Cultural Audit - Nike

NIKE Inc. has been the worldwide leader of athletic shoe sales for many years now. The company’s successful brand image combined competition and enablement for the competitive, athletic user. Nike has to modify their brand to a focus of excitement and freedom and not just competitiveness. By collecting and studying an assortment of material we could be able to understand where NIKE is currently placed in the athletic shoe industry compared to their competition, and how they will be able to adjust their brand focus so it can be more effective in the future. These adjustments can help NIKE reach the more casual group of urban runners and ultimately increase the sales forecasts, while still controlling a percentage of the market for athletic shoes.

Qualitative Research (QR) is very important to all facets of industry today. Collecting data to ensure an organization is running properly is the goal of most stakeholders. QR methods can possibly enhance the development of other quality measures, dissemination of comparable quality reports, as well as many other quality improvement efforts. Conducting exploratory research is important in each endeavor. The field of qualitative inquiry now has its own journals, scientific associations, conferences, and faculty positions (Denzin, 2001). QR is used to go deeper into issues of interest and explore nuances related to the problem at hand. Expectations are kept in check when it comes to qualitative research as the information may not always be what is expected.

A Greek would say, "When we go to battle and win, we say it is Nike." According to Greek Mythology, The Nike was the winged goddess of victory. Daughter of the titan Pallas and the river Styx, Nike sat at the side of the omnipotent Zeus for the duration of his plight with the titans. The goddess Nike came to be an everlasting symbol of victory and dominance on the battlefields of ancient Greece. In light of her conquests, a popular footwear company of the 20th century designed products in her name to push new levels of achievement in athletes worldwide. The Swoosh logo at the side of each shoe is intended to represent the wing of the Greek Goddess Nike. The vibrant spirit of this ancient goddess has bridged the gap between

In this chapter of Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, he talks about rumors, sneakers and the power of translation. Throughout the chapter he kept with the theme of change and the way that things can change over time. The concept of change and shoes throughout this chapter is evident. Gladwell writes, “They expanded their focus to include not just skateboarding but also surfing, snowboarding, mountain biking, and bicycle racing, sponsoring riders in all of those sports and making Arwalk synonymous with active, alternative lifestyle”( Gladwell 194). Many people ask why do they have to produce so much more to compliment everyone in every sport or just for everyday wear? Gladwell explains how companies expanded their mind to appeal to everyone's

Since its creation, Nike has proven itself as a popular brand and it has created niches by selling products such as footwear, apparels and various types of sports equipment. This paper will attempt to trace the product development of Nike shoes from its origins in conception and design to the manufacturing and production process located in contract factories in developing countries to advertising and marketing of Nike as a cultural commodity and finally, the retailing of the footwear around the world.

Currently, Nike stand as a leading figure in producing high quality sports and fitness equipment and apparels. Bearing just a simple start of selling Japanese imported shoes from a station wagon has transformed

As their products are not so different, Nike differentiated itself by creating and marketing well designed athletics and non-athletic footwear and clothing. The company managed to distinguish and establish its products by using a different marketing approach from its competitors and by improving its brand identity and consumer awareness. However, in 2006, its two rivals merged to get a 22% market share while Nike had 36%. The organisation, then, developed a new strategy to get ahead its rivals. They coupled sport icons such as Michal Jordan to endorse the brand and it was such a success that they decided to use Tiger Woods, the no.1 golf player, to introduce its new golf apparel and equipment. The association of a motivational slogan "Just Do It" with athletes that emphasize competition, fitness and sportsmanship, helped the company to position its product on the market as being of high-quality. The advantage Nike has is the competitors' incapacity of replicating its quality products and benefits. Moreover, the company is always trying to introduce new product in the market which help them staying ahead while giving a positive

The athletic shoe industry is made up of companies that produce footwear for athletic use. This is a strong industry and has been around for over 100 years. The athletic shoe industry is one of the fastest growing footwear industries and have top growing sales compared to other footwear industries (NDP Group, 2016). The key players that currently dominate the market are Nike, Adidas, and Puma (Kates & Bolduc, 2013). This paper will use the porter five forces, industry life cycle, and the key players to understand the industry. Over these years the athletic shoe industry has grown into a competitive market.

In addition, Nike, Inc.’s Code of Conduct also states that its subcontractors must provide “a safe, hygienic and healthy workplace setting and [take the] necessary steps to prevent accidents and [injuries] […]” (Nike, Inc.,”Code of Conduct”). In 2013, following another company’s factory catching fire in Bangladesh, killing 112 people in the process, two of Nike’s vice-presidents flew to Bangladesh to assess the situation in their own factories (Banjo). Seeing as their buildings were not safe, the company decided to stop subcontracting in Bangladesh; in doing so, Nike was aware that it would lower its profits by 3% (Banjo). However, it must be noted that Nike, Inc. had been present in Bangladesh since 1991; therefore, it took the company twenty years to react to the dangerous working conditions (Banjo).

Every year, about 900 million pieces of Nike footwear, apparel and equipment arrive at the right destination on time. The complex process involves more than 50 distribution centers, a network of thousands of accounts, and more than 100,000 retail stores around the world.

Nike, the world’s largest and leading innovator in athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment, is considered to be the quintessential global corporation. The company was founded in 1972 by Phil Knight, a former track star from the University of Oregon. Their company logo, “Just Do It”, has become one of the most recognizable marketing phrases throughout the world as well as their celebrity sponsors, which include Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, are also some of the most recognizable athletes. In 2006, Nike employed an estimated 650,000 people in 600 different factories scattered throughout the globe and had an annual revenue of

1. A decision to retain an in-house arm of agency Weiden & Kennedy by Nike exemplify the concept of organizational design by allowing Nike use the agency’s creative designers to focus solely on Nike work, giving them un-parallel access to executives, researchers and anyone else who might provide Nike advertisers with their next inspiration for marketing greatness before listening to any other organization. Having the agency in the building is having them at their disposal at anytime they need them and also the agency will have to consider them first incase of any new ad or good idea discovered by the agency or when Nike needs to salvage a problem with the help of the agency. Thus, the agency at their finger-tips serves great advantages

Nike must cater to a large portion of the new generation that demands the latest trends and styles. Nike should take into account the changing US demographics due to the rising proportion of Hispanics, Asians, and African Americans. These groups have different preferences that Nike should be able to satisfy. Nike should identify the next generation of loyal customers and provide for their needs.

Nike began as Phil Knight’s semester-long project to develop a small business, which included a marketing plan. This project was part of Phil Knight’s MBA course at Stanford University in the early 1960s. Phil Knight had been a runner at the University of Oregon in the late 1950s. His idea for his project was to develop high quality running shoes. He thought that high quality/low cost products could be produced in Japan and then shipped to the United States to be sold at a profit. His professor thought that Knight’s idea was interesting, but not much more than a project.

Report on the Case Study Nike This report has been produced to provide an insight into the consumer decision-making process, buyer behaviour factors that consumers of Nike are influenced by. The report also details recommendations based on the findings. 2.0 Summary = =