Nike Analysis

1 Sponsor Analysis

1.1 Culture & Stakeholders

1.1.1 Ownership, stakeholders, shareholders

NIKE, Inc. – U.S.-based footwear distributor that became a global marketer of athletic footwear, apparels and equipment that is unrivaled in the world. Nike Design HQ is based in Beaverton, OR.

1.1.2 Company vision

“Our mission: to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.”

“Our goal is to carry on his (Bill Bowerman) legacy of innovative thinking, whether to develop product to help athletes of every level of ability to reach their potential, or to create business opportunities that set Nike apart from the competition and provide value for our shareholders.”

“Through our suppliers, shippers, retailers and other service providers, we directly or indirectly employ nearly one million people. That includes more than 35,000 Nike employees across six continents, each of whom make their own contribution to fulfill our mission statement: to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.”

*If you have a body, you are an athlete.

1.1.3 Company history & heritage

“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...