Morgan Keldsen Part 1 | How Nike Crushed It In China & Running The Air Jordan Brand In Asia

This episode of The Negotiation features part one of a two-part series with Morgan Keldsen, renowned international business development, and retail expert. With a career spanning over two decades, Morgan has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Nike, Converse, and Vans. Today, he offers his expertise to organizations in the athletic and fashion lifestyle space, helping them navigate the complex business landscape of the Asia-Pacific region.

In this episode, we learn about Morgan's background, how he got into China and began working with Nike, and what makes the brand so iconic around the world. Morgan also shares his insights on the challenges he faced while working with the Jordan brand and how he navigated them. Additionally, we dive into the importance of localization in product design, marketing, and merchandising, and how it differs between different consumer markets in Asia. Whether you are a seasoned business professional or just starting out, you can’t afford to miss this enlightening conversation with Morgan Keldsen. So, sit back, relax, and get ready for part 1 of The Negotiation with Morgan Keldsen. Enjoy!

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

• What makes Nike an iconic brand
• Morgan's work and achievements with the Nike brand in Asia
• Consumer market nuances in Asia
• Why it's important to find ways to appeal to local consumers
• The different ways to find business success in the athletic and fashion industry
• Localization of product design, marketing, and merchandising
• Consumer offline shopping in Japan versus that of Vietnam and Singapore
• The effects of DTC on the merchandising of products
• The challenges of launching the Converse brand in Asia

Notable Quotes

“As I was getting ready to go to college, Mom said, " you know, French is nice, but you're gonna have to get a job. You should think about the future, and Asia is the future.”

“My whole goal was to see if there was a way to work for a big American company to help crack the China market. And as you all know, looking back at China in 1991, it was a very different landscape than where we are now.”

“The thing that I'll always say about Nike, that I'll always have the utmost respect for the brand is the focus on innovation in all regards. So obviously the product - but when you look at the marketing and retail and digital, they really are world-class.”

“Being in Asia in the late nineties, early 2000s, those were the earliest days of Nike sportswear really coming to birth and we were allowed and took advantage of making a lot of great collaborations with Japanese streetwear artists, creatives. We did all the initial Chinese New Year products for China as we were first coming out.”

“The time I was managing the Jordan brand, I was also managing Nike basketball. So, I was in a bit of a hybrid role at that time. The Jordan brand was still a relatively small part of the business globally, unlike today.”

“We were blessed with so many resources, but at the same time, there's a lot of attention and pressure. So, it's a challenge in that way, but it's more managing the opportunity than scratching out and trying to create something from nothing.”

“I think when you look at North Asia, if you look at Japan, China, Korea, there's a real synergy between the markets as far as influence goes, whether it's music or art that does influence, this space for products.”