Look down at your shoes real quick. Are they Nike or Adidas? Not wearing either? Well then just look in your wardrobe and tell me what do you see more of: the swoosh, or the three bars? Nike and Adidas are always in constant battle with each other for who is the better sports equipment and clothing brand. Nike has made worldwide fame for their iconic “swoosh” logo and their unforgettable brand slogan “Just Do It”. Adidas’ logo is almost just as iconic, and their reputation has kept their name in the running for the best sports brand in the world. These two brands are always going up against each other in their marketing efforts, but how do they pan out against each other on social media, and more specifically on Instagram? Adidas has 25.4 million followers on Instagram. Impressive, but not nearly as impressive as Nike’s 101 million followers. However, following size does not mean Nike is better than Adidas. Here are the three reasons why Adidas beats Nike on their Instagram game:
1. Adidas Posts More
When you take a look at both Nike and Adidas’ Instagram accounts, they roughly have the same amount of posts (Nike at 764 posts and Adidas at 761 posts). However, Adidas is posting much more frequently than Nike. During an average week, Adidas will post two-three times throughout the week. As my classmate Daniel discovered, Nike only posts on their Instagram about once a week, and sometimes only once a month. According to Meltwater’s “How Often Should You Post on Social Media?” Instagram pages should be posting at least once a day. Granted, Adidas doesn’t even do this. However, they still manage to post three out of seven days, where Nike barely manages to post once.
2. Adidas Defines Their Brand
When you go onto Adidas’ Instagram, you are greeted by a variety of posts that show off deep colors tones, as well as rich colors that highlight the post. Each post has a unique theme to it, and they all come together to create Adidas’ overall brand theme of both athleticism, and expression. When you go onto Nike’s Instagram, you are immediately hit with a majority of posts that are all videos. Sprout Social’s “Five Social Media Best Practices Every Marketer Must Follow” advises that popular social media pages should have a pattern they follow. There is no theme that carries through each post. Each post is individual, and does not create a brand theme for Nike (at least, not on their Instagram).
3. Adidas Follows the Rule of Thirds
Look, I get it. Nike’s big slogan (besides “Just Do It”), is “if you have a body, you are an athlete.” Because of that, their Instagram is filled with nothing but videos and posts about athletes that use their gear. Their posts highlight athletes across all sports, and they even highlight some stories about school athletic programs they have given money too. Their posts really match up with that slogan I mentioned in the beginning of this rant. However, Nike is missing out a great opportunity to do more for their brand. Enter, the rule of thirds. Hootsuite’s article “14 Social Media Best Practices for 2019”, states that brands should break their posts up into three categories. One-third of their posts should promote their business, one-third of their posts should be ideas from influencers, and one-third of their posts should be posts about personal stories. Nike is about two-thirds of the way right, posting stories from influencers, and posts personal stories about other athletes as well. They fail to post about their business though. Seriously, take a look at their page. No posts about shoes, clothing, gear, nothing at all.
I understand that they’re trying to appear humble and not show off their brand, and they are indirectly showing it off through the stories of others. But just do us all a favor and give us a break from the constant videos and stories and post a picture of shoes or something.
Nike and Adidas are neck in neck with their Instagram pages. They both have some good qualities to their pages, and they both have their own set of downfalls. At the end of the day, Adidas is walking away with a victory over Nike on their Instagram page. Do you think I’m right, or do you think I’m wrong? Take a look at these brand’s Instagram pages and leave me a comment below letting me know what you think of each!
Bitty's Social Media Blog 