Nike, 25 billion gone in a day: proof that connecting ≠ selling direct

What Nike’s recent history reminds us, loudly, is that connecting a producer with a consumer does not necessarily mean selling direct successfully.

👉 Nike thought that cutting out its distributors would automatically boost its margin and its relationship with customers. The result? A loss of 25 billion dollars in market value, weaker brand equity, huge forecasting errors, and a DTC (direct-to-consumer) model that backfired.

📌 The reality? You cannot decree a customer, you have to earn one. You don’t own your audience: you inspire it, listen to it, understand it.

At FIDEwine, we help producers identify their real customers. Not to lock them into a conversion funnel, but to understand who they are, where they are and what they are looking for, and how to build a lasting relationship with them.

🔁 Food for thought, in the words of Phil Knight, Nike’s founder: “Business is simple. First comes the product. Then the story you tell. The rest is accounting.”

💡 Who better than the producer to carry their story? And to do that, it is key to know who drinks their wine.

Thanks to Théo Lion, who inspired this article.