Super’star’ On — And Off — The Court
With the world of sports marketing growing with each new season, we see more and more endorsement deals making millionaire athletes richer. If you have been following over the years, you probably are familiar with the infamous $90 million deal that Lebron James has with Nike. I love the guy to death, but a $90 million endorsement is insane. Sure, you get the face of the NBA and arguably the most entertaining player in the league to wear your brand, but it’s this very spending that is inflating shoe costs.
Athletic marketing and branding throughout all sports are driving prices. Huge endorsement deals are what make the new Lebron James Nikes over $100. The particular demographic that Nike is reaching doesn’t necessarily have the expendable income to buy such over-priced shoes. But not to fear - there is a hero coming to rescue the inflated shoe market.
Stephan Marbury is your average player on your (barely) average team. Stephan is getting national recognition for his recent endeavor to give-back to communities nation-wide. He isn’t giving back in the form of a huge check or community beautification campaign. He is giving back in a way that will inspire America’s youth to pursue their dreams on the basketball court.
Introducing the ‘Starburry’. The new shoe endorsed by Stephan Marbury with a suggested retail price of $14.95. At about 1/10 of the price of new Nike shoes, these sneakers are hip and affordable. To prove that they are for real - he actually wears them every game.
I personally believe that this campaign is great. It is about time someone took a stand against some of the ridiculous pricing in the basketball shoe marketplace. This shows what a company can do when it REALLY cares about the consumer. I wish Marbury the best, and hope that this campaign is the first of many that will inspire companies to take a step back and appreciate the consumer.
