Business Class

Rasal Uddin

International Business

Ed Kauiljan

03/30/13

Nike Inc: Developing an Effective Public Relations Strategy

1. What could Nike’s Corporate Responsibility team do to improve Nike’s public image?

Nike's corporate responsibility team can take several measures to improve Nike's image. It should shut down its manufacturing operations that cause human rights concerns. It should stop using sweat shops. Next it must improve its environmental record. Nike should disclose all its factories and open them to independent inspections; the wages paid by Nike are not fair living wages.

2. Why did Nike’s attempts to address its critics prove unsuccessful?

Nike's attempts to date to address its critics have been unsuccessful because the attempts have been at best window dressings. Nike has not made any serious attempt to stop its poor labor practices in crowded countries. What Nike has done is to come up with artificial PR attempts. For example, Nike's attempts to tackle racism in football have proved ineffective. The advertising led Nike campaigns have been seen by people as empty and hollow. Nike needs to address fundamental issues first.

3. What damage, if any, has been done to Nike? Did Nike react appropriately? Dit it overreact?

Nike's reputation has been dented irreparably. It has acted with a flurry of advertisements but the intention of Nike is suspect. Nike has abandoned the US shoe manufacturing industry and flocked to countries that are poor and undeveloped. The moment a country's income rises, Nike abandons it for a poor country. It is blamed for lowering human rights standards for maximizing profits.

4. Many of Nike’s competitors subcontract production to Asian factories that are similar to the factories used by Nike. Why was Nike singled out by human rights and labor rights activists?

Even though some competitors subcontract work in Asian countries, Nike has been singled out because it has emerged the leader...