Nike marketing project
Daniel Stone
11/18/13
Baker Online College
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 graduating 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. (http://nikeinc.com/pages/history-heritage)
The two visionaries shook hands and put in $500 each and ordered their first self-designed shoe mad by Tiger Shoes They started selling the shoes out of the trunk of their car. Their foundation for Nike had been established. They stated the company calling it Blue Ribbon Sports.
Later they established a new shoe which attracted runners, so with a new logo and design they formed Nike. Knight and Bowerman endorsed a young runner who never lost a race while wearing the shoes.
Over a decade later, 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.
11/18/13
Baker Online College
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 graduating 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. (http://nikeinc.com/pages/history-heritage)
The two visionaries shook hands and put in $500 each and ordered their first self-designed shoe mad by Tiger Shoes They started selling the shoes out of the trunk of their car. Their foundation for Nike had been established. They stated the company calling it Blue Ribbon Sports.
Later they established a new shoe which attracted runners, so with a new logo and design they formed Nike. Knight and Bowerman endorsed a young runner who never lost a race while wearing the shoes.
Over a decade later, 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.
References: 1. Foehr UG, Rideout V. Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year-olds: Kaiser Family Foundation; 2005. 2. American Youth Trail Peers in Internet Usage. PC Magazine 2008 November 25 [cited 2013, July 6]. Available from: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2335412,00.asp 3. Ybarra ML, Mitchell KJ. How risky are social networking sites? A comparison of places online where youth sexual solicitation and harassment occurs. Pediatrics 2008; 121:e350-e357 4. Juvonen J, Gross EF. Extending the school grounds? Bullying experiences in cyberspace. J Sch Health 2008; 78:496-505. 5. Shu-Sha Angie Guan, Kaveri Subrahmanyam, 2009;22(4):351-356 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/704888_2