Nike is a world-famous American company. This is one of the largest companies designing, producing and distributing sportswear, shoes and accessories.
Nike history of creation
The Nike company appeared in a completely unusual way. Ideally, new firms enter the market in two possible options. A new company either occupies a free space in the market by offering something new, or offers a product of higher quality than its competitors. What makes Nike unique is that when creating the company, its founder used both options at once.
Phil Knight, an ordinary student at the University of Oregon, founded the Blue Ribbon Sports company in 1964. It is this company that later turns into an entire empire, which is now known under the name “Nike”.
What is the backstory of Nike? During his student years, Phil Knight was seriously interested in sports. He was even a middle distance runner on the university team. Knight's coach during those years was Bill Bowerman. In those days there was no special choice of sportswear. Professional athletes could afford $30 sneakers from Adidas, but ordinary American citizens were forced to settle for cheap and low-quality goods of unknown origin.
It was then that Knight decided to seriously work on correcting the current situation. Soon he developed a not very complex, but quite interesting commercial scheme. According to popular legend, at a regular marketing seminar, Knight came up with the concept of his future company. According to the idea, Knight should have ordered sports shoes from Asia and sell it in the United States at affordable price. It was then, in 1964, that Phil Knight and coach Bill Bowerman took the first step by creating a small company called Blue Ribbon Sports.
Some time later, Knight enters into his first contract with the Japanese company Onitsuka Tiger, which undertakes to sew sports shoes for colleagues from the United States. Since Knight's company was not registered, in the first months sales were carried out on the street, where the 26-year-old businessman sold sneakers from a minivan.
Oddly enough, Knight’s business began to develop at a rapid pace. During the first year of the company's existence, the founders' profit amounted to 8 thousand dollars. After calculating the revenue, Knight realized that it was time to develop and hire workers. Soon a sales manager appeared in the company - Jeff Johnson, whose appearance brought several changes to the company at once. The name changed first.
In honor of greek goddess After Niki's victory, the company was named Nike.
The second change was in policy. Johnson was confident that the company's advancement directly depended on individual approach to every client. To do this, Johnson found out and wrote down the phone numbers of all buyers, most of whom were athletes, called them and asked about the quality of the purchased goods. He was also interested in product defects, upon discovery of which Johnson offered new models. Johnson kept a whole file cabinet where he recorded all customer reviews and suggestions. It was this strategy that became the key to the company's success.
Development
The end of the 60s of the last century was marked by development in the history of Nike. It was then that the first branded store opened in Santa Monica, California. In 1968, the company released a new type of sneakers.
The new models were made using advanced lightweight materials and had good shock-absorbing properties.
In the early 70s, a company partner in Japan decided that the overseas company was making a lot of money. This was exactly the case, because compared to the first year, the company increased its annual income many times over, which in 1971 amounted to $1.3 million. After this, the Onitsuka Tiger company tried to buy out the share of its American partner and raised prices for the supplied goods. Knight foresaw this development of events and had previously managed to contact another Japanese company, Nisho Iwai. At the same time, the founders of the brand, together with the sales manager, decided to start own production in the United States. Moreover, they had everything they needed for a successful start.
In the same year 71, the company received a new logo, which was soon to become popular throughout the world. The logo was created by Portland State University student Carolyn Davidson. Then the girl created the famous emblem in the form of a stroke, which symbolized the wing of the Greek goddess for almost nothing, receiving 30 dollars for her work. Years later, as the company gained momentum, Knight offered a generous reward. Caroline received a number of company shares and an exclusive figurine as a gift. Nike logo, which was studded with diamonds.
The company’s popularity grew after another innovation – sneakers with “waffle” soles. A similar sole was produced using a completely new technology. Such a sole made it possible to significantly reduce the weight of the shoe, while simultaneously increasing momentum during running. The idea to create a revolutionary technology belongs to Knight's coach. It is said that Bowerman came up with it completely by accident when he was looking at his wife’s waffle iron.
The company's debut occurred in 1972, when the United States Olympic training camp took place before the Summer Games.
The following years brought the company dizzying fame. In 1978, the company entered the international market for the first time. Next year, Nike will launch sportswear production. Knight and his wife worked on the creation of the first clothing models.
In those years, fitness was gaining popularity. This was the main impetus that influenced the sales of Nike shoes with lightweight soles, which strengthened the company’s position in the global market.
Since that time, the company considered Adidas its main competitor. Since then, companies have been competing for a leading position in the sports products market. In 1973, Nike managed to gain half the market share.
Nike Air sneakers
Each of us has heard the name of the legendary series of sports sneakers “Nike Air”. What is her story?
In 1979, former NASA aeronautical engineer Frank Paris develops a completely unusual method for making sneaker soles. He offers his technology to many sports shoe companies and even Nike, but he is rejected everywhere. But Paris's determination and persistence ultimately lead to Nike agreeing to use the engineer's method in production.
The innovation of the aircraft engineer was that he was the first to propose the use of a special shock absorption system, which was supposed to significantly extend the “life” of the shoes.
Paris was not mistaken in his calculations, since it turned out that the new technology not only extended the life of the sneakers, but also made them several times more comfortable.
Michael Jordan is the star of the company
The well-known rule of successful advertising is that for good progress products need to collaborate with stars. Nike decided not to experiment again and not take risks by starting to collaborate with sports stars and organizations.
The company has entered into a large number of contracts, but the contract concluded in 1985 is still considered the most famous and most scandalous in the history of Nike. During these years, the company's popularity began to gradually decline. It was then that Nike decided to sign a contract with NBA star Michael Jordan. And the reason for this crisis situation was another experiment by the company with the production of casual shoes, which never found buyers.
Immediately after signing a contract with Nike, Jordan began actively advertising the company. He wore Nike sneakers not only during basketball games, but also in Everyday life. The company even released an exclusive series of sneakers called “Air Jordan” especially for him. The irony, however, was that these sneakers were the reason Jordan continually paid $1,000 in fines. The reason for the fines was the black and red coloring of the sneakers, which was officially banned in the NBA. Mike was not at all embarrassed by this, since advertising brought him quite a lot of income.
Nike today
Today the Nike brand is known throughout the world and is one of the main symbols of sports. The company has consolidated its position in markets around the world. It offers everything you need for almost all sports. The company has repeatedly acted and continues to act as a sponsor of various sporting events. Nike is successfully promoting its products in the field of football, where its competitor has traditionally been in the lead. A significant share of the company’s success comes from its multi-million army of production enthusiasts Nike brand.
It was Nike that first created a special social network dedicated to basketball. The company does everything to always be aware of new trends in the fashion world, never moving away from customers and fans. Thanks to the social network, every fan has a unique opportunity to personally participate in the creation of the “sneaker of their dreams.” All you need to do is come up with a model and order it from the manufacturer.
Nike successfully cooperates not only with sports companies, but also with technology manufacturing companies. The fruit of cooperation with Apple was the “Nike+iPod” set, which is a set of audio player and sneakers that are connected to each other. In this way, each athlete gets the opportunity to monitor various statistical data about the progress of the training directly on the player screen.
The concept of the brand is that every person with a body is an athlete. That is why the company strives to produce goods for different customers.
As with any story, there are dark sides too. Nike has been and continues to be criticized for numerous human rights and safety violations. Since the company's products are manufactured in the third world, it has been criticized more than once for very low prices. salaries($40 per month). Also the reason for criticism was a scandal involving the use of child labor in production. The brand's management, of course, is trying to maintain control over everything, but Nike's volumes simply do not allow this.
In any case, there is no denying the fact that Nike is one of the largest sporting goods companies in the world. The company has factories in 55 countries around the world. The number of company employees is 30 thousand people. The brand's headquarters is located in Beaverton, Oregon, United States.
The history of Nike began back in 1964, when University of Oregon student and part-time sprinter Phil Knight, together with his coach Bill Bowerman, came up with an ingenious scheme to sell high-quality and inexpensive shoes. That same year, Phil went to Japan, where he signed a contract with Onitsuka to supply sneakers to the United States. The first sales were carried out right on the street from Knight's micro-van, and the office served as a garage. At that time the company existed under the name Blue Ribbon Sports.
Phil and Bill were soon joined by a third person, athlete and talented sales manager, Jeff Johnson. Thanks to his special approach, he increased sales and also changed the company's name to Nike, naming the company after the winged goddess of victory.
In 1971, a significant event occurred in the history of Nike - the development of a logo that is still used today. The “flourish” or wing of the goddess Nike was invented by Portland University student Caroline Davidson, who received a fairly modest fee for her creation, only $30.
Legendary InnovationIn the history of the Nike brand, there are two ingenious inventions that brought particular success and popularity to the brand. The company's first meteoric rise began in 1975, when Bill Bowerman invented the famous ridged sole while watching his wife's waffle iron. It was this innovation that allowed the company to become a leader and make it the best-selling shoe in America.
In 1979, Nike had another revolutionary development - a built-in sole air bag, which extended the service life of shoes. This innovation, invented by aircraft engineer Frank Rudy, led to the creation of the world famous, legendary Nike Air series of sneakers.
Our daysToday, the Nike brand is a symbol of sports, and its history to this day is rich in interesting facts. For example, in the near future the company plans a joint project With by Apple. They will jointly release hi-tech technology - these are sneakers and an audio player connected to each other.
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The site's observer studied the history of the company, which built a legendary sports brand over 50 years.
The sports industry, like any other, has many peculiarities, and usually the outside observer only sees the tip of the iceberg, while the key differences go much deeper. For many, sport is, first of all, interesting matches, competitions with an unexpected outcome, support for favorites and hatred of opponents. But this is only the external part of the industry. The success of athletes depends not only on their efforts, but also on the equipment that allows them to gain an advantage over those who do not have it.
It is quite possible that Nike founders Phil Knight and Bill Bourman were guided by this idea when they began creating the famous brand in the mid-1960s. Phil was a varsity runner, and Bill coached the local team for many years. Both of them felt the lack of good competition equipment at an affordable price. In fact, the only serious brand in this area at that time was Adidas, but, unfortunately, their sports shoes were too expensive. The products of local companies were not suitable for professional sports.
One day, Knight again wondered where to get high-quality sneakers, and realized that this was a free niche. Some sources say that the idea came to him during a seminar at Stanford Business School. As a result, Knight came up with his own model - purchasing suitable shoes in Asia and reselling them in the USA. To start a business, money was needed, and Knight turned to a man who also knew firsthand about the problems with sports shoes - Bill Bourman. Together they came up with a name for the company - Blue Ribbon Sports.
In 1974, a new important stage in the company's development began. Nike opens production in the USA and employs up to 250 people. In the same year, the promotion of the brand to the markets of other countries began, the first being nearby Canada. Nike is starting to get a lot of press, primarily because of its aggressive campaign to capture the market. At the end of the year, sales reached $5 million, but what was much more important was that the brand became truly recognizable.
When the company first launched itself in earnest, its leaders recognized several key features of the market in which they were about to operate. First, new models should be produced in advance of important sporting events. Secondly, everyone loves athletes - if one of the stars puts on Nike sneakers, then they will become a dream for many fans who want to be like their idol. Third: sport can be fashionable, this will allow you to achieve high level sales
The company demonstrated the first two principles before the 1976 Olympics: during track and field competitions, most athletes wore Nike ridged shoes. Soon after the Olympics, the third rule also worked: running became a popular way to keep fit, which brought the company a huge number of new customers. They all looked up to their idols, who wore Nike. This was reflected in the company's revenue, which reached $25 million in 1977.
Great demand for the brand's sports shoes leads to expansion of production. Nike is opening several new factories in the United States and is also expanding production lines in Asia.
In 1978, integration into other countries of the world was achieved, and it was achieved quite easily: the brand’s shoes sold well in Europe. The start of sales in the Asian market, which had not previously caused any positive reactions among experts, brings the company great profits.
At this time, an important event for the history of sports brands happened: Nike entered into an advertising contract with one of the best tennis players of that time, John McEnroe. Since then, such contracts have become a common practice for promoting the company's products. In the same year, a line of children's shoes went on sale. In addition, Nike managed to take advantage of the problems of its main competitor Adidas and capture about 50% of the US market.
Another thing happens in the late 1970s an important event - former employee NASA Frank Rudy developed the Nike Air cushioning. The idea did not immediately appeal to sports brands, and many, including Nike, abandoned this idea. As a result, Frank still managed to convince the company's management, although he had previously gone through almost all the major competitors and did not receive consent from them.
This was one of Nike's first product improvements. The next few changes affected the appearance of the models, and the later famous designer Tinker Hatfield was especially successful in this.
In the early 1980s, the company went public and used the money it made from the stock to increase sales of the brand. The main destination was Europe and one of the most popular sports - football. The reason for the reorientation to the European market was the decline in the popularity of running in the United States. It should be noted that the company was still late in changing the line, which ultimately led to a decrease in profits.
It was difficult for the brand to achieve success in this direction: Adidas and Puma had strong positions in Europe. Nike used a proven strategy to promote itself through prominent athletes. In 1982, a contract was signed with the then champion of England, the Aston Villa club.
In the US, the brand has also begun to focus on other sports. Nike was primarily interested in basketball. In the early 1980s, the company's product range began to increase significantly. Previously, Nike created mainly running shoes, but now it has begun to create sports uniforms, tennis rackets, boots and much more. In addition, the company moved away from the concept of creating equipment mainly for men and introduced several women's lines.
The change in course still did not save the company from the decline in sales, which began in 1983 and affected not only the US market, but also Europe, where the brand’s position was also vulnerable. Many cite the reason that Knight handed over control of the company to the vice president of marketing, who had no experience leading such giants. As a result, Knight had to become again in 1985 general director.
In 1984, the company, already established in basketball, signed a contract with one of the most famous players - Michael Jordan. A model of Air Jordan shoes was developed especially for the athlete, which he had to wear during all matches. The league considered the sneakers too bright and banned Jordan from wearing them on the court, but the athlete continued to play in Air Jordan every game, paying fines of $1,000 per game and drawing attention to the brand.
The company continued to make losses in 1985. It became clear that the time had come for drastic changes - a reduction in output and staff layoffs began. The company, on the one hand, reduced its product lines, and on the other, increased marketing costs in order to establish the usual level of sales.
In 1986, sales finally began to grow and reached $1 billion, largely due to changes in the line of women's products, which included casual wear, and the introduction of a line of budget sports shoes called Street Socks. Despite the successes, layoffs did not stop, and over six months, about 10% of the staff was cut.
In 1987, the company was still trying to catch up with competitors who had managed to get ahead during the crisis. The brand's main opponent in the United States was Reebok, which managed to snatch a percentage of the basketball direction from its competitor. During this period, a new model of AirMax sneakers with Visible Air technology was released, in which the air chamber was specially made visible.
In 1988, to make up for lost time, the company released the previously announced new version Air Jordan III, which was highlighted due to its excellent appearance from Tanker Hatfield, sports design guru. In the same year, the brand’s famous advertising campaign with the slogan “Just Do It” begins. By the way, there is a legend on this score that the slogan was taken from Gary Gilmore, a murderer sentenced to death in 1977, who shouted “Let's do it” a few minutes before execution." Dan Weiden, representative of the advertising agency Weiden & Kennedy , suggested an option with the word “Just”, and the brand’s leaders liked this idea so much that they agreed without further hesitation.
Another version says that the famous phrase was borrowed from the American humanist Jerry Rubin. If you wish, you can find several more options, but all sources agree on one thing: the slogan was created by the advertising agency Weiden & Kennedy. In the future, “Just Do It” will actually become the second name of the brand and will be recognized as one of the best slogans in history. Phil Knight would later emphasize that he always lived by the motto “Just Do It”: it was with this approach that he founded Nike.
In 1988, the brand's profits increased by $100 million. Nike began an active campaign aimed at promoting its own slogan. By 1989, costs would reach $45 million. This campaign is still cited as an example of aggressive brand promotion. Nike did not skimp on the costs of its organization, collaborating with stars such as Michael Jordan, Andre Agassi and Bo Jackson.
In 1990, an accident occurred that caused a serious public outcry: teenagers killed their peer in order to take Nike shoes from him. Many began to criticize the company for being too aggressive in promoting the brand, which led to the tragedy. But this situation attracted even more attention to the company's products, and sales continued to grow. In the same year, materials began to appear in the press that child labor was used in Nike's Asian factories, and the company had to refute these accusations.
At the same time, Nike acquired Tetra Plastics, a company that produced plastic sole strips. Thanks to excellent sales of shoes with Nike Air technology, the brand has become a leader in the field of sports and fitness. Many analysts agree that the company will soon achieve total dominance in its field. The same year, the Niketown brand store opened. Revenue is also growing, reaching $2 billion.
In 1991, Nike finally managed to catch up with its main competitor in the US market, Reebok. The brand’s position in the European market also became much more stable, where sales reached $1 billion. However, the company still could not achieve leadership, but only kept pace with its competitors. The desire of sports brands to gain control of the European market is perfectly demonstrated by commercials on MTV Europe, which run almost non-stop.
In the American market, the company's position is strengthened thanks to a lucrative agreement with the Chicago Bulls basketball team, which became champions three times from 1991 to 1993. This record increased the popularity of the brand. In 1991, a new shoe model of the Nike Air Max 180 brand went on sale. The advertising campaign for these sneakers was headed by another star basketball player, Charles Barkley. Despite this approach to promotion, the Air Max 180 did not immediately become popular due to the limited number of colors of the model.
In 1992, Nike celebrates its anniversary. The company's revenues hit $3.4 billion. Phil Knight, at an official event in honor of the holiday, announced a plan to turn the company into the world's largest brand, using the old slogan: this is not the end. Nike announces the opening of new brand stores around the world and the release of revolutionary products and, of course, invests in advertising.
In the same year, a new Niketown appears. At the pretentious opening, the company's management announced that it would become a kind of Disneyland for all lovers of a sports lifestyle. The brand continues to promote the idea that sports and Nike are one and the same. Anyone who loves sports should come to Niketown sooner or later.
At the same time, one of the most important events in the history of sports business takes place. The US basketball team, led by Jordan, won the Olympics, but refused to wear a special uniform for the winners, because most of the team members signed a contract with Nike and could not wear competitors' products. This came as a shock to the sports world: no one expected that equipment manufacturers now control everything in sports.
In 1993, three more Niketowns opened in the United States. The company continued its work in basketball, extending the contracts of Jordan and Barkley, as well as reaching agreements with several new stars. The new agreements had a real impact on the life of the athlete, in particular, they determined which events he should appear at. Increasingly, publications began to appear in the media that sport has become a business.
In addition, the brand is launching a series of sporting events - Nike Step. At the end of the year, Phil Knight was unexpectedly declared the most influential person in sports. For the first time in history, a manufacturer received this title sports equipment, not a player or club president.
Until the mid-1990s, the company's position became increasingly stronger. In 1995, Nike achieved dominance in the American market, finally defeating Reebok. In Europe, sales reached $3 billion. The company does not stop there and continues to expand its product line. In 1994, Nike acquired one of the leading developers of hockey equipment, Canstar, which was eventually renamed Bauer Hockey. In 1995, the brand invested in the future by signing a contract with a young golfer who would later contribute much to the history of this sport - Tiger Woods.
The trend of revenue growth continued, and in 1997 the company set a revenue record of $9.19 billion. However, most of it was provided by the American market, and the company received a total of about $2 billion from Asia and Europe. The company became too dependent on the US market: any changes the tastes of the brand's dominant audience - teenagers - led to a decrease in sales. The first bell sounded in 1998, when third-quarter profits fell to a record low over the past decade and a half. One of the main reasons was the crisis in Asia, where sales also decreased. The company carried out a partial restructuring and began, as in the mid-1980s, to reduce product lines and the number of employees. Before 1999, about 5% of the staff was fired.
The situation was aggravated by public protests against Nike's approach to organizing labor in Asia: it came to open actions and boycotts of goods. In an attempt to rectify the situation, Nike decided to amend contracts with employees of the company's factories, made information about working conditions in production facilities publicly available, and agreed to conduct an inspection with independent experts. However, this problem has not yet been completely resolved, and from time to time Nike is again drawn into scandals related to poor working conditions.
An attempt was also made to return the brand to public popularity: the campaign to create playgrounds and distribute equipment in poor neighborhoods and third world countries became widespread.
Nike management concluded the reason for the decline in sales: the brand did not pay attention in time to the growing popularity of extreme sports. The company began producing a corresponding line of products, which, as usual, featured an original design.
In 1999, Nike began to work on the Internet - primarily through great videos. In the future, viral videos will become one of the brand’s calling cards. At the same time, online sales also started. This year, Nike's action in Yugoslavia during the famous conflict was loud: the company placed peacekeeping messages on billboards in Belgrade.
In 2000, Nike introduced new Shox technology - it was the world's first mechanical shock absorption system in shoes. The company had the technology back in the late 1980s, but it was only used for the first time now.
Gradually, all these innovations allowed the company to restore its revenue level, and in 2001 a new revenue record was set, amounting to $10 billion. In the early 2000s, the company introduced several high-profile advertising videos. Just look at the video with Marion Jones, who won three gold medals at the Olympics in 2000 - in the video she was running away from a maniac. The video ended interesting place, and each viewer could suggest his own ending on the Nike website, and best ideas were published. In the same year, the face of the brand changed: the place of Jordan, who retired from the sport, was taken by Tiger Woods, who received a contract worth $100 million.
The audience was delighted ads"The Cage", in which twenty of the world's most famous football players competed in a mysterious football tournament. The video is still considered one of the best in history. Integration into the football industry did not end there: in 2002, Nike completed a deal with Manchester United worth $486 million, which strengthened the Red Devils' position as the richest club in the world at that time.
At this time, the company moved to actively increase production capacity by absorbing competitors. In 2003, Converse, the manufacturer of the famous sneaker model, was acquired. The deal cost Nike $305 million.
That same year, the company signs a contract with LeBron James, presenting him as the new Michael Jordan.
In 2004, the world was shocked by the news that the company's permanent president, Phil Knight, was resigning from his post. His son Matthew was supposed to take the place of head of Nike, but he died in an accident, and William Perez became the new head of the company.
Starts in the same year new stage campaigns against bad conditions labor at Nike factories in Indonesia and Vietnam. Information has surfaced that 50 thousand workers in Indonesia earn as much in a year as brand officials earn in a month. The company had to work hard to reassure the public. Still, quarterly revenue rose 25% this year, Nike's best ever.
In 2005, the company introduced a new model of Nike Free 5.0 sneakers, which caused criticism due to the fact that they quickly wore out during active training. In the future, shoes in this series will be significantly improved.
In the same year, another important event took place - Reebok, broken during a long struggle with Nike, became part of Adidas, and now both of the company's main competitors began to oppose it together. However, Nike's position looked unshakable: the company controlled 32% of the global sportswear market, which was almost twice as much as its competitors.
The same year, “Ronaldinho: A Touch of Gold” appeared, in which the famous football player hits the crossbar four times without allowing the ball to touch the ground. This video received the Silver Lion at the Cannes Advertising Festival.
In 2006, William Perez was removed from his post as head of the company by Mark Parker. The main reason was that Perez did not fully understand the brand. Parker, unlike his predecessor, had worked at the company since the early 1980s, and Nike's history was made before his eyes. The reshuffle played a fateful role in the further development of the brand. Parker proved to be a talented CEO: he made the changes that were needed to strengthen Nike's dominant position in the market. One of them was an almost complete transition to our own points of sale instead of the widespread use of official distributors.
At the same time, a new model of Air Max 360 sneakers was released, the main feature of which was the elimination of foam in the sole. This time the design was entrusted to the young designer Martin Lotti.
Another important event took place this year - Nike+iPod, developed jointly with Apple, was presented to the public. The device was positioned as a way to listen to music and play sports without unnecessary worries. Thanks to an accelerometer built into Nike shoes and a special receiver connected to an iPod, it recorded all necessary information: pace, distance, calories lost. It could be used while jogging and even during aerobics.
Many argue that the friendship of the brands was not limited to the joint release of goods and Mark Parker, in the early stages of his presidency, often consulted with Steve Jobs. In the future, the giants will reach a new level of cooperation and Tim Cook will even join the board of directors of Nike.
In 2007, tensions between Adidas and Nike rise again. The German concern rebranded Reebok and prepared to attack its competitor. However, this was not so easy to do: Nike had almost complete control over basketball (95% of the direction), in addition, thanks to an effective approach to design and innovation, the company had strong positions in the production of sports shoes. To increase more more power, in 2007, Nike acquired the British sports equipment manufacturer Umbro. So the company was going to advance Adidas in football, where the German giant still had leadership.
The deal was officially completed in 2008, as a result of which Nike's revenue exceeded $18 billion. Thus, the American brand increased its lead over Adidas. Nike+iPod Gym was introduced in September of this year. At the same time, the company noted an increase in sales in China, which led brand executives to believe that it could easily achieve dominance in this market. In the end, it turns out that they were hasty in their conclusions, and Nike will have to significantly change their operating model in order to conquer the Chinese market.
In 2010, the company’s “Write the Future” campaign starts on social networks. The video made for her becomes one of the most popular on the Internet, and some media outlets will later call it cursed, because most of its participants failed the tournament. During the campaign, fans were asked to vote for the player who would change the world and send a message. The campaign is considered one of the best examples of using social media for viral marketing.
In 2010, the FIFA World Cup was held in South Africa, for which Nike developed a series of boots. At the company's initiative, some football players' uniforms were made from recycled materials. plastic bottles, collected in Asian countries - this is how Nike tried to demonstrate its respect for nature. In the same year, the brand signed a new contract with Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo, the deal amounted to $8.5 million per year.
In 2011, another advertising campaign for The Chosen brand was launched, the purpose of which was to promote extreme sports among young people. Social networks have again become the main platform. The campaign began with a countdown indicator until the video was released online. Two weeks before it, a 33-second teaser appeared online. The video itself was filmed in Bali, Indonesia and New York. Simultaneously with the promotional video, a film appeared on the Internet with a story about how its filming took place. In addition, a competition was held in which participants were invited to make their own video about extreme sports.
In the same year, a campaign was held in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to present the new Vapor Flash running jacket - light reflection technology allowed it to literally glow in the dark. 50 athletes wearing these jackets moved around Vienna at night and constantly transmitted their location to the website. Everyone was invited to take a photo of one of them along with the number on their jacket and receive a reward of €10 thousand. Needless to say, the action created a real sensation.
In 2011, a commercial was shot to promote the new Zoom Kobe Bryant VI sneaker model. As usual, the company did not skimp on costs: the video was shot by the famous director Robert Rodriguez. The final product, in the form of a trailer for the film “Black Mamba,” in which Bryant played a basketball player fighting off hordes of enemies led by Bruce Willis, was received with delight by the audience.
Another one appears in 2012 total product Nike and Apple - Fuelband, a sports bracelet that can be synchronized with any Apple gadget. It was presented as a device that tracks the burning of every calorie, after which it sends the data to the selected gadget. The giants were sued for this bracelet: the plaintiffs noticed that the advertising was not true, the product did not track all the calories burned during exercise. As a result, the companies agreed to pay all victims $15 in cash or $25 in the form of a gift card.
In the same year on Twitter there was
Nike's history is one of success. Famous sports company grew out of a student’s simple desire to own high-quality shoes. Such stories inspire people to heroic deeds and clearly illustrate that the most important thing in life is desire. Read, get inspired and take action.
Background
Nike's history begins in 1960. It was at this time that Phil Knight realized that he did not have enough money for quality boots. Phil was a runner, so he trained a lot, more than one hour a day. All training took place in sneakers, and because of this they wore out quickly. Locally produced sports shoes were inexpensive, $5. But the sneakers had to be replaced every month, and a small amount multiplied by 12 months turned into a fortune for the poor student. Of course there was an alternative. Expensive Adidas sneakers. But where did young guy Could it take $30 to buy sneakers? All these circumstances put into Phil Knight's head the idea that it would be nice to create own business. The guy had little ambitions; he didn’t want to open a production facility. His goal was to help athletes in his area be able to buy quality shoes at a low price. Phil shared the thought with his coach Bill Bourman. Bill supported the intentions of the resourceful student and the men decided to found their own company.
Base
The story of Nike's creation begins with Phil's trip to Japan. The young man signs a contract with Onitsuka. Interesting fact is that at the time of signing the contract, Phil and Bill were not registered as owners of any company. All legal problems the guys settled it by returning to their homeland. A student and his teacher rented a van and began selling sneakers from it. Their trade went briskly. Local athletes appreciated the quality of the shoes and reasonable price. Within a year, Phil and Bill managed to earn fabulous money for both of them - $8,000.
History of the name
The company, founded by Phil Knight and Bill Bourman, was named Blue Ribbon Sports. Agree, the name is not the simplest and not the most memorable. Nike's history is inextricably linked to the team's third man. It was Jeff Johnson. The man was an education manager. It was to him that Phil turned. Jeff decided that the name Blue Ribbon Sports was not suitable for a sports business. You need to come up with something short, but at the same time symbolic. In 1964, the company was renamed Nike. The history of the company corresponds to a great name. Few people today know that Nike is the English spelling of the world-famous goddess Nike. The winged statue was worshiped by warriors, as it was believed that it helped to win victories over the enemy.
History of the logo
Today, the famous “swoosh” is inextricably linked with Nike. But it was not always so. Although we must admit, the simplicity and conciseness of the logo allowed it to survive minor changes. The history of the Nike company is associated with it today, so why is it the one that adorns all sports products? In fact, the sign is a swoosh. This is what the wings of the famous goddess of victory were called. The Swoosh was invented by student Carolyn Davidson. Phil and his team didn't have the money to hire a professional designer. So the logo, which cost the company $30, suited everyone quite well. Initially, the swoosh was not located separately from the inscription, but was its background. The title itself was written in italics. When studying the history of the Nike logo, many may be surprised that the creators cared little about redesigning it. The founders always believed that the face of the company was not their logo, but the quality of their products.
The appearance of the slogan
Like any other big company, Nike has its own slogan. How did he appear? There are two main versions of the origin of the famous "Just Do It". According to the first version, the source of inspiration was Gary Gilmore's phrase “Let's do it.” Why did Gary become so famous? The criminal killed and robbed two people, but the fact of his execution brought him worldwide fame. He became the first person to be “honored” to become a victim of a death sentence imposed by a court. They say that Gary Gilmore was not afraid of death and even hurried his killers.
The second version of the creation of the logo is considered to be the words of Dan Weiden, who, at a meeting with company representatives, admired the empire he had built and said “You Nike guys, you just do it.”
Today it is difficult to verify the accuracy of one or another theory, but we can definitely say that the slogan of sporting goods in itself already motivates people to perform sporting feats.
Disconnection with supplier
Sometimes you may be surprised how many envious people there are in the world. Nike also suffered a sad fate. Onitsuka company, which for a long time was Phil's suppliers, gave him an ultimatum. He had to sell the successfully developing company or Onitsuka would stop supplying its products to America. Phil refused to sell his brainchild. Now the company is faced with the question of what to do next? Of course, it would be possible to find another supplier of products, but it is not a fact that the same story would not repeat itself soon. Therefore, the Nike team makes a bold decision: to open its own production.
Extension
After all the transformations, the company's business went uphill. The Nike story continues not from a van, but from a real store. In 1971, the company earned its first million dollars. But the founders of Nike understood that in order to stay afloat and maintain their reputation, they needed to make their shoes special. Bill suggested that instead of flat soles, shoes should be produced with a grooved surface. Everyone liked this idea, and the company began to produce new models. It must be said that in 1973 the company already had its own shoe production plant, so there were no problems with the production of innovative shoes. The breakthrough in technology made Nike famous not only throughout the country, but also in nearby countries.
First advertisement
The history of the creation of Nike is inextricably linked with the development of sports. The company has found a very effective way to advertise its products. Nike marketer Jeff invited his colleagues to promote their products with the help of athletes.
For every major sporting event, the company released new collection shoes Moreover, the updates concerned not only the design. Each new batch represented a unique breakthrough in technology. The company gave this new product to athletes, hoping that they would wear the shoes to competitions. In most cases, the company's expectations were met. The recognizable “daw” flashed on the athletes’ feet, and fans flocked to Nike stores. Every self-respecting fan considered it his duty to wear the same shoes that his idol wears. Even people far from sports often could not resist purchasing a bright pair of shoes that flashed on the feet of numerous residents of almost every American state.
Depreciation
Nike's history is inextricably linked with the numerous technical breakthroughs that took place in their factories. After all, only a manufacturer who constantly invents something new can take pride of place among the world's best brands. So in 1979 it was decided to update the shoes. New models began to have a shock-absorbing cushion. Surprisingly, all shoes used to be made without it. What is the advantage of such an innovation?
The foot is less strained due to the fact that it does not hit the asphalt, but a special cushion-backing built into the sole. This technology, called Nike air, was invented by Frank Rudy. This person was not a Nike employee. The inventor of the famous sole offered to buy his idea to many sports brands, but only Nike agreed to try the innovation.
Cooperation with athletes
Nike's success story wouldn't be as great if they didn't use athletes in their advertising. Famous people helped to promote the products very quickly. In 1984, Nike signed a contract with Michael Jordan. It was at this time that the company’s shoe range expanded, and the sports brand began producing sneakers for basketball players. How can you tell the world about such a step? Sign a contract with a star. Interest in the company was fueled by the fact that the major basketball league banned athletes from wearing brightly colored shoes. Despite the ban, Michael Jordan still showed up at games wearing brightly colored Nike sneakers. For daring disobedience, the athlete paid a fine of $1,000 after each game. One can imagine how much the company paid that he did not dare to violate the terms of the contract and agreed to pay fines.
Competition
The history of Nike would not be complete without talking about competition. The main competitor has always been, and remains, Adidas. Puma is also considered a rival. To stay afloat, each of these firms was always trying to get each other's clients. The simplest move is to acquire people using the company's ideology. In this, Nike has always stood out, since a powerful slogan helps the company still motivate not only athletes to achieve sporting achievements.
The crisis situation at Nike occurred when Adidas bought Reebok. Moreover, competitors were constantly spreading rumors that Phil Knight’s company was using cheap Asian power. Clients were especially frightened by the idea that the corporation was using the labor of children, whom it did not even pay for their work. Despite all these rumors, in 2007 Nike merged with Umbro and became a leader in the sports goods market. Umbro produced sports equipment best quality and until recently Nike had no competition. In merging companies, the directors did not intend to absorb potential rivals or continue their expansion from an already strong base. The goal was this - to help the client save time and purchase all the necessary goods in one store.
Success
In 1978, the company was doing well. Nike's success story stems from the fact that manufacturers were not afraid to act boldly. The leaders carefully studied weak sides competitors and saw that, for example, Adidas specializes exclusively in shoes for athletes. Nike, in turn, launched a line of children's sneakers. This was an excellent decision that helped the company become a market leader, since they had no competition. The company soon offered high-quality and cheap shoes not only to children, but also to women. Once again the move was successful. Nike is famous for not being afraid to make bold decisions and look to the future with hope.
Nike today
After reading the history of Nike, you can’t help but admire the courage of two people who occupied an almost empty niche and created a global empire. Phil Knight did the impossible. From a simple shoe dealer, he became the CEO of the world's largest corporation. What is especially surprising about this man is that he did not pursue profit. His main goal has always been to make this world a better place and help athletes purchase quality running shoes at an affordable price.
Today you can buy not only sports shoes at the Nike store. You can completely purchase all the equipment from clothes and bags to thermal underwear and hats. Today the company is no longer headed by Phil. He retired in 2004. Mark Parker is today the leader and moral inspirer of the world's largest brand.
Advertising today
Nike is not only the world's largest sportswear and footwear company. The company sponsors athletes, organizes sporting events and produces stunning commercials, each of which is an inspiring little masterpiece. The main characters of advertising are people who have gone through a difficult path to success and were able to take a place on the leadership pedestal. The company's goal is to inspire everyone to play sports, because it is people who have good health and the spirit of a fighter, build the future of the whole world.
Today we offer a look at the history of perhaps the most famous and beloved sports brand in the world - Nike. We're all familiar with the Nike swoosh, endorsed by countless superstars such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova, Venus and Serena Williams, the list goes on and on. The famous “swoosh”, so well known and loved nowadays, had a rather weak start as a logo, and as in any great history, has gone from humble beginnings to an incredible future.
In 1971, Phil Knight, founder of Blue Ribbon Sports, hired Portland State University design student Carolyn Davidson to design a logo for the shoe. Davidson presented Knight with several design options, and although Knight didn't think the swoosh logo was a stunning option, he chose the symbol and decided that "a lot of people might like it more and more over time." Davidson invoiced the work for $35, but years later, after the Nike logo had become famous around the world, Knight sent the designer a diamond swoosh ring and an envelope of Nike stock to express his gratitude.
Knight wanted Nike's logo design to be an emblem that was simultaneously simple, dynamic and flexible. These words characterize the Nike logo, which has successfully grown into one of the most influential and recognizable symbols in the entire world. The Nike swoosh represents the wing of the famous statue of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike, who was the inspiration for many great and brave warriors. The brand was originally introduced as a “ribbon”, but later it was called the “swoosh” (the sound of air being cut), as this name accurately symbolizes the material from which Nike makes sports shoes.
In the spring of 1972, the first Nike shoes with a swoosh logo appeared on the market, and a few years later, in 1995, the logo was registered as a trademark of the company and became its corporate identity. The image used today comes nine years after the original logo was designed. Since then, the sign has been slightly changed - the check mark has been slightly tilted, blurred and painted black.
Abstract wing - significant symbol for a company involved in the creation of sports equipment and footwear. The logo has a singular mission: “to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.” The slogan: “Just do it” and the swoosh logo have become a way of life for many generations. The story of the Nike identity is an amazing example of how a small symbol with a simple but powerful design can propel a brand to success and turn a company into a global star.