This paper will also determine the various roles that host governments have played as well as summarize the strategic and operational challenges that face global management for the Nike Corporation. Bill Bowerman, a track and field coach at the University of Oregon, and Phil Knight, a talented middle-distance runner from Portland, “shook hands to form Blue Ribbon Sports, pledged $500 each, and placed their first order of 300 pairs of shoes in January 1964” (Nikebiz, para. 1). In 1965, they hired their first employee, Jeff Johnson, to manage the growing requirements. In 1971, he conjured up the name Nike.
But now the tables have turned and Hondas marketing concept has a lot to do with their success and win of the market. What happened in the David VS Goliath clash? And what marketing strategies caused the all time favourite Harley Davidson sink so quickly? Harley-Davidson is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American manufacturers to survive the Great Depression.
Nike’s Corporate Social Responsibility MGMT 6213 – Ethics in the Workplace Wendy Bailey / Thomas Sullivan October 30, 2011 Nike’s Corporate Social Responsibility Nike, Inc., a Fortune 500® company, is a leading producer of sporting equipment, athletic shoes, and athletic apparel. The company employs over 30,000 people worldwide with an additional 500,000 through a complex series of subcontracting agreements. Throughout its history, Nike has undergone a transformation from a competitive business seeking the lowest cost manufacturers, to one that focuses on its corporate social responsibility in every aspect of their operations. This paper will outline unethical claims against Nike, provide a defense of those claims, demonstrate Nike’s evolution, and outline a triple threat recommendation for future success. Allegations of Ethical and Corporate Social Responsibility Lapses Throughout the paper, the author outlines how Nike is sourcing its products in factories and countries where low wages, poor working conditions, and human rights problems are rampant.
Companies like Gatorade, Nike, and Under Armour place their products on athletes to increase the sales of their merchandise. Athletes endorsing merchandise can be trace back to 1921 when Chuck Taylor signed with converse. This set precedent for other superstar athletes who followed, athletes like Michael Jordan and Julius Erving to name a few. “In the 1930s, Converse……added Taylor’s name to the All Star ankle patch. This broke down walls as the first sneaker bearing a player’s name.” (Osei-Dwunmoh) Nowadays athletes get more than just their names on sneakers and fan apparel.
When they made national television, so did the shoes they were wearing. One of the most visible runners to wear Nikes was American record-holder Steve Prefontaine. He became the first of a team of edgy athletes Knight recruited to endorse his
Nike Unknown ETH/316 Date Unknown Nike Nike is one of the most powerful companies in the world spreading the signature trademark swoosh symbol In Greek mythology, “Nike was a winged goddess or spirit of victory, both in battle and peaceful competition”. (theoi.com, n.d.) This is not a bad name to choose for a company who has lured some of the most influential sports figures of our time to endorse their products. Nike has faced many ethical problems such as employing people in sweat shops for extremely low wages. Nike needs to be in a state of urgency to retrieve the global support it needs to sustain the success of their apparel empire. Nike’s products are so heavily marketed globally that it is hard to believe children working in sweatshops are producing the famous swoosh worn by so many individuals.
Business Proposal Felicia Roberson ECO/561 February 20, 2013 Wendy Thomas Business Proposal Payless Shoesource founded by brothers Louis and Shaol Pozez in Topeka, Kansas in 1956. Payless Shoesource an American discount footwear retailer, owned by Collective Brands, Inc. Payless as of 2010 had 4,523 locations, which employed 13,500 employees; revenue increased $3.32 billion net income of $97.30 million. Payless was known for producing Pro Wings, a well-known discount brand sneaker in the U.S. Payless Shoesource announced in 2004, the closing of 100 shoe outlets. In 2007, Payless Shoesource took ownership of Stride Rite Corporation and changed the name to Collective Brands, Inc. In 2011, Collective Brand, Inc. revenue was $3.4 billion.
"What is the cause behind the local and international success of Nike in an industry which should be a perfect competition?" Competition and Strategy December 17, 2014 Table of Contents History2 The Athletic Footwear Industry3 Porters Five Force Analysis4 Suppliers5 Buyers5 Rivalry6 Threat of new entrants7 Threat of substitute goods8 Competitive differences between emerging and mature markets9 Business Strategy10 Main Competitor Analysis13 Final Remarks and Conclusion16 Exhibits17 Works Cited18 Company History In January 1964 University of Oregon track athlete Philip Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman founded Blue Ribbon Sports, a company that would later become the global leader and giant in the manufacturing and sales of athletic shoes, apparel, performance sportswear and sports equipment known as Nike Inc. Their initial goal was to break Germany’s domination of the industry and provide American college athletes with high-tech footwear to increase their performance by acting as a distributor for Japanese shoemaker Onitsuka Tiger (now ASICS). When relationships with their provider deteriorated seven years after it’s establishment, Blue Ribbon Sports decided to launch their own line of products in June 18,1971 starting with a soccer shoe called “The Nike”; the first shoe to have the Swoosh logo, which is considered one of the most successful logo designs of all time. The company later decided to rename itself to “Nike” in 1978. The company developed and refined innovative soles based on Bill Bowerman’s “waffle sole” idea, which would grip different racing tracks more efficiently, resulting in the company reaching 50% market share in the U.S. athletic shoe market by 1980.
Target Market Maria Rose MKT/498 Target Market “Just Do It” is a well-known tag line for Nike. The “Swoosh” is another iconic symbol for the number one athletic shoe company. Founded in January 1964, on a hand shake and five hundred dollars apiece, Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight placed their first order of 300 pairs of shoes; and Blue Ribbon Shoes was created. The currently known name Nike was created in 1971 by Jeff Johnson. He had met Phil Knight at Stanford and soon became an invaluable asset to the new company.
Question #1: Sourcing Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Nike, Inc. has become the largest supplier of athletic shoes, apparel and sporting equipment in the world. In 2012, Nike reported revenue of approximately $24.13 billion dollars (Schulz, n.d). Nike’s sourcing strategy has traditionally been characterized as vertical disintegration through the practice of outsourcing their manufacturing activities to independent factory owners in foreign countries (Collins, 2010). Outsourcing allows Nike to focus on their core competencies such as marketing and product development (Mongelluzzo, 2002). Nike creates the manufacturing designs and specifications, and their suppliers follow them through the production process.