Nike.com
Nike
Nike Inc. (pronounced 'nye-kee') derives its name from Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. As a leading American manufacturer of athletic apparels, shoes, and sports gear, the company markets and sells its products under its own brand name -- Nike -- as well as Nike Pro, Nike Golf, Team Starter and Air Jordan. Other subsidiaries include Bauer, Converse, Hurley International and Cole Haan. Nike is the largest and most popular sportswear supplier worldwide.
History
Long before the swoosh logo and the birth of Nike, there was Blue Ribbon Sports. BRS was the company Phil Knight, Nike founder, and legendary track coach Bill Bowerman created in 1964 to provide athletes with better footwear. It wasn’t until 1971 that BRS introduced the concept of the winged Goddess, Nike. In December 1980, the company went public and the rest is history.
Since the company's inception, it has grown to a world marketer of athletic sports gear, footwear and apparel. In the U.S. alone, Nike products are sold through more than 20,000 retail accounts. Globally, the company's products are sold in more than 110 countries through retail stores including Nike Towns and Nike factory outlets. Most items are manufactured by independent service providers overseas with Nike orchestrating the design, development and marketing of these items. The company constantly strives to explore unique and functional trends to stimulate commercial growth in both U.S. and foreign markets.
Products
Nike produces of a wide array of sports gear and apparel. Among the first products were running and basketball shoes. Currently, they make jerseys for different sporting activities including track & field, baseball, football, tennis, lacrosse, soccer, golf and cricket. Recent additions to their line of products are Nike SB and Nike 6.0 footwear specially designed for skateboarding. Nike sells shoes for road running, soccer, basketball, athletics, American football, and cross training for men, women, and children. Nike also sells gear for outdoor sports such as tennis, baseball, golf, soccer, football, volleyball, bicycling, wrestling, aquatic games, cheer leading and multi-sport uses. They also hold Bauer brand athletic gear and Cole Haan dress and casual footwear brands.
Recently added to their footwear lines are cricket shoes called Air Zoom Yorker, introduced and designed to be almost thirty percent lighter than their competitors. Nike recently teamed up with Apple Inc. to produce the Nike+ products that actually check a runner's performance through a radio device attaching the shoe to the iPod nano.
Most of the Nike’s products are designed to appeal to a young and materialistic crowd. It is marketed and positioned as a brand of premium performance. However, it also manufactures shoes for some discount stores like the Wal-Mart under the brand name Starter.
Manufacturing and Distribution
Nike has more than five hundred factories all around the globe and its offices are located in forty five countries out of United States. Most of its factories are in Asia that includes Taiwan, China, India, Thailand, Turkey, Pakistan, Vietnam, Philippines, Korea and Malaysia.
The company sells its product to around 20,000 retailers in the U.S. alone and approximately in 110 countries international. Nike sells its line of products in international markets by means of independent distributors, subsidiaries and licensees.
Competitors and Rivals
Since Nike manufactures goods for a wide spectrum of sports, they have huge competition from almost every sports and its associated fashion brand. In the early days, Nike had no real competitors as there was not even a single brand that could compete straight away with Nike's vast range of sports and other non-sports gear. In 1980s Reebok came in the picture. Reebok has now bagged merchandising agreements with the National Hockey League and also the National Football League in the US, and was later purchased by Adidas in 2006.
Marketing Policy
Nike's marketing policy remains an important part of the company's huge success. It has been marketed as a premium-brand that sells quality-designed and luxurious goods. The marketing strategy involves creating a distinctive brand image through a unique logo and advertising slogan, “just do it”, that attracts customers. It promotes its line of products through sponsorship agreements and contracts with many celebrity sportspersons, professional teams and even college athletic teams. It is because of this extensive advertising and many sponsorship programs that Nike’s products are priced higher than its competitor’s products.
Go to Nike.com
Address
- One Bowerman SW
- Beaverton OR 97005 US
Contact
- Nike, Inc.
-
- +1 503 671 2635, Fax: +1 503 646 6926
Additional Information
Related Domains
External Links
- Alexa: Nike.com