Front-runners naturally attract media attention, yet Phil Knight had been surprisingly reticent with the media. Nor did his company have solid relationships in place when they fell back. And by then, it was too late for spin and damage control. It failed to heed the magic of technology. The Internet has opened new opportunities for groups to exchange information and coordinate campaigns.
Global networks can now monitor operations around the planet and create havoc with their passion.
Parochialism is akin to myopia. Americans are still perceived as callous colonizers. It is tricky business tinkering with a brand image. As a first step, Phil Knight announced at a spring press conference that Nike would raise the minimum hiring age for workers at shoe factories to 18 and at their other plants to 16. He also promised that Nike would require its overseas manufacturers to meet strict U.S. health and safety standards and allow outside labor and human rights groups to join independent auditors who inspect factories.