Just Dream It
Geoffrey White speaks with energy. He had better, because engaging Nike consumers through the digital management of the brand takes 40-plus kilowatt-hours a week. From the class of 2011, White has been with Nike since graduation as a Social Media Specialist. Since 2013, he has been the lead for Nike’s football (US), baseball, and training categories.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, you name it. White activates the Nike brand and develops consumer conversations in the digital space, monitoring for analytics and insights. “How do consumers wear and use the product? What do they say about it online?” Like any great USF student, White does a little bit more: He listens and feels for the consumer pulse, and then delivers takeaways and ideas for other Nike teams to use. In a way, his job is to strengthen Nike by spotting weaknesses before they become problems.
Prior to joining the University of San Francisco Sport Management Master's Program in 2009, White studied peak athletic performance, earning a Bachelor's of Science in Exercise and Sport Science from Oregon State. While pursuing five internships during the Master's program, he never lost his roots, writing his Master’s thesis on the elite training of Paralympic athletes. The program’s Dr. Cellini had impressed upon White the importance of building a body of work to set himself apart as an individual. Beyond the specific knowledge, the learning process transfers across disciplines. The mini-papers, game plans, and other personal goal-setting exercises of the program lit a fire in White to “chase a shiny object” and believe that “I can go get a job at Nike”.
His diligent preparation continues to this day. Like all professionals in the digital scape, he must always consider what’s next in an industry landscape altered by every tweet. Yet he still finds time for personal goal-setting and development. White’s dream is to become a digital brand director in the sport industry. He is well on his way.
