The brand Nike is a multi-billion dollar international corporation that has changed the way that the world looks at sports. The company has successfully launched themselves as the premiere athletic clothing and shoe brand since their creation in the 1960's. Nike is the sole contractor for the national football league in the United States, many top division one universities, and a variety of other different sports leagues in hundreds of countries located around the globe. Beyond their own advertisements, they receive thousands of minutes of air-time a day on television solely due to their logo, the trademarked "swoosh," which is patched visibly onto every piece of athletic clothing worn by a team who has a contract with them.
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| Nike Swoosh patented in 1974 |
Nike's great success has largely been due to their ongoing advertising campaigns and their effective use of traditional and new media. Their "just do it" slogan has been recognized by Advertising Age as a top five slogan of the 20th century, and they have also been named "advertiser of the year" in both 1994 and 2003 by the Cannes Advertising festival. To this day Nike utilizes traditional media by running commercials featuring high profile endorsed athletes that grab the attention of all that are watching. They have even created a line of shoes around one of the most famous athletes of all time, Michael Jordan who exclusively endorses the shoe "Air Jordans." The campaign surrounding this shoe, brands it as a shoe that can help those who wear them achieve success as Jordan did, as seen in this commercial.
Recently with the advances in technology, and booming of social media advertising and communities, Nike has successfully adopted new media strategies to continue to reach the widest audience possible. They have come out with new products that go beyond clothing and shoes, and have transferred their brand into a lifestyle through new media. For example, the Nike Fuel Band is a product worn on the wrist of any person who wishes to use it; the band tracks "what is important to you," the user. It can track calories burned, steps taken, distance, time, etc. all combining them into a number - fuel points.
These points are matched up to a goal that the user sets for themselves on their smartphones; the Fuel application links the user to an online community of friends and those who have like interests, in order to keep them motivated and help them reach a more fit life. By wearing the Nike fuel and staying involved in their goals, users are in touch with the brand every single day making it a vital part of their life.
This combination of using both traditional and new media reaches the largest target market for their corporation. They market their clothing, shoes, and watches/bands and accessories, as products that top tier athletes use through their multiple celebrity endorsements, and professional team contracts. This factor of being only for the best appeals to consumers who also strive to get better at what they do. Their products are convenient to buy nearly anywhere in the world, they are readily available online, in Nike stores, or at large retailers such as Sports Authority and Dick's sporting goods. Since the company has been around for so long they are reputable, reliable, and are able to sell at the price point that they ask for. They are competitively priced with other high end sporting labels such as Under Armour, Adidas, Reebok and Puma, which also creates an sense of eliteness and desire. Nike as a whole has created a dedicated population of consumers who buy into their lifestyle; most people's favorite athletes wear and endorse Nike which only makes these products more desirable among fans. With their continued efforts in the age of new media while also keeping true to still relevant traditional media, Nike is poised to be the number one athletic brand for many years to come.
Recently with the advances in technology, and booming of social media advertising and communities, Nike has successfully adopted new media strategies to continue to reach the widest audience possible. They have come out with new products that go beyond clothing and shoes, and have transferred their brand into a lifestyle through new media. For example, the Nike Fuel Band is a product worn on the wrist of any person who wishes to use it; the band tracks "what is important to you," the user. It can track calories burned, steps taken, distance, time, etc. all combining them into a number - fuel points.
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| Serena Williams spotter wearing her Nike Fuel during a tennis match. |
This combination of using both traditional and new media reaches the largest target market for their corporation. They market their clothing, shoes, and watches/bands and accessories, as products that top tier athletes use through their multiple celebrity endorsements, and professional team contracts. This factor of being only for the best appeals to consumers who also strive to get better at what they do. Their products are convenient to buy nearly anywhere in the world, they are readily available online, in Nike stores, or at large retailers such as Sports Authority and Dick's sporting goods. Since the company has been around for so long they are reputable, reliable, and are able to sell at the price point that they ask for. They are competitively priced with other high end sporting labels such as Under Armour, Adidas, Reebok and Puma, which also creates an sense of eliteness and desire. Nike as a whole has created a dedicated population of consumers who buy into their lifestyle; most people's favorite athletes wear and endorse Nike which only makes these products more desirable among fans. With their continued efforts in the age of new media while also keeping true to still relevant traditional media, Nike is poised to be the number one athletic brand for many years to come.
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