Nike CEO John Donahoe weighs in on Desantis, Disney feud

As a political battle rages between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney, Nike CEO John Donahoe said it is vital for firms to decide on their battles, but fight for the values integral to their brands. 

During a sit-down interview on the inaugural CNBC CEO Council Summit in Santa Barbara, California, Monday evening, CNBC’s Sara Eisen touched on the DeSantis controversy and asked Donahoe if he was apprehensive Nike would turn out to be a goal.

“Aren’t you apprehensive that if Ron DeSantis becomes president, he will go after you as a woke corporation?” Eisen asked Donahoe concerning the expected Republican presidential contender. 

In response, Donahoe said firms needn’t weigh in on every political kerfuffle but needs to be a loud voice when their brand’s values are under attack. 

“I feel Bob’s doing an amazing job at this,” Donahoe said of Disney CEO Bob Iger.

“If it’s core to who you’re and your values, then no, you arise in your values,” he said. “If it’s commenting on some political issue that is in another person’s backyard, then we can have that non-public feeling, but we do not comment on it with our brand and publicly.” 

Iger wasn’t leading Disney when, in February 2022, he publicly slammed Florida Republicans’ controversial bill limiting classroom discussion of sexual orientation, which he and other critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”

His tweet the bill “will put vulnerable, young LGBTQ people in jeopardy” put more pressure on Disney’s CEO on the time, Bob Chapek, to interrupt his silence concerning the laws.

After Disney got here out against the bill, DeSantis and his allies targeted the Orlando-area special tax district that has allowed Walt Disney World to essentially self-govern its operations for many years. The clash has gone on for greater than a yr, and it has continued even after Iger returned as CEO in November following Chapek’s ouster.

Donahoe pointed to 3 values which might be integral to Nike’s brand: racial and social justice, sustainability and youth involvement in sports, particularly for young girls.

With regards to racial and social justice, Donahoe said Nike built its brand in partnership with a number of the most iconic Black and brown athletes in history, corresponding to Michael Jordan, Serena Williams and LeBron James. 

“As well as, our core consumer for the Nike brand, the Jordan Brand, the converse brand, are urban Black and brown communities — that is where sneaker culture began,” Donahoe explained. “And so, we hearken to our athletes and to our consumer about what they care about they usually care about racial and social justice and so we view that as core to who we’re, core to our identity … so it gives us just a little more courage to talk out.” 

The corporate has focused on youth involvement in sports as young girls are dropping out of athletics at “an alarming rate,” Donahoe said.

“Seems one in every of the most important reasons girls drop out is that they do not have female coaches after they hit puberty,” said Donahoe. “So, we’re attempting to train 20,000 female coaches, mothers and other former athletes to be coaches to advertise youth. In order that’s less of a controversial issue, nevertheless it’s one we care about as a price.” 

On sustainability, Donahoe said as “the leader” within the industry, Nike must set an example for change because if it doesn’t, “it won’t occur.”