Something I’ve noticed in the last couple of years is how people are confusing their political views and personal beliefs with the success of publicly traded companies. This is severely misguided. While they’re focused on boycotting Disney for catering to an inclusive fan base or claiming Nike is doomed because of its social stances, they fail to realize one thing—these companies are still making money.
I remember seeing a video of a woman on YouTube selling her Nike stock because she thought the company was “going woke.” Fast forward, and while Nike’s stock has dipped due to broader market conditions, the company itself is still doing just fine. Nike is still producing and selling shoes, clothing, and brand endorsements. Just because a company doesn’t align with your personal views doesn’t mean it’s suddenly going to go broke. That’s not how business works.
Investors Who Think With Their Emotions Lose
Here’s the reality: the people who react emotionally to a company’s marketing or political stance aren’t making smart investment decisions—they’re making ideological ones. That’s where the real opportunity lies.
Nike, for example, faced backlash when they supported Colin Kaepernick, but their core customer base remained loyal. In fact, their sales increased. The same goes for Disney. People love to say “go woke, go broke,” yet Disney still pulls in billions. If their stock struggles, it’s not because they put diverse characters in a movie; it’s because of factors like streaming profitability, content production costs, and broader economic conditions. The mistake people make is assuming their personal frustrations translate to a market collapse. That’s not how investing works.
Where the Money Is Made
This is exactly how wealth is built. When people dump shares out of emotion, sophisticated investors step in. While someone is panic-selling Disney or Nike at a loss, we’re on the other side, happily picking up those shares at a discount. And once we own them, we’re not letting go. That’s how wealth accumulation works—buying strong companies when others are too distracted by outrage to see the bigger picture.
Value investors, myself included, aren’t flipping these shares. When we buy, we’re holding them for the long haul. These stocks rarely make their way back into the market because once we recognize a company’s value, we keep it. The people who sold in a fit of ideology? They’re stuck watching from the sidelines as the stock price recovers.
Politics Don’t Dictate the Market
Another thing people need to understand is that no single administration dictates the long-term trajectory of the stock market. Yes, policies can cause short-term volatility, and certain industries may feel the impact more than others, but businesses don’t operate based on a four-year election cycle—they plan for decades. The stock market is forward-looking, and while short-term fluctuations happen, strong companies adapt.
We’ve seen this play out time and time again. When public pressure mounts, some companies backtrack on certain initiatives—like Target scaling back their Pride merchandise or companies re-evaluating DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs under political scrutiny. But that doesn’t mean these initiatives disappear. Some companies, like Costco and JPMorgan, are standing firm, proving that businesses will ultimately do what benefits them financially in the long run.
What this really shows is that corporations operate independently. They make decisions based on their long-term business goals, not just reacting to the current political climate.
Stay Focused, Stay Profitable
So, here’s the takeaway: stay away from the noise. The only thing you should focus on is your portfolio. If a business is financially sound and its stock is dropping because of political drama, that’s your chance to buy—not panic.
At the end of the day, opinions don’t determine stock performance—fundamentals do. So let others sell out of frustration while you accumulate assets. Then sleep well at night knowing that you own good-quality businesses, regardless of whatever social or political outrage is trending.
That’s how real wealth is built.
Example of Nike Still Producing Results After Going “Woke”
In September 2018, Nike featured Colin Kaepernick in its 30th-anniversary Just Do It campaign. Despite initial backlash and calls for boycotts, the company experienced a significant boost in sales. Analysts recorded a 31% rise in Nike’s online sales in the U.S. following the launch of the campaign (Kantar, 2018). Additionally, the campaign generated an added $6 billion in brand value, with Nike’s stock reaching record highs (Adweek, 2019). This demonstrates that Nike’s support of Kaepernick resonated with its core customer base, leading to increased sales and profitability.
Further supporting this, Nike’s online sales surged 31% in the days following the campaign’s launch—compared to a 17% increase during the same period in 2017 (Time, 2018). Additionally, the company saw a 10% rise in income, driven by strong revenue growth (ABC News, 2019).
References:
ABC News. (2019, March 21). Nike sales booming after Kaepernick ad, invalidating critics. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Business/nike-sales-booming-kaepernick-ad-invalidating-critics/story?id=59957137
Adweek. (2019, June 21). Nike’s Kaepernick work wins top effectiveness Lion at Cannes. Adweek. https://www.adweek.com/creativity/thanks-to-its-sales-impact-nikes-kaepernick-campaign-wins-top-cannes-effectiveness-award/
Kantar. (2018, September 14). Examining the earned media impact of Nike’s new campaign. Kantar. https://www.kantar.com/north-america/inspiration/advertising-media/examining-the-earned-media-impact-of-nike-s-new-campaign
Time. (2018, September 10). Nike sales increase 31% after company unveils Colin Kaepernick as face of campaign. Time. https://time.com/5390884/nike-sales-go-up-kaepernick-ad/
The Broke College Student 
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