Emotion By Design: Creative Leadership Lessons from a Life at Nike

by Greg Hoffman

Overview

Innovative strategies for success from former Nike CMO Greg Hoffman, who had a major hand in crafting Nike’s singular brand and was instrumental in its most high-profile breakthrough campaigns.
 
In EMOTION BY DESIGN, Hoffman shares lessons and stories on the power of creativity drawn from almost three decades of experience within Nike. A celebration of ingenuity and a call-to-arms for brand-builders to rediscover the human element in forming consumer bonds, EMOTION BY DESIGN is an insider’s guide to unlocking inspiration within a brand and building stronger emotional connections with consumers, using Hoffman’s three favorite guiding principles:

• Creativity is a Team Sport
• Dare to be Remembered
• Leave a Legacy, Not Just a Memory

Over the course of a twenty-seven-year Nike career—from intern to Chief Marketing Officer—Hoffman led teams in shaping and expressing Nike’s brand voice and identity through storytelling and experiences. Every story was distinct, yet the result was always the same: a strong emotional attachment between products and people—quite literally emotion by design. 
 
With fascinating stories about Nike’s most famous campaigns, EMOTION BY DESIGN shares Hoffman’s philosophy and principles on how to create an empowering brand that resonates deeply with people by unlocking the creativity within your organization and unleashing it out into the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538705599
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	04/05/2022
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	415,882
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Greg Hoffman is a global brand leader, advisor, speaker, and former NIKE Chief Marketing Officer.
 

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Art of Sport ix

Chapter 1 My Journey into the Arena 1

Chapter 2 Creativity Is a Team Sport 24

Chapter 3 Never Play It Safe, Play to Win 61

Chapter 4 Game Face for Greatness 91

Chapter 5 Dare to Be Remembered 121

Chapter 6 Don't Chase Cool 148

Chapter 7 Spark a Movement 181

Chapter 8 Close the Distance 215

Chapter 9 Leave a Legacy, Not Just a Memory 246

Acknowledgments 261

Endnotes 265

Index 267

Editorial Reviews

01/24/2022

The key to good branding is creating an emotional connection between company and customer, writes former Nike chief marketing officer Hoffman in this lukewarm mix of career memoir and leadership guide. His long run at Nike started with an internship in the early 1990s, and in his many years there he came to value the power of stories that “make people feel that even their most audacious dreams are possible,” a revelation that inspired this “playbook for unleashing creativity within your team.” Through story after story of Nike’s marketing campaigns and branding efforts, Hoffman hammers home the idea that building a creative methodology into one’s branding process is necessary for getting customers invested, as is working to fuel empathy within a team. But his advice is so vague as to often be meaningless: “see what others see, do what others don’t” is not very achievable when not backed up by concrete advice or examples, while an admonishment to let the quiet voices on one’s team be heard, for example, brings nothing new to the table. Readers with an interest in sports-adjacent marketing may find some value, but the leadership principles feel more like dashed-off taglines. There’s not enough to set this one apart from the pack. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"The branding lessons in Greg Hoffman’s EMOTION BY DESIGN are invaluable for any business, big or small, and it gives you a blueprint for how Nike has created such strong emotional bonds with its consumers. Essential knowledge here.”

 —Daymond John, New York Times bestselling author and co-star of "Shark Tank"

“A brand isn't a logo, it's a story. In this guidebook plus memoir, Greg helps us see how a commitment to our creative practice can make any story better.”
 —Seth Godin, author of THE PRACTICE

“EMOTION BY DESIGN is Greg Hoffman's transformative and intensely personal journey building one of the world's most important, groundbreaking brands. It's a must-read if you work with creatives, and if you want to unlock their unique genius to build authentic brands and waves of support across your entire company.”
 —Laszlo Bock, author of WORK RULES!

"Over his long career at Nike, Greg has implemented the art of design, simplicity, and creative collaboration, to connect to Nike’s millions of loyal consumers ... This inspirational approach, brought to life in the book, has been Greg’s legacy, and it’s given Nike a tremendous edge over its global competition.”—Bob Greenberg, Founder and Executive Chairman of R/GA

"Filled with remarkable stories from Greg Hoffman’s time at Nike, EMOTION BY DESIGN offers a distinctive framework that will help marketers and creatives connect with their audiences like never before. Highly recommended."—Jonah Berger, author of CONTAGIOUS

From the Publisher

12/17/2021

Hoffman, the former chief marketing officer of Nike, teaches readers how to unleash creativity and innovation within a team—to stir emotions and connect to one another. All organizations, big and small, rely on innovation to move the company forward; particularly in these uncertain times, innovation is even more critical. Hoffman draws on his own career, including 27 years crafting Nike's brand, for success stories of innovation through teamwork. The book's last chapter, entitled "Leave a Legacy, Not Just a Memory" epitomizes the work and will inspire readers, driving home the point that with teamwork and creativity, the sky is the limit. This book is well structured, with a clear table of contents. VERDICT The creativity of Hoffman's book is exceptional. For fans of Stephanie Mehta's Fast Company Innovation by Design.—Adesh Rampat, Miami

Library Journal