Davide Grasso: Forging New Nike Online Marketing Strategies

Originally from Turin, Italy, Davide Grasso has leveraged a background in high-end fashion to achieve significant sales and marketing gains for Nike, Inc. apparel and sportswear brands worldwide. As Vice President Global Brand Marketing, he focuses on guiding media campaigns that extend beyond traditional print ad and television commercial formats.

In the past decade, online marketing platforms have increasingly come to the forefront, with Nike promoting many of its recent commercials via Youtube. Several campaigns have been accompanied by Twitter and other viral marketing efforts that created novel brand positioning. An early 2012 CNN article highlighted this transition, with the Nike budget for television and print advertising reported to have dropped by approximately 40 percent in a three-year period. During the same timeframe, the corporation’s total marketing budget rose to a record $2.4 billion.

A key reason for this advertising transition involves emerging demographics of teen and young adult consumers who are not connected with traditional media to the same extent that they are with websites and mobile-based social media. In addition to focused Facebook, Twitter, and website advertising efforts, Nike is expanding its marketing initiatives designed exclusively for tablet PCs and smart phones.

Davide Grasso’s leadership experience with Nike extends to the 1990s, when he led sales and marketing efforts throughout Italy and Europe. From 2004 to 2009, he was Vice President of Brand & Category Management for the Asia Pacific region, which represented a $2.5 billion in annual sales. Mr. Grasso notably managed a $270 million budget in initiating sponsorship deals and promotional campaigns. Over the years, he has helped launch and promote successful Nike product lines such as Free, Joga Bonito, Speed, and Airmax.