History of Nike Company Essay Example
History of Nike Company Essay Example

History of Nike Company Essay Example

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  • Published: December 22, 2017
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 WHEN NIKE BREATHED ITS FIRST BREATH, IT INHALED THE SPIRIT OF TWO MEN.

Before there was the Swoosh, before there was Nike, there were two visionary men who pioneered a revolution in athletic footwear that redefined the industry. Bill Bowerman was a nationally respected track and field coach at the University of Oregon, who was constantly seeking ways to give his athletes a competitive advantage. He experimented with different track surfaces, re-hydration drinks and – most importantly – innovations in running shoes. But the established footwear manufacturers of the 1950s ignored the ideas he tried to offer them, so Bowerman began cobbling shoes for his runners.

Phil Knight was a talented middle-distance runner from Portland, who enrolled at Oregon in the fall of 1955 and competed for Bowerman’s track program. Upon gra

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duating from Oregon, Knight earned his MBA in finance from Stanford University, where he wrote a paper that proposed quality running shoes could be manufactured in Japan that would compete with more established German brands. But his letters to manufacturers in Japan and Asia went unanswered, so Knight took a chance. He made a cold-call on the Onitsuka Co. n Kobe, Japan, and persuaded the manufacturer of Tiger shoes to make Knight a distributor of Tiger running shoes in the United States. When the first set of sample shoes arrived, Knight sent several pairs to Bowerman, hoping to make a sale. They shook hands to form Blue Ribbon Sports, pledged $500 each and placed their first order of 300 pairs of shoes in January 1964.

Knight sold the shoes out of the trunk of his green Plymouth Valiant, while Bowerman began ripping apart Tiger shoes to see

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how he could make them lighter and better, and enlisted his University of Oregon runners to wear-test his creations. In essence, the foundation for what would become Nike had been established. But Bowerman and Knight each had full-time jobs - Bowerman at Oregon and Knight at a Portland accounting firm - so they needed someone to manage the growing requirements of Blue Ribbon Sports. Enter Jeff Johnson, whom Knight had met at Stanford.

A runner himself, Johnson became the first full-time employee of Blue Ribbon Sports in 1965, and quickly became an invaluable utility man for the start-up company. 1970 - 1979:

THE BIRTH OF THE NIKE BRAND, AND COMPANY

Johnson created the first product brochures, print ads and marketing materials, and even shot the photographs for the company’s catalogues. He established a mail-order system, opened the first BRS retail store (located in Santa Monica, Calif. ) and managed shipping/receiving. He also designed several early Nike shoes, and even conjured up the name Nike in 1971.

Around this same time, the relationship between BRS and Onitsuka was falling apart. Knight and Bowerman were ready to make the jump from being a footwear distributor to designing and manufacturing their own brand of athletic shoes. They selected a brand mark today known internationally as the “Swoosh,” which was created by a graphic design student at Portland State University named Carolyn Davidson. The new Nike line of footwear debuted in 1972, in time for the U. S. Track & Field Trials, which were held in Eugene, Ore. One particular pair of shoes made a very different impression – literally – on the dozen or so runners who tried them.

They featured a new

innovation that Bowerman drew from his wife’s waffle iron – an outsole that had waffle-type nubs for traction but were lighter than traditional training shoes. With a new logo, a new name and a new design innovation, what BRS now needed was an athlete to endorse and elevate the new Nike line. Fittingly for the company founded by Oregonians, they found such a young man from the small coastal town of Coos Bay, Ore. His name: Steve Prefontaine. Prefontaine electrified the packed stands of Oregon’s Hayward Field during his college career from 1969 to 1973.

He never lost any race at his home track over the one-mile distance, and quickly gained national exposure thanks to cover stories on magazines like Sports Illustrated and his fourth-place finish in 1972 in the 5,000m in Munich. Pre challenged Bowerman, Johnson and BRS in general to stretch their creative talents. In turn, he became a powerful ambassador for BRS and Nike after he graduated from Oregon, making numerous appearances on behalf of BRS and sending pairs of Nike shoes to prospective runners along with personal notes of encouragement.

His tragic death at age 24 in 1975 cut short what many believed would have been an unparalleled career in track – at the time of his death, he held American records in seven distances from 2,000m to 10,000m. But Prefontaine’s fiery spirit lives on within Nike; Knight has often said that Pre is the “soul of Nike. ” 1980 - 1989:

A DECADE OF TRANSITION AND REDEDICATION

Nike entered the 1980s on a roll, thanks to the successful launch of Nike Air technology in the Tailwind running shoe in 1979. By the end of

1980, Nike completed its IPO and became a publicly traded company.

This began a period of transition, where several of Nike’s early pioneers decided to move on to other pursuits. Even Phil Knight stepped down as president for more than a year in 1983-1984, although he remained the chairman of the board and CEO. By the mid-1980s, Nike had slipped from its position as the industry leader, in part because the company had badly miscalculated on the aerobics boom, giving upstart competitors an almost completely open field to develop the business. Fortunately, the debut of a new signature shoe for an NBA rookie by the name of Michael Jordan in 1985 helped bolster Nike’s bottom line.

In 1987, Nike readied a major product and marketing campaign designed to regain the industry lead and differentiate Nike from its competitors. The focal point was the Air Max, the first Nike footwear to feature Nike Air bags that were visible. The campaign was supported by a memorable TV ad whose soundtrack was the original Beatles’ recording of ‘Revolution. ’ A year later, Nike built on its momentum from the ‘Revolution’ campaign by launching a broad yet empowering series of ads with the tagline “Just do it. The series included three ads with a young two-sport athlete named Bo Jackson, who espoused the benefits of a new cross-training shoe. In 1989, Nike’s cross-training business exploded, thanks in part to the incredibly popular “Bo Knows” ad campaign. By the end of the decade, Nike had regained its position as the industry leader, the first and only time a company in the athletic footwear/apparel industry has accomplished such a feat. Nike has never

relinquished that position again. 1990 - 1999: NIKE EXTENDS ITS REACH

Buoyed by a series of successful product launches and marketing campaigns, Nike entered the 1990s by christening its beautiful world headquarters in suburban Portland, Oregon. In November of 1990, Portland became the first home to a new retail-as-theatre experience called Niketown, which would earn numerous architectural design and retail awards and spawn more than a dozen other Niketown locations around the USA and internationally. While Nike had designed footwear and apparel for golf and soccer for a number of years, the mid-1990s signaled a deepening commitment to truly excel in these sports.

In 1994, Nike signed several individual players from what would be the World Cup-winning Brazilian National Team. In 1995, Nike signed the entire team, and began designing the team’s distinctive uniform. Nike also signed the US men’s and women’s national soccer teams, as well as dozens of national teams around the world. In 1996, Nike Golf landed a vastly talented but as-yet-unproven young golfer named Eldrick “Tiger” Woods for a reported $5 million per year. Competitors laughed and critics howled at Nike’s "folly," until Tiger won the 1997 Masters by a record 12 strokes. 000 -

PRESENT: LEADING A NEW GENERATION

Nike rang in the new millennium with a new footwear cushioning system called Nike Shox, which debuted during Sydney in 2000. The development of Nike Shox culminated more than 15 years of perseverance and dedication, as Nike designers stuck with their idea until technology could catch up. The result was a cushioning and stability system worthy of joining Nike Air as the industry’s gold standard. Just as Nike’s products have evolved, so has Nike’s approach

to marketing. The 2002 “Secret Tournament” campaign was Nike’s first truly integrated, global marketing effort.

Departing from the traditional “big athlete, big ad, big product” formula, Nike created a multi-faceted consumer experience in support of the World Cup. “Secret Tournament” incorporated advertising, the Internet, public relations, retail and consumer events to create excitement for Nike’s soccer products and athletes in a way no single ad could ever achieve. This new integrated approach has become the cornerstone for Nike marketing and communications. Today, Nike continues to seek new and innovative ways to develop superior athletic products, and creative methods to communicate directly with our consumers.

The company has continued to expand in new ways, including strong growth in China and a deal to become the official sponsor of the National Football League (NFL) beginning in 2012. At an investor meeting at its world headquarters in June 2011, NIKE, Inc. announced an increase to its fiscal 2015 revenue target to a new range of $28-30 billion, up from its previous target of $27 billion announced in May 2010. The company also increased its fiscal 2015 revenue target for the NIKE Brand to $24-25 billion, up from its previous target of $23 billion. President and CEO Mark Parker said: “At NIKE, Inc. e run a complete offense, and it’s based on a core commitment to innovation. That’s how we stay opportunistic, serve the athlete, reward our shareholders, and continue to lead our industry. ” 3. 0 History of Nike Logo There must be very few people who do not recognize the Nike Swoosh logo. With a big arsenal of superstars such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Andre Agassi, Shane Warne,

Maria Sharapova, Venus and Serena Williams. This list is pretty long. The company takes its name from the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. The Nike "Swoosh" is a design created in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University.

She met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company, Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS). BRS needed a new brand for a new line of athletic footwear it was preparing to introduce in 1972. Knight approached Davidson for design ideas, and she agreed to provide them, charging a rate of $2 per hour. In June 1971, Davidson presented a number of design options to Knight and other BRS executives, and they ultimately selected the mark now known globally as the Swoosh. Davidson submitted a bill for $35 for her work. In 1983, Knight gave Davidson a gold Swoosh ring and an envelope filled with Nike stock to express his gratitude. ) The logo represents the wing of the Greek Goddess. The Nike logo is a classic case of a company gradually simplifying its corporate identity as its frame increases. The company's first logo appeared in 1971, when the word "Nike," the Greek goddess of victory, was printed in orange over the outline of a checkmark, the sign of a positive mark. Used as a motif on sports shoes since the 1970s, this checkmark is now so recognizable that the company name itself has became superfluous.

The solid corporate logo design check was registered as a trademark in 1995. The Nike logo design is an abstract wing, designed by Carolyn Davidson, was an appropriate and meaningful

symbol for a company that marketed running shoes. The "JUST DO IT" slogan and logo design campaign communicated such a strong point of view to their target market that the meaning for the logo design symbol evolved into a battle cry and the way of life for an entire generation. Isn't it amazing how a small symbol we call a logo design can make a company into a huge success. . 0 Organizational charts Nike is a mechanistic organization. As a large, international organization with thousand of employees, oddly has organic elements by giving opportunity to employees to express their thoughts and opinion as explain above. The company puts many targets that need team work; conclude that Nike has task culture. Communication channels Nike emphasizes a lot on the communication channels. It supports that creating effective communication channels through the regions at Liaison Office (LO) and factory level is a constant challenge.

Nike internet-based “Ask the Management” forum gives employees throughout the regions an opportunity to raise concerns and post questions to top management. Due to the fact that there is full and open communication at work employees are most highly motivated and make their greatest contribution to the business. The existence of the plenty flow of information and ideas among employees develop productivity and minimize confusion, duplication, and unproductive conflict. Emlpoyee Networks Nike Employee Networks are designed to help Nike move toward greater diversity. In the U.

S. , six employee networks focus attention on important communities within Nike. The intended role of each network is to foster professional development, enhance work performance, identify mentors, assist in recruiting diverse professionals, develop increased community interaction, and encourage improved teamwork

and interaction within and across work groups. Type of employees/ Skills Nike as a large international company occupies thousand of employees of different ethics, cultures, and race. Due to the existence of the HR department the potential problems are eliminated.

As Adidas has to cover many different job positions, the skills that are demanded are various. HR department recruits both low and high skilled employees depending on each job description. Diversity exists in all maters because there are employees of different age, gender, race, nationality and religion. Boards of Directors Name/Title Current Board Membership Philip Hampson Knight, 75 Chairman NIKE, Inc. Mark G. Parker, 57 President, Chief Executive Officer & Director NIKE, Inc. Elizabeth J. Comstock, 52 Independent Director NIKE, Inc. , Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum Alan B. Graf, 59

Independent Director Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. , NIKE, Inc. , Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Federal Express Corp. Orin C. Smith, 71 Independent Director University of Washington, NIKE, Inc. , The Starbucks Foundation, Conservation International Foundation Phyllis M. Wise, 68 Independent Director NIKE, Inc. , RAND Health Timothy Donald Cook, 52 Independent Director NIKE, Inc. , Apple, Inc. , The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc. John G. Connors, 54 Independent Director Washington Policy Center, DataSphere Technologies, Inc. , Scout Analytics, Inc. , NIKE, Inc. Tier 3, Inc. (Washington), INRIX, Inc. , Rim Tec, Inc. , Opscode, Inc. , Xamarin, Inc. , Splunk, Inc. , Swedish Medical Center, Korrio, Inc. , Parse, Inc. Johnathan A. Rodgers, 67 Independent Director Comcast Corp. , Procter & Gamble Co. , NIKE, Inc. , University of California, Berkeley John C. Lechleiter, 59 Independent Director Eli Lilly & Co. , The Central

Indiana Corporate Partnership, Xavier University, United Way Worldwide, Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. , Fairbanks Institute, NIKE, Inc. Douglas G. Houser, 78 Independent Director Willamette University, NIKE, Inc. John R. Thompson, 72

Director NIKE, Inc. , National Association of Basketball Coaches 5. 0 Nike Company Statistics Nike is one of the most recognized brands globally and the leader in athletic shoes and apparell. Founded by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports and then Nike in 1978. The name Nike is derived from the Greek goddess of Victory. The Nike "swoosh" logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland Oregon. Phil Knight’s original comment on the logo was "I don’t love it, but it will grow on me. " Nike company statistics Data Nike’s sales revenue in 2011 $20. Billion Nike’s sales revenue in 1996 $6. 4 Billion Total number of employees 38,000 Percent share of global athletic footwear market 31 % Average number of Nike shoes sold each year 120 million Number of Nike stores globally 700 Number of countries with a Nike office 45 6. 0 Management structure We are innovation and design leaders who seek to help athletes of all skill levels achieve peak performance with every product we bring to the market. We are a global organization that is socially and environmentally responsible, creative and financially rewarding for our employees and shareholders.

We are committed to continuously strengthening our brands and products to improve our competitive position and financial performance. In the medium term, we will extend our leading market position in Europe, expand our share of the US footwear market and be the fastest growing major

sporting goods supplier in Asia and Latin America. The resulting top-line growth, together with strict cost control and working capital improvements, will drive over-proportionate earnings growth. 7. 0 Recommendation 1. The first of all, Nike Company should make some new clubs for the customers.

It will offer some new discounts and promotions. May be randomly Nike will give some gifts to customers. If Nike will do it they will attract customers to come and join this club. Cause Nowadays, Nike with Apple Company one of the best companies inside the young life. Because of this the new generation will be always with Nike Company. Secondly, they should create new discounts centres where they will do new promotions. Like buy 3 things and 2 we will give to you for free. It’s also a good motivation for customers. They will come again and again. Also one good idea is the “Changing the life”.

What we mean by this point. It’s like a changing the old clothes to new. For example, you using trainers for 5 years and you can give these trainers to shop and pay some not big amount and you can take new trainers. This point will be affect positively to the customers. New modern design. I can give some recommendation to Nike Company. To many young customers like sports clothes. But the also want to be in official view in the same time. So they should create a new line of their clothes “Official Sport clothes”. May be they should make a contract with new brands. New club card which can give some advantages.

For example You can create your own account and if your total

purchase is around RM3000 you will get a new card with deposit. Then after that when you will buy a new clothes you will get a good discount and you will take around 3% of the thing which you buying to your deposit card. If they will use these recommendations they will get more profit than now. But this idea is only our recommendations. Of course, to many famous designers working on new line of the shoes and clothes. And they use so famous stars to force their product. And we know that in coming future they will have more profit than now.

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