Michael Jordan: the Greatest “Influencer” of all Time
For most of us, Michael Jordan (aka) “His Airness” is one of the greatest basketball players of all time, he is even considered one of the greatest athletes ever. But, for the media savvy, he is much more than that.
Jordan is one of the greatest living-brands and can be labeled the father of modern-day influencers.
Everyone knows Michael Jordan, whether they were old enough (like me) to have seen him play back in the 90’s or a teenager that queues in front of a store to get the latest pair of Jordans.
Back in the 90’s, there was no Facebook, no Instagram, no Snapchat and no Twitter. Way before the Social Media era, Jordan became the most prominent and global influencer, he turned into a walking brand. Whatever shop/logo was seen in the background of any photo of Jordan, became an instant worldwide success.
Products flocked to be part of his success, and Jordan turned into a household name. His face, his gravity-defying flying silhouette logo, or his Chicago Bulls number “23” was on practically every printable surface you can imagine. All brands wanted to associate their names with his, but it was Nike that got the best deal in town and established the Jordan / Air Jordan brand.
Today, MJ has a follower base of around 30M across his official social media channels (these accounts mainly represent the business/retail part). This is not a lot compared to some famous stars. But, unlike any other celebrity, Jordan does not need social media to be famous or stay famous.
Today, no brand can surpass the challenge of time and stay relevant for so long without being highly respected and loved, and Jordan is one of the most respected and loved brands in the world.
Michael Jordan did all this without any social media support, can you just imagine if social media existed when he was still playing?
