Marketing Analysis : Products And Services

Nike provided high quality running shoes designed for athletes by athletes with competitive prices in

Athletic footwear cannot be designed to cater to a large group as in general. It has to produceits products with a distinct difference keeping in mind the age groups or usage groups it isintending to target.

Based on The Running Room’s current situation, Cisco considers a number of alternatives to her present marketing strategy. On one hand, she could continue to maintain a broad target market to appeal to both casual athletes--with more fashion-conscious products that aren’t necessarily running shoes--and serious runners, while attempting to tap into the growing market for women’s athletic shoes with expanded product lines for female athletes. This strategy would help her maintain her aging loyal customers, as she could offer athletic shoes that reflect the new exercise programs that they are becoming involved in instead of running. Conversely, she could narrow her target market to just serious runners, by investing in the high-end molded running shoes and the additional training and promotion that would be required to sell them. An analysis of The Running Room’s strengths and weaknesses can help her determine that the second strategy is the most worthwhile to pursue moving forward. As a former nationally-ranked runner herself, and with both a proven track record for catering to serious runners (who make up a majority of her sales) as well as the flexibility to switch product lines fairly easily, Cisco’s business strengths would support a shift to a more serious runner target market with relative

Our interim report will discuss the company background, as well as financial ratios for Foot Locker when compared to Finish Line since Charm City Run’s financial ratios are not public records. We discuss strategic resources for Charm City Run, one being its organizational structure and its exceptional customer service. We will also discuss a possible opportunity for Charm City Run to expand their target market into a broader shoe market for consumers beyond the athlete industry. We go into detail about how the threat of substitutes poses a threat in our industry and possibly affects our opportunity for growth. Our appendix and references

As I reflect back over these last five weeks I now have a clearer view of marketing and how it affects not just the consumers of the world and the companies with their marketing managers, but how it affects me. Yes, I am a consumer who clips coupons, budgets my finances, and looks for sale items and this marketing class has taught me that marketing is more than selling or advertising. Marketing managers have a difficult job, as marketing involves identifying, meeting and satisfying the needs of customers or clients with goods and or services. Coming up with different strategies and marketing mixes is challenging because we live in a changing world with people who needs and financial situations are different. Yet still marketing engulfs every part of our daily lives. From what type of breakfast we eat, to where we shop, and even in our work environment. As I examine marketing, I will blend aspect to my career path as I make myself marketable for the future and aid my employer in the growth and survival in the economy.

The main competitors that we determined for Running Central based on the athletic footwear industry in the Peoria area were Dick’s Sporting Goods, Finish Line, and Champs Sports. Secondary competitors could be considered places like Wal-Mart, Shoe Carnival, Payless, Shoe Dept., and DSW who sell but aren’t specialized in athletic shoes. Due to the fact that Peoria has a lot of primary and secondary competitors for Running Central, we determined that there is an overstored market. In order to stay competitive in an overstored market, Running Central has focused on non-price actions that are exclusive to their store and will drive sales and profits; this being through their extraordinary customer service.

Run Forest is an eco-friendly athletic footwear company that strives to be the first in quality innovations in sustainable athletic shoes. The company’s strategy focuses on total quality management through all aspects of production in order to create a successful brand image and word-of-mouth advertising campaign. In order to offer the product at a reasonable price, Run Forest will be effective in managing costs down and allocating resources efficiently and effectively.

At some point in one’s life, he or she gets introduced to sports which have become a staple in society around the world. For example, most countries have a national team for different sports such as soccer, volleyball, and baseball. There are many companies like Addis, Reebok, and Asics that produce sportswear for every sport imaginable. Two of the biggest sportswear companies are Nike and Under Armour. Athletes and non-athletes all over the world use Nike and Under Armour products every day.

Marketing Analysis: Be our guest is an established service sector business. The company rents party equipment to other businesses and individuals for varied occasions, such as marriages and parties, which makes the demand for it being cyclical. The company is known for the high quality equipment they deliver and the extra ordinary services they provide in comparison to their competitors. Over the last three years from 1994 to 1997 the net sales for Be Our Guest have increased by 11% in 1994-1995 then by 9% in 1995-1996 and by another 23% from 1996-1997. There are number of factors causing this rapid escalation in sales. Having a strategy of providing high level of service and quality developed long-term relationship with the clients. Furthermore, those loyal and satisfied customers’ help in the promotion of the business as new clients come from a word of mouth of existing clients.

Nike is one of the most well-known companies in the world that offers different products like clothing, equipment, footwear and accessories. Internationally, Nike not only has the lead in athletic products such as running shoes, sandals, casual shoes and basketball shoes among others, but also it is ahead of its competitors with their line of athletic clothing like pants, shirts and shorts for everyday wear. Apart from this, Nike is also tries its best to make clothing with special fabric that contributes to the welfare of the athlete when using it, the highly specialized technology put in these clothes have helped Nike to be the number one sponsor of important sports around the world.

The athletic footwear industry includes all producers of shoes designed in an athletic style or for an athletic use. We define the active footwear industry as an industry that manufactures shoes for active lifestyles. The primary focus of this analysis is on the United States market as it represents roughly 32% of the overall footwear market (PRWeb,

New Balance’s goal is to help you achieve yours. With that being said they aid olympians in chasing medals, drive an everyday athlete to go that extra mile, help an average runner compete in their first five kilometer run or just simply promote a healthier lifestyle. Their products are a perfect blend of fashion, affordability,  and functionality. Providing high performance training equipment to athletes across the world, regular consumers , and underprivileged youth. They were founded in 1906 originally known as “New Balance Arch Support Company” by William J. Riley out of Boston, Massachusetts. The very first product innovated by William wasn’t a shoe at all, rather a shoe insert to promote healthy foot arch. He targeted those who worked jobs that require a lot of walking and or standing. Sales went through the roof when the company was presented at the 1972 Boston Marathon. They went from having six employees making thirty pairs of shoes a day to having 2 factories and producing over 1,000 pairs of shoes. The company has reached a total estimated profit of approximately forty billion dollars since 1991.

Active amateurs and people from upscale market are concerned with low risk of injuries and better performance. Product can be viewed with light weight and cushioning technology. Air Max a renowned running shoe by Nike, specially designed to provide the ultimate in impact protection — reducing shock and distributing pressure, best characterizes the product. (www.footlocker.com/searchresults/keyword:nike+air+max/)

According to Philip Knight high tech shoes for runners could be manufactured at the competitive prices. If imported from abroad. Blue ribbon sports in 1962 brought high quality shoes which were specially designed for athletes by athletes. This commitment brought built a cult following among U.S Consumer. From the beginning Nike’s marketing campaigns featured winning athletes as spokes person.

However in the late 1960's, the concept of "jogging" started to spread in the U.S., which was by now a huge market for the adidas® group. The adidas technicians initially dismissed the jogging trend by contending that ‘jogging is not a sport'. But their distributors in America started to demand for products for jogging. Finally when the technicians gave into the pleas of the American distributors, they still couldn't figure what the American customers required. While Germans tended to run on forest trails, the Americans jogged on roads and clamoured for soft shoes. When adidas® finally came up with the shoes, it was too little, too late. In the first