An analysis of Nike, Inc gives insight to the brand consumer behavior and processes. The firm is a multinational corporation that develops, designs, manufactures, sells, and markets its shoes, clothes, accessories, and equipment worldwide. The American company has its headquarters in Beaverton, Portland Metropolitan area, and Oregon, while it has stores across the globe. The Nike brand is valued at around $29.6 billion and markets its products under its brand name. The company does not only target athletes; Nike has segmented their market according to age, occupation, life-cycle stage, generation, and gender. Though the market is broad, Nike targets consumers aged between 15-40 years old. The corporation targets both men and women in the market while focusing more on teens and tweens to improve brand loyalty.
Nike employs psychographic segmentation to their target market through certain lifestyles and personalities. The firm uses this strategy to target individuals who enjoy sports, watching, playing, or merely talking about sports. These activities shape lifestyles and personalities, leading to the firm’s marketing campaigns to develop a feeling that transcends the product. Nike brings an attitude and creates a lifestyle that helps it sell better. Events like Nike: Run with Me, Sports Improvement Clinics, athletic ad non-athletic endorsements, and social media contests play a significant role in developing a feeling of “belonging” to the Nike community.
The company’s brand personality is anchored on its relationship with its customers. The firm has been endorsing the best athletes in different sports activities, influencing the Nike persona as aggressive, exciting, cool, provocative, innovative, and durable (Nike Inc). The firm’s brand personality is excitement and is depicted to have an active lifestyle. In its early stages of business, Nike corporation used the B2B strategy; today, Nike employs the B2C marketing strategy, which relies on consumer interests. The B2C approach is emotionally driven while promoting entertainment, brand awareness, and a vast market. For instance, the company used a B2C strategy by producing commercials involving the 2014 world cup games and various superstars and soccer athletes in what they termed Risk Everything.
Nike uses social media to communicate to its consumer’s email subscriptions, its official website and application, and reel subscriptions. Through the Nike complaint department, the company manages consumer complaints through different platforms where consumers can call the customer care number and file their complaints (Complaints Department). The firm additionally allows its consumers to launch protests through dedicated YouTube, tweeter, Facebook, and Instagram platforms.
Nike’s commitment to sustainability is vivid in its vision, where the firm envisions eliminating its environmental impact through sustainable use of resources such as energy, water, and materials. The corporation is at work with material merchants and contract manufacturers to diminish adversative impacts on the environment. The organization hopes to realize zero discharge of hazardous chemicals through this vision. Additionally, the corporation has developed a new manufacturing index to review its contract manufacturers and pick the ones that align with its sustainability goals. Nike remains committed to developing footwear and running shoes that are eco-friendly.
Senses play a significant role in an individual’s decision-making process. Aspects such as logos, music played in stores, or themed colors simulate reasons to improve the shopping experience. The Nike shops are well light with black decorations or images in neutral colors, which helps shoppers feel relaxed to pay for Nike shoes. The Nike logo and slogan are easily recognizable, creating a solid purchasing motive. Nike corporation values and ethical codes revolve around loyalty, honesty, fairness, accountability, trustworthiness, and concern for other people.
Nike has been accused of high-profile ethical accusations spanning from allegations involving cases of forced labor within the firm’s supply chain, political lobbying, gender discrimination against female employees and parents, as well as exorbitant wage packages while the executives receive outrageous payments (Ethical Consumer Research Association). In 2019, Nike suffered bad publicity when Zion Williamson’s shoe fell off, leading the player to suffer a knee sprain that ruled him out for the rest of the season (Torossian). The highly televised game former US President Obama was watching led to a billion-dollar loss as the player audibly confessed that the shoe had broken. Nike swiftly made an official communication about the event and physically met and wished the payer quick recovery before making statement about the quality of their products to alleviate doubt.
Works Cited
Ethical Consumer Research Association. “How Ethical Is Nike Inc?” Ethical Consumer, Ethical Consumer Research Association Ltd, 2021.
Complaints Department. “Nike.” Complaints Department, Nike, 2022.
Nike Inc. “Read Nike’s Mission Statement and Find Information about Nike, Inc. Innovation, Sustainability, Community Impact and More.” Nike News, Nike, Inc, 2022.
Torossian, Ronn. “Nike PR: Year of Two Public Relations Crises.” PR News Nike PR Year of Two Public Relations Crises Comments, Everything PR, 2019.