Chapter 2: TEACHER CASE NOTE
Appropriating the Samoan Culture:
Another Nike Cultural Faux Pas
TEACHING NOTE
Purpose of This Case Study
This case demonstrates how innovative corporations can become too concerned with launching
a new product line and fail to perform the due diligence and consultations necessary to ensure
the appropriateness (cultural or other) of their product.
The Problems
Nike has centered their product design around the sacred tattoos of an indigenous people.
Their vetting process has remained unchanged even though the company has made similar
Opportunities Presented in this Case
As a corporate leader, Nike can build awareness around how their products will be received.
The company must consider the effects their products may have on all cultures. Nike may learn
Critical Issues
Cultural insensitivity: A large company with an international presence needs to be sensitive to
cultural differences. Not having this sensitivity can easily make cultures reject your product and
company.
Lack of cultural intelligence: A company with a great international presence needs to
understand and be mindful of other cultures. This type of cultural awareness is a key ingredient
Lack of due diligence: It is unacceptable for a company with a strong international presence
and a wealth of resources to ignore the responsibility it has to conduct thorough
comprehensive research. Those implications drawn should help direct the planning,
development, and roll-out phases of a product.
Disrespect toward a certain demographic of people: The company has a problem of blatant
disrespect if at some point it conducted due diligence, exposed the risk of cultural mishap, and
Timeliness of the apology: When a world-renowned company owes an apology to a particular
culture, there is a proper way to do it. It is always expected that when offending a certain
people, the apology be made as soon as possible. The apology also needs to be sincere,
appropriate, and mindful of their audience.
Stakeholders
• Nike—The company’s reputation and brand are at stake.
• New Zealand Parliament members—These individuals, some of which are of Samoan
heritage, are responsible for voicing and addressing the concerns of their constituents
• Nike affiliates and distributors—They might see a significant decrease in revenues as a
result of the negative image that has been brought about by this scenario.
• Other athletic supply companies—If Nike’s brand image begins to falter, then it is quite
likely that others will follow, as Nike is the largest name in sports apparel in the world.
Country Analysis
What is the Pe’a?
made of bone and wood and other natural materials. The Pe’a is for males only. It is a rite of
passage for them and is a symbol of courage. It is also seen as a commitment to culture and
traditions.
In addition to abusing the symbolism behind the Pe’a, Nike’s use of the Pe’a design on the
clothing line also blatantly affronted gender norms within the Samoan culture. As previously
mentioned, the Pe’a is only given to men. Women have their own version, which is called the
malu, and consists of a much simpler design. By using the Pe’a on women’s sheer leggings and
Nike’s Previous Issues
June of 2011: Nike released a T-shirt line with phrases such as “Dope,” “Get High,” and “Ride
Pipe” written across the front (see Appendix 1). These expressions are traditionally associated
with drug use. One T-shirt has a medicine bottle with the word “DOPE,” and instead of pills
spilling out of the bottle, skateboards and snowboards are falling out. The shirts were not
pulled and Nike continued to sell them through the entirety of the campaign.
September 2012: Nike released a shirt with the words “Gold Digging” and the signature Nike
check mark (see Appendix 1) to honor the 46 gold medals won by US women. In recent years,
gold digging has come to refer to women who date wealthy men only for their money. The T–
shirt caused additional tension because the “Gold Digging” T-shirt was only available in
Most Desirable Outcome
This isn’t the first time Nike has been accused of being culturally insensitive, yet the active-wear
conglomerate continues to prioritize launching new product lines over conducting due diligence
to confirm the appropriateness of a given product. In the case of the Pro Tech Tights, the best
possible outcome would be for Nike’s senior leadership to:
• Issue an honest and sincere apology to the public for using a sacred cultural symbol
Possible solutions
At the time that this case had been written, Nike’s last action was to stop production of the
tights and issue a mediocre statement clearing the company from any wrongdoing. Though
the company’s statement apologized to any individuals that may have found the tights
offensive, the company failed to fully own their mistake. In order to rectify this situation,
Nike could pursue the following options:
• Issue an apology that specifically takes ownership of Nike’s error of using a culturally
significant design without proper consultation or due diligence and vow to learn from
the mistake.
Plan for Implementing and Communicating the Optimal Solution
Considering the spread of stakeholders involved, different channels of communication need to
be utilized. Also, Nike should respond with tailored apologies, as not all of the stakeholders
have the same interest or share in the company. What should remain the same however, is the
honesty, transparency, and overall message of the apology delivered. A public statement
Discussion Questions
1. How do the concepts of individualism and collectivism pertain to Nike and the Indigenous
Peoples of the Pacific?
According to Geert Hofstede, individualism takes place when a person stands emotionally
independent from a group. We see Nike, as a company, take on characteristics of an individual.
This is seen through their actions by choosing to ignore the possible offense and thereby
2. Why were the indigenous people of Fiji, Samoa, and New Zealand offended? What identity
issues pertain to the Nike Tech Tights scenario?
The indigenous people of Fiji, Samoa, and New Zealand belong to similar cultural groups and
thus share several types of identities. The value content of Samoans is very strong. Though no
3. The launch of the Nike Tattoo Tech Tights offended people from various geographic
regions. Explain why they experienced similar reactions.
Though the offended hail from different countries (Fiji, Samoa, and New Zealand), nationalities,
geographies, and different social groups, each of these individuals share a strong cultural
salience, or a positive affiliation, with their Samoan culture. It is this salience that transcends
4. Was it enough to acknowledge that the tights were “inspired by tattoo graphics,” or should
the company have communicated the use of the design more directly? What would Nike have
accomplished by directly communicating their use of the design?
The Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific and those who identify with Samoan culture felt that Nike
had minimized the sacred meaning of the Pe’a tatau. Additionally, Nike’s oblivion to the cultural
implications of using a cultural design without proper consultation caused the offended to feel
5. How can Nike improve their product-vetting process to account for potential errors caused
by cultural insensitivity? (List both changes in how they perceive cultures and internal
process.)
Changes in Nike’s cultural perception: Currently, Nike considers due diligence as very surface
level research. To them, the Pe’a is a beautiful, aesthetically appealing design that deserves to
be shared. And, of course, it will be a wildly popular product that yields high margins. However,
the failure of the company to look beyond what meets the eye and into the culture of the
Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific is what landed them in this international mishap, causing
them to pull the product. Had a deeper level of understanding of this culture been sought, the
6. Should a company the size of Nike be concerned with being culturally sensitive even if the
negative implications don’t affect their bottom line?
The Nike Tech Tights incident seems to be another addition to the growing list of culturally
insensitive product launches from Nike. Yet the company remains on top due to the
performance capabilities of their products and brand recognition. The trend seems to be as
follows: product is launched, controversy ensues, Nike issues an apology (or doesn’t), and
within a few days the entire incident is forgotten, unless you are one of the few affected by it.