

2. Are you more willing or less willing to purchase merchandise from a group with these kinds of allegations against them?

Wouldn't purchase anything from them regardless.

Not a huge fan of the Salad Bar since the 80s interacting even minimally with him at Oregon or through Athletics West. And his restaurant was just OK. Not a Rupp fan based solely on his lack of personality. He does what he needs to do. Just doesn't seem to have the skills to engage me as someone interesting who I should care about. So I don't. That and he literally has the most punch-able face.

3. Are you more willing or less willing to purchase merchandise from the organization that sponsors a group with these kinds of allegations against them?

I won't purchase Nike based on two things: What they did to Bernard Berrian was just crappy. Their shoes are to me, uninspiring.

4. If you see someone with merchandise from a suspect group, are you likely to think of them differently?

Not especially.

1. Do you think the NOP brand image has been tarnished, improved, or stayed the same after the doping allegations?

Tarnished. Public investigation has inevitably caused aome negative perception beyond the previously recognized allegations on an informal level.

2. Are you more willing or less willing to purchase merchandise from a group with these kinds of allegations against them?

Will not support any individual or group with strongly grounded allegations against them.

3. Are you more willing or less willing to purchase merchandise from the organization that sponsors a group with these kinds of allegations against them?

Less inclined.

4. If you see someone with merchandise from a suspect group, are you likely to think of them differently?

Yes, particularly if the person seems like someone that should be aware of the negative image.

HRE wrote:

teddy_farley wrote:

Yes they do. They have a store page on their website that regularly updates with new gear.

I did not know that. Thanks.

In view of this, for the OP

#2. I would not purchase any merchandise associated directly with NOP but might buy from Nike itself.

#4, No, I would not think differently of someone I knew wearing NOP merchandise, at least not much.

1. Do you think the NOP brand image has been tarnished, improved, or stayed the same after the doping allegations?

Not much, they are allegations, no more no less. I abide by the rule of law and due process: innocent until proven guilty, because i would hate to be in such predicament. Besides Nike as a running shoe brand has not been affected. Have you seen how their new running shoes last only minutes when released?

2. Are you more willing or less willing to purchase merchandise from a group with these kinds of allegations against them?

Nike as a brand? Not a problem at all with them. I am not concerned with the allegations.

3. Are you more willing or less willing to purchase merchandise from the organization that sponsors a group with these kinds of allegations against them?

See my answer to the previous 2 questions.

4. If you see someone with merchandise from a suspect group, are you likely to think of them differently?

No, why should i judge someone i dont even know?

1. Tarnished

2. More willing: less chance of wearing the same thing as somebody else

3. Doesn't matter

4. I compliment them on their kit

1. Tarnished

2. More willing

3. More willing

4. Yes but positively

You should compare the answers asking the same questions of groups under the leadership of Dr. Rosa, or Jos Hermens, or especially Jama Aden with the NOP. The NOP is attacked of course because so many of the runners are White, while Westerners have been brainwashed into almost never being critical of non-whites or people from certain countries or backgrounds (while never being smart enough to ask themselves just who taught them their knee-jerk reactions). Anyway, this would be a more interesting project. Then again, universities are so steeped in PC b.s. that one could never present such a project.