Biles Picks Purpose over Prestige

Last Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast, would be cutting ties with Nike to join Athleta. As part of the partnership, Biles will curate her own performance wear line in conjunction with female designers, and Athleta will support a post-Olympics Gold Over America Tour featuring the stars of the sport. This new partnership has the potential to disrupt athletic sponsorships as we know it as more athletes recognize their power to influence large companies and organizations.

Over the last few years, both Nike and U.S.A. Gymnastics have been at the center of many scandals. Most recently, the estate of Kobe Bryant announced that the NBA star’s contract with Nike will expire and not be renewed. In 2018, women working at Nike’s headquarters sent out a survey to gather responses on allegations of pay disparity and gender imbalance compared to male colleagues. The following year, sprinter Allyson Felix released a scathing video exposing Nike for its discriminatory practices against pregnant athletes, eventually teaming up with Athleta to promote female empowerment. U.S.A. Gymnastics has been consumed by the sex abuse scandal of former team doctor, Larry Nassar. Biles herself has been identified as a victim of Dr. Nassar and has been a vocal critic of the national body’s response to the decades-long scandal.

However, in her Athleta announcement, Biles did not call Nike out by name for its actions against female athletes but chose to a subtle jab at U.S.A. Gymnastics. Biles told the Wall Street Journal that Athleta would “...support [her], not just as an athlete, but as an individual outside of the gym and the change [she] want[s] to create, which is so refreshing.”

In Athleta's Twitter announcement of the partnership, the brand emphasizes the importance of empowerment and the commitment to living this value.

As our society becomes more aware of the implications of the #MeToo Era and recognizes the power of athlete advocacy, it is increasingly clear that the response of U.S.A. Gymnastics is grossly inadequate. The body’s lack of compassion and responsibility is sickening – letting go of senior staff and board members does not equate to concrete action against preventing further abuse of young athletes. Within her Athleta deal, Biles is single-handedly disrupting the income flow to the body, as they no longer hold the rights to the tour. According to the New York Times, U.S.A. Gymnastics generated $12.9 million in revenue following a similar 2016 post-Olympic tour. Holding the body financially responsible is the best course of action, seeing that a total boycott of U.S.A. Gymnastics would indirectly harm the athletes who have worked their whole lives to find success in the sport.

By signing with Athleta, Biles chose purpose over prestige, and ethics over esteem. Although Nike has been at the forefront of advertising and campaigns that highlight social issues, below the surface, the company is hiding lots of skeletons in its closet. As smaller, value-driven companies continue to climb in popularity with influencers and consumers, the current structure of sponsorships and endorsements stands in limbo. Instead of athletes signing with the biggest names, many are aligning with brands that match words with actions, and actually champion the causes they claim to care about.

As public relations leaders, it is our job to ensure that our organizations are not just incorporating one-off corporate social responsibility campaigns to appease the public, but rather embedding those values into the fabric of daily functions. Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of their purchasing power, and brand loyalty is dependent on how dedicated companies are to their values. Now it’s time for industry leaders to step up to the mat, stick the landing and gain that perfect ten to push organizations to prioritize purpose and model those values in all areas of a business.

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Questions to Consider:

1. Does Simone Biles’ move impacts Nike or U.S.A. Gymnastics more? How so?

2. If you were the PR representative of each of these organizations (Nike or U.S.A. Gymnastics), how would you change communication strategies both internally and externally following this deal?

3. How do you think the trend of star athletes like Simone Biles and Allyson Felix leaving large brands for more purpose-based organizations will impact sponsorship deals in the future?

4. Following the announcement of the deal, a spokesperson from U.S.A. Gymnastics released a statement, expressing the organization has no plans to organize its own tour and is excited for fans to connect with athletes. As athletes continue to use their platforms and voices to highlight issues within their sports and society, how do you think leagues and governing bodies should respond? What implications arise from silence?