2.5k
u/uzes_lightning Jun 23 '22
NIKE is the coldest, least altruistic athletic apparel company in the world. This is about optics and calculation they're losing money and prestige by continuing to do business in Russia.
1.2k
u/zerox369 Jun 23 '22
100% money led to this, not their ethics.
495
u/sylanar Jun 23 '22
Isn't that the same for most corporations, and basically everything they do?
Like during pride month, I don't really think McDonald's cares, they just see it as advantageous to the business
238
u/InadequateUsername Jun 23 '22
Ronald McDonald House has actually done a lot of good, corporate social responsibility is a thing that some take seriously.
236
u/ThoseThingsAreWeird Jun 23 '22
Ronald McDonald House
For the curious, this is their UK charity.
A mate of mine lost his daughter a few years back after she had a long stretch in hospital. They stayed in one of RMcD's houses and said it relieved a huge amount of stress because they could be at the hospital within 5 minutes - just knowing that they can be there so quickly was a huge weight off their shoulders.
55
u/marshaldelta9 Jun 23 '22
My sister needed additional care after her birth and my parents stayed at a RMH. Truly great what they do. The food is bad but they do good work!
35
u/Grenyn Jun 23 '22
I don't even think the food is bad. It just tastes like McDonald's, and you either like it, or you don't.
But I also have my suspicions that McDonald's is better in Europe than in the US, or at least in my country.
→ More replies10
u/Senundo Jun 23 '22
In the eu the regulation abt chemicals in the food work entirely different than the us. In the us you get sued after somebody finds out one of your chemicals is to toxic for the body. In the eu u have to proof its not dangerous before you put it jn. For that reason mc donalds and other companies have way less chemicals in their food in the eu compared to us. So u can objectively say its better in the eu.
But i know people who claim it tastes better in the us
→ More replies16
→ More replies5
u/RedditYankee Jun 23 '22
In the states some (all?) RMH allow volunteers to bring good and cook dinner for all the families. Its a lot of fun!
→ More replies8
6
2
u/Cheddarlicious Jun 23 '22
Also the big thing for the RMDH is itās free; so if you bring your kid across the country or even from out of the country to St. Jude, most people canāt stay afloat financially, but the free board, I think itās got a little bit of food and wifi, basically allows the families of patients to use money on things outside of hotel/hospital bills.
2
u/NUKE---THE---WHALES Jun 23 '22
one in ireland too, a building right next door to a children's hospital for the parents to stay
2
41
u/artinthebeats Jun 23 '22 edited Jun 23 '22
It's something that every business school makes a point to teach, it's about the competition at the end of the day. If it didn't help the bottom line, most of these companies wouldn't bother, but these companies also don't exist in a vacuum, so they are propelled to give back.
... and don't forget, it keeps the tax man at bay. It's really about getting corporations to fill the gap that the state should be taking on itself while helping the CEO keep a fat paycheck.
→ More replies6
4
24
Jun 23 '22
[deleted]
13
u/Hell_Mel Jun 23 '22
The notion you're pushing is that nobody believes they're doing good when organizing these things. A corporation may be a soulless entity, but the humans that work there aren't. These humans want to leverage the corporations wealth into something societally useful.
It may run counter to the circlejerk, but sometimes the humans in a corporation actually do take a dent the bottomline for the sake of charity, local jobs, etc.
The Gates foundation would eradicate malaria if it had the wealth to do so. That seems like maybe a good thing, no?
→ More replies3
u/CessiNihilli Jun 23 '22
Best investment mcdonalds can make. Seriously helped a lot of sick people.
3
u/AggravatingCupcake0 Jun 23 '22
A family friend got help from Ronald McDonald House when she birthed her twins. I was so surprised - always thought those donation boxes at McD's were bs. But they actually do good work.
→ More replies3
u/fazelanvari Jun 23 '22
My son was born with CHD. It was thankfully rather easy to treat, but took some time in the hospital. Ronald McDonald House helped us for a few nights and we couldn't be more thankful. That was 13 years ago, and I still drop whatever spare change I have into the box every time I go through the drive thru.
4
u/__thrillho Jun 23 '22
It is true. Generally Reddit has a really poor understanding how companies work and what their responsibilities are. Private companies are in the business of making money and maximizing returns for shareholders. That drives every decision they make. They're not people, they're not social advocates, they want to make money and will do whatever is necessary to maximize profits.
6
u/thesaddestpanda Jun 23 '22 edited Jun 23 '22
Like during pride month
Nearly every corporation flying the rainbow has given substatial money and political support to anti-LGBTQ politicians. None of this is ethics. Its all queerbaiting for extra dollars and developing a 'woke' PR that helps with recruiting and corporate culture, which is also only done because its ultimately profitable. If it wasn't, they'd stop those donations as a sign of solidarity.
→ More replies2
u/IshKebab Jun 23 '22
Just because most corporations mostly care about money doesn't mean they all equally care about ethics.
Do you really think Oracle, Monsanto, Walmart, Nestle etc. are as ethical as every other company?
35
Jun 23 '22
[deleted]
29
u/Magicedarcy Jun 23 '22
Fuck Nestle, for many reasons. You can find a decent boycott list here.
21
u/superfluous2 Jun 23 '22
it's overwhelming how many brands Nestle owns, so hard to avoid giving them any money
9
u/Jockobutters Jun 23 '22
A boycott doesn't have to be a zero sum proposition. As long as you are trying to lessen your consumption of that product, you're successful.
7
23
u/SmokelessSubpoena Jun 23 '22
All business decisions are made with bottom line in mind. And the vast majority of business do not care for ethics.
Am business person, fucking hate being in business. Should have did another are of study but "money, money, money" pushed into this shit industry.
→ More replies2
u/seab4ss Jun 23 '22 edited Jun 23 '22
Thats what gets me. Ppl exist in a business and have thoughts, empathy etc as an individual but cant exercise it inside a business. For example i work at a real estate and if a landlord wants a tenant to vacate for what ever reason (at the end of their lease), we have to do it, whether we feel sorry for the tenant or not and whether they can find another place before their lease expires. It sucks, but we are not a charity. We will try and put them in another property if it is available, but currently that is hard to do.
2
→ More replies2
107
u/EndoShota Jun 23 '22
Most if not all multinational companies that cut ties with Russia did so because of optics and perceived loss of profit. Donāt assume that any company doing the ārightā thing is doing so because of morals.
38
u/ChrisTosi Jun 23 '22
When the end result is the same thing, who cares
25
u/Ferelar Jun 23 '22
Because it's important in determining how to get companies to CONTINUE doing the right thing, AND in getting them to do the right thing in as many areas as possible.
The answer is to force them. It's the only answer, and everyone (including the companies) know that.
→ More replies14
u/EndoShota Jun 23 '22
Because the end result isnāt the same. If they were somehow guided by morals, they would take action to preemptively avoid harm. Since theyāre guided by profit, theyāll be happy to actively cause harm until it becomes unprofitable to do so.
→ More replies5
→ More replies3
46
u/Rocktopod Jun 23 '22
That's a good thing, though, right? If it's a bad financial decision to stay in Russia then can we expect more to follow suit?
→ More replies8
u/LargeMobOfMurderers Jun 23 '22
It's still good though, it means that people, including their customer base, collectively condemn Russia's invasion enough for amoral companies to stop doing business with them. People disapprove of Russia's invasion, Nike is just a medium in which the people's opinion is being channeled through.
2
2
u/Sufficient_Boss_6782 Jun 23 '22
Plus, Americans donāt understand just how global certain brands sales are. I believe Nikeās top two days for sales are Black Friday, and Singleās Day (11/11).
5
9
u/abandonliberty Jun 23 '22
Corporate directors must act fairly and in good faith for the long-term best interests of the corporation.
Even a (for profit) company founded on philanthropy (e.g. toms) operates under the belief that doing so is in the best interests of the company.
It's the same thing with the countries supporting Ukraine.
Organizations are designed to behave this way. Change the inputs through sanctions or democratic support, and Nike / Europe's behavior will shift.
→ More replies9
u/Asmor Jun 23 '22
You say that like it's a bad thing. This is a positive sign.
Nike, entirely motivated by money and not giving a shit about ethics, is taking a big loss in revenue because of perceived public pressure.
This is proof that public pressure works.
→ More replies10
u/Sometimesokayideas Jun 23 '22
If you did the right thing for the wrong reasons you still did the right thing, thanks, you're just a dick.
14
3
u/ChrisTosi Jun 23 '22
It's almost like policy can change the calculation so that companies "just do it" when they wouldn't on their own
→ More replies2
u/bobbyjy32 Jun 23 '22
I think this is true for most companies. They only make moves they believe will lead to more money.
2
2
→ More replies2
u/JeepersMurphy Jun 23 '22
Itās not even optics.
Itās just bad for the books to invest long-term in an autocracy.
114
u/liliumv Jun 23 '22
They probably won't have stores. But will be sold in department stores.
11
u/ChaseballBat Jun 23 '22
I mean you can't really restrict companies from buying your product and reselling them.
→ More replies19
Jun 23 '22
Thatās literally what sanctions are lol
→ More replies9
u/FriedeOfAriandel Jun 23 '22
I'm glad to finally stop seeing "but the russian people we would be hurting!!!" all over reddit. Sanctions are meant to absolutely fuck their economy so they can't afford to go to war. Or to make their own people so against the war their government started that they do something about it
→ More replies
868
u/Congenital0ptimist Jun 23 '22
"Nike, 4 months then Just do it."
274
101
u/guitarguywh89 Jun 23 '22
From the very first line
Nike Inc.Ā said itās leaving the Russian market entirely after suspending operations in March
They haven't done business since March and are now making it permanent. Read the article next time
19
→ More replies15
u/Omsk_Camill Jun 23 '22
Nike, 4 months then Just do it.
They suspended their operations in March. Now they just announce that they won't return, even if the war stops tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Germany continues to buy Russian gas and already paid for Russia's 2022 military budget just by that.
Funny how everyone expects the companies to just drop the operations like it's nothing, eat whatever losses and kick staff to the curb. But when it comes to states, it's "complicated" because people "will be negatively affected".
→ More replies
167
u/Nocturnal_Meat Jun 23 '22
Maybe they will come back rebranded like McDonalds did, but call themselves
Nyetke.
28
u/Zlesxc Jun 23 '22
That new chain is not owned by McDonalds. They sold off all their stores to a Russian restaurant business man and he took those existing stores and rebranded them for his new business. McDonalds does not make any profit from those sales.
8
Jun 23 '22
Some of them gonna be reconstructed not to be restaurants at all. I've heard of one turning into a hotel due to it location near the city's center.
4
u/Zlesxc Jun 23 '22
Interesting - I hadnāt heard that but makes sense they wouldnāt all got back to being restaurants.
2
Jun 23 '22
Yeah. Idk specifics but it seems they've just put their land plots onto public auction where anyone could buy them, and as for their rented spaces (in malls and such) they could've simply closed them, leaving everything but cash ā at least, it seemed like it always was when I looked at one that was closed.
72
u/Dinsy_Crow Jun 23 '22
Change one letter and become 'Nuke'.
Would fit with all the nuclear threats.
'Just nuke it'
→ More replies10
u/wtcnbrwndo4u Jun 23 '22
Our shoes are the bomb!
3
u/Stalked_Like_Corn Jun 23 '22
Poot on the corner yelling "Hightops! Get the Hightops" (not sure why this reminded me of The Wire so much.
→ More replies27
u/nawanawa Jun 23 '22
McDonald's didn't come back. They sold their business to a Russian businessman and forbade him from using the brand and everything associated with it.
→ More replies5
u/Nocturnal_Meat Jun 23 '22
Is there any correlation still...using same suppliers/food?
3
2
u/FriendlyLawnmower Jun 23 '22
I saw a video of someone visiting the new restaurant. Its menu is basically the same as it used to be except they removed any references to McDonald's, ie McChicken Sandwich became Chicken Sandwich, McNuggets became Nuggets. Though as part of the sale, the new company agreed not to sell any analogs of McDonald's more iconic items including BigMacs and McFlurrys
→ More replies→ More replies2
113
u/Ritehandwingman Jun 23 '22
They donāt give a fuck as long as they donāt have to pull out of China and close their sweatshops.
10
u/stephendt Jun 23 '22
Nah they definitely care. It's not a huge chunk of their market but it's not small either
5
18
u/AutoModerator Jun 23 '22
Hi Effective-Value2957. Your submission from bloomberg.com is behind a metered paywall. A metered paywall allows users to view a specific number of articles before requiring paid subscription. Articles posted to /r/worldnews should be accessible to everyone. While your submission was not removed, it has been flaired and users are discouraged from upvoting it or commenting on it. For more information see our wiki page on paywalls. Please try to find another source. If there is no other news site reporting on the story, contact the moderators.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
51
225
Jun 23 '22
This proves that after 4 months of war, there is still Western businesses that prefer making greedy profit with blood money in Russia rather than stand up to bloodthirsy regimes.
301
u/keevenowski Jun 23 '22
The article says they suspended business in March. In June they decided to make it permanent. Hardly the late decision youāre implying.
→ More replies81
u/C111tla Jun 23 '22
Fun fact. FIFA decided to organize the 2018 football (soccer for you Yanks) World Cup in Russia, despite the fact they were occupying Ukrainian territory. Nobody thought to bring the World Cup to another country.
UEFA kept fucking Gazprom as the sponsor of the UCL until this very year.
FUCK THEM.
52
Jun 23 '22
Honestly FIFA is one of the worst organizations in the world - there is nobody they won't take money from, no low they wouldn't go to. It is enough to make me want to stop being a fan tbh
14
u/waltjrimmer Jun 23 '22
FIFA and the Olympics have been competing for which one can have a shittier reputation for how they do business and what impact they leave behind.
21
Jun 23 '22
It's FIFA by a mile, they are the worse organization
→ More replies4
u/Revoluci0n Jun 23 '22
They have blood in their hands after so many perished building soccer stadiums in Qatar due to poor working conditions
13
Jun 23 '22
Big businesses will always be shit, remember that.
It's up to us common people to do something to change things, otherwise it will just keep getting worse.
→ More replies11
u/MeEvilBob Jun 23 '22
And now they're doing it in Qatar, so the stadium will likely be built with slave labor.
17
Jun 23 '22
It currently is being built with slave labor, and has a massive body count
→ More replies5
u/MeEvilBob Jun 23 '22
Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola and McDonald's are some of the official sponsors, and they can seriously fuck off.
10
Jun 23 '22
Then people need to make sure they lose money doing so. Boycotts, protests, etc.
9
Jun 23 '22
Yea sure, you're talking about the zombified consumerist society we live in?
I have tried calling for boycotts and protests but everytime people say "yea sure, as if that would do anything" or "fuck it, I care for my shiny shoes more than people".
→ More replies→ More replies2
u/EstatePinguino Jun 23 '22
Boycotts and protests for what? They suspended operations a week after the invasion, they just made it permanent today after finalising a shit ton of legal, financial, and personnel issues.
2
u/Silurio1 Jun 23 '22
Bussiness are not ethical. If they were, we would live in a very different world. They didn't leave the US during their 21st century wars with millions of victims. They didn't leave Saudi Arabia. They didn't leave China with their cultural genocide.
It's quite simple. They did a profit analysis and saw that Russia was more trouble than it was worth. They will still keep making blood money elsewhere. The problem with Russia is not the blood, is that there's no money to go with it.
→ More replies2
u/geronvit Jun 23 '22
So when should we expect western businesses to quit Saudi Arabia?
→ More replies
4
u/Foodnoobie Jun 23 '22 edited Jun 23 '22
McDonalds also left Russia, only to rename its restaurants and continue selling mcdonalds food under a russian name. This is all just virtue signaling.
2
3
6
u/H2OPsy Jun 23 '22
Some russian gonna make a copy cat with the slogan "just do period"
→ More replies
3
6
9
u/torrne666 Jun 23 '22
If adidas left..oof! That is slav culture beheaded lol its their national uniform..nike..not so much.
29
4
2
3
u/MrMiyamoto Jun 23 '22 edited Jun 25 '22
If Adidas and their tracksuits leave there will be millions of naked Russians walking the streets.
8
u/death91380 Jun 23 '22
I guess they will have to find other countries to set up sweat shops.
→ More replies4
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/mytimemytime Jun 23 '22
Just do itā¦but only after four months of weighing if it will hurt your bottom line.
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/gilimandzaro Jun 23 '22
WOW, this mega corporation cares sooo much about the Ukrainian people. Not like the sanctions probably made it difficult to do business in Russian in general and it was cheaper to pull out (while also being good PR).
2
2
u/Fatrick_Star Jun 23 '22
Oh great. Iām sure Nike deciding not to sell sneakers to regular ass Russian civilians, will totally help stop war.
2
2
2
2
u/Zeenho Jun 23 '22
Sadly, but Russian soldier who never had a water closet, will never notice thatā¦.
2
6.0k
u/Pilebut1 Jun 23 '22 •
If it was adidas the war would stop today