Nike 'Pro Hijab' Case Study - Marketing Orientation and Plan

This case study explains how Nike adopts a marketing orientation in developing 'Pro-Hijab' using marketing mix and segmentation, targeting, and positioning models. It also provides advice for developing a marketing plan for the 'Pro Hijab' in the UK, including market research, segmentation, competitive analysis, and digital marketing. The study is relevant to MN5006 Serving Customers in Global Markets.

MN5006 Serving
Customers in Global
Markets
Nike ‘Pro Hijab’ Case
Study

Contents
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
Q.1 Using a range of appropriate marketing models and theories, explain how Nike adopts.....1
a marketing orientation in developing "Pro-Hijab".....................................................................1
Q.2 - What advice would you give Nike for developing a marketing plan for the "Pro.............2
Hijab" in the UK?........................................................................................................................2
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

MAIN BODY
Q.1 Using a range of appropriate marketing models and theories, explain how Nike adopts
a marketing orientation in developing "Pro-Hijab".
Ans. 1 - The process of marketing orientation refers to the way in which a company first aims to
study the market and identify the pain points of their core target audience in order to create
specific products which satisfy them (Grubic, 2021). Nike has adopted the marketing orientation
developing its “Pro-Hijab” and this has been further explained below with the help of marketing
theories and models.
 Marketing mix – The marketing mix refers to the tactics and strategic operations which
firms employ to promote their product or service in their target market. When it comes to
the pro hijab of Nike, the role of marketing mix was quite evident as the product mix in
itself was made due to the demand of Muslim Women Athletes (MWA) going through
the pain of undertaking sporting activities with the uncomfortable hijabs. This is a prime
example of Nike adopting a marketing orientation based strategy as the Pro-Hijab is
dedicated to appeal to a certain niche of the target market which in this case are Muslim
women athletes. As far as the price mix is concerned, Nike priced the Pro-Hijab at 35$
which might seem pricey for the casual athlete but Nike studied the needs of the market
and identified that a professional or core athlete performing at a high level will pay this
price without thinking much as the appeal of comfortable sporting without compromising
on religious beliefs is the need of the market (Hwang and Kim, 2021).
 Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning – This model of marketing involves the
division of the broader market into smaller target audience for effective targeting by
businesses through marketing campaign and promotional efforts which allows proper
positioning of product in the market. When it comes to the development of the Pro-Hijab,
Nike segmented the market based on marketing orientation as detailed study of the
company’s external environment. One of the major reasons as to why Nike came up with
the Pro-Hijab was to enter the middle eastern market after finding its target audience
there in the form of Muslim women athletes through proper segmentation on the basis of
gender, age, profession and most importantly, religion. In order to effectively target this
market audience, Nike has ensured that the price of the hijab is affordable albeit a bit
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high and for it to solve the problems of Muslim women in professional; sports. Nike has
also undertaken marketing orientation in the positioning of the Pro-Hijab as the material
used is quite durable and offers a comfort level akin to a second skin and does not contort
or loose shape during intense bouts of exercises. All these sports and athletics centric
features in the Pro-Hijab developed by Nike is built to position the product as the most
stylish and relevant Muslim specific sportswear in the industry and has all the reasons for
getting declared as the most preferred choice of Hijab among Muslim Women Athletes
among the competitors of Nike (Darvish, 2022).
Q.2 - What advice would you give Nike for developing a marketing plan for the "Pro
Hijab" in the UK?
Ans.2 – The marketing plan refers to the blueprint which is employed by firms in order to plan
their promotional efforts and use of different forms of media in order to generate awareness
regarding their products and services in the market. In order to develop a marketing plan for the
Pro-Hijab in the UK, the following advice has bene proposed for the company to follow.
 Before the development of the actual marketing plan, the company should undertake
proper market research using various tools and techniques such as Porter’s frameworks
and models along with PESTLE analysis. This will allow the firm to gauge the level of
interest in the market for a hijab based product and the demand of such projects in the
Muslim populace of the UK target market (Bahrainwala and O’Connor, 2019).
 The company is then advised to undertake proper market segmentation of UK’s Muslim
populace using gender and profession as main segmentation parameters. This will allow
Nike to not only gain as estimate of the number of Muslim women athletes in UK but
also help identify pain points and make evidence backed customer personas for the Pro
Hijab.
 The company is also advised to take help of sports market statistics in order to
supplement the marketing plan as this will directly translate into bankable data to gauge
the eventual interest and demand for the Pro Hijab and whether or not this product can
sustain in the UK markets. Nike is also advised to conduct a detailed competitive analysis
of the segmented market to identify other major players catering to the Muslim Women
Athletes target market in UK or are in the businesses of manufacturing hijabs which are
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athletic and stylish in nature. This will help devise and incorporate measures in the
marketing plan to offset the competition and to effectively undercut the market which
will increase the chances of success for Nike and its Pro Hijab (Diantari, 2021).
 The choice of marketing media which will be used to enhance and develop the marketing
plan is also very important for Nike. The primary means of marketing and promotion is
suggested to be focused on advertisement built around showcasing the empowering
aspect of the hijab and the features of the Pro Hijab and its effectiveness on display. The
advertisement and most of the marketing efforts should go into showcasing popular
Muslim Women Athletes wearing the pro Hijab and playing their respective sports at a
high level with intense productivity.
 As far as choice of channels of marketing are concerned in relation to the marketing plan,
the focus of the company should be mainly on digital channels of marketing as the reach
which such marketing tactics can have on the Muslim population of athletes are higher
when done in digital capacity. The company should develop an integrated marketing
communications campaign designed around the mass following on the company’s social
media handles (Chernev, 2020).
REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
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Bahrainwala, L. and O’Connor, E., 2019. Nike unveils Muslim women athletes. Feminist Media
Studies, pp.1-16.
Chernev, A., 2020. The marketing plan handbook. Cerebellum Press.
Darvish, T., 2022. Design Empathy and Accountability for Inclusivity and Diversity in Design
Education and Design Practice (Doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University).
Diantari, N.P.E., 2021. THE IMPACT OF INSTAGRAM AS A SOCIAL MEDIA
MARKETING TOOL ON CUSTOMER PURCHASE DECISION ON NIKE (Doctoral
dissertation, PRESIDENT UNIVERSITY).
Grubic, A., 2021. Just wear it: Media coverage of the Nike Pro hijab. In Sportswomen’s Apparel
Around the World (pp. 83-94). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Hwang, C. and Kim, T.H., 2021. Muslim women’s purchasing behaviors toward modest
activewear in the United States. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 39(3), pp.175-
189.
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