Nike.com
Nike
Nike Incorporation which is actually pronounced as 'nye-kee', derives its name from Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. It is a leading American dealer of athletic apparels, shoes, and sports gear. Nike markets and sells its products under its own brand name ie Nike as well as Nike Pro, Nike Golf, Team Starter, Air Jordan, and other subsidiaries that include Bauer, Converse, Hurley International and Cole Haan. Nike remains the undisputed largest and most popular sportswear supplier of the world.
History To Date
Nike was founded as an importer of Japanese shoes. Since then it has grown to be the world's major marketer of athletic sports gear, footwear and apparel. In US, Nike stuff is sold through more than 20,000 retail accounts. In and around the world, the company's products are being sold in about 110 countries, both domestically as well as overseas, through retail stores that include Nike Towns and Nike factory outlets. Most of the items of the company are manufactured by independent service provider, primarily located overseas, and Nike is only involved in the designing, developing, and marketing. The company relies on consistent producing something innovative and experimenting with its design of products. This constant urge to do something unique, along with heavy promotion to stimulate its growth has led to tremendous development in both U.S. as well as foreign markets. The omnipresent presence of the Nike brand and its trademark, Swoosh, has led to a criticism against the company, particularly in connection to accusations of low salary and bad working conditions of workers at the company's Asian contract manufacturers.
Products
Nike is the producer of a wide array of sports gears. The first products of the company were running and basketball shoes. Currently they are also engaged in making jerseys for different sports like track & field, baseball, football, tennis, lacrosse, soccer, golf and cricket. Some recent additions to their line of products are the Nike SB and Nike 6.0 shoes that are specially designed for skateboarding. Nike sells shoes for road running, soccer, basketball, athletics, American football, and cross training for men, women, and kids. Nike also sells foot gear for outdoor sports like tennis, baseball, golf, soccer, football, volleyball, bicycling, wrestling, aquatic games and cheer leading and recreational uses. They also have Nike and Bauer brand athletic gear, brand Cole Haan dress and other casual footwear.
Recently cricket shoes, called Air Zoom Yorker, were introduced and they are designed to be almost thirty percent lighter than their competitors. Nike recently had a team up with Apple Incorporation to produce the Nike+ product that actually checks a runner's performance through a radio device attached in the shoe and linked 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 store under the brand 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.
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