HC1021: Analyzing Nike's Communication and E-Communication Strategies

This report provides a detailed analysis of Nike's communication and e-communication strategies, encompassing both electronic and non-electronic methods. It examines the company's use of face-to-face communication, invoices, memos, and letters, alongside its digital strategies such as email marketing, website engagement, social media presence, and video conferencing. A SWOT analysis evaluates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with Nike's communication practices. Furthermore, the report compares Nike's strategies with those of its main competitors, Adidas and Reebok, and offers suggestions for improvement. The aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of Nike's communication approach and identify areas for optimization.

RUNNING HEAD: Communication and E-Communication Strategies
Communication and E-Communication Strategies

Communication and E-Communication Strategies 1
Executive Summary
Effective communication is considered to be an important aspect for the success of the business.
The term communication can be defined as the exchange of information between the sender and
receiver. However, with the advent of technology, the whole scenario has been changed and the
businesses have shifted from non-electronic communication methods to electronic
communication methods and practices.
This report focuses on communication and e- communication strategies of Nike through the
assessment of the key electronic and non- electronic communication methods, practice sad
strategies. It also involves the assessment and comparison of the communication practices of
Nike with that of its competitors. At the end of this report, some suggestions and
recommendations have been provided with the help of which Nike can improve its
communication.

Communication and E-Communication Strategies 2
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Background of the Company.......................................................................................................2
Key Non- electronic communication methods and practices used by the Company......................3
Key Electronic Media and Communication Strategies Used by the Company...............................4
SWOT Analysis of the Company’s Overall Communication Methods and Practices....................5
Assessment and Comparison of the Communication Practices of the Company with Main
Competitors......................................................................................................................................6
Suggestions and Recommendations................................................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

Communication and E-Communication Strategies 3
Introduction
The term communication can be defined as the exchange of information between the sender and
receiver. Earlier, the process of communication was entirely based on face- to- face interaction or
paper. However, technology has changed the whole scenario. Now it has become important for
people to make requisite efforts on understanding the manner of sharing the information.
Communication through the use of electronic media is referred to as e-communication or
electronic communication (Louise, Paul, Mark & Rob, 2016). Communication strategies can be
defined as the scheme of planning the way of sharing information. It is referred to the selection
of most beneficial objectives of communication and recognition of a specific brand and its
strategies in terms of attitude.
This report focuses on communication and e- communication strategies of Nike through the
assessment of the key electronic and non- electronic communication methods, practice sad
strategies. It also involves the assessment and comparison of the communication practices of
Nike with that of its competitors. At the end of this report, some suggestions and
recommendations have been provided with the help of which Nike can improve its
communication.
Background of the Company
Nike Inc. is the multinational corporation from America which is engaged in designing,
developing, manufacturing and global marketing and sales of equipment, footwear, accessories,
apparel and services. The headquarters of the company is situated in the Portland metropolitan
area near Beaverton, Oregon. It is the largest supplier of apparel and athletic shoes in the world
and is the key manufacturer of sports equipment. The mission of Nike is to bring innovation and
inspiration to each and every athlete (Nike, 2018).
Nike enjoys the advantage of being the leader of the market and access to cheap labor and
material. Nike has established its presence in a number of countries and therefore its suppliers
suffer from lower bargaining power. However, substitute goods create a serious threat for Nike
as they are swiftly gaining the ground (Mahdi, Abbas, Mazar & George, 2015).

Communication and E-Communication Strategies 4
Key Non- electronic communication methods and practices used by the Company
Non- electronic communication can be defined as the distribution of information or message
without the use of an electronic device. With the passage of time, non- electronic communication
has lost its popularity for Nike and it has switched to its alternative i.e. electronic
communication. Following are the methods and practices adopted by Nike for non- electronic
communication for the purpose of engaging customers, suppliers, staff members and public.
Face to Face Communication- This is the most common and efficient form of communication
that helps Nike in getting instant responses from the concerned parties. Face to face
communication is adopted by Nike in case of staff members and suppliers. This form also helps
in exchanging hard copies and other paper work with the parties. Such face to face
communication helps in the formulation of strategies and is useful for conducting meetings. This
practice is beneficial for resolving any queries with the clients and employees (Merritt & Havill,
2016).
Invoice- Invoice is another non- electronic communication method which lists the prices,
quantity of each item, contact address for payment and service description. It is a legal document
which is regarded as the evidence of the debt incurred. Nike uses this method of communication
with the buyers of its products. Such practice is useful as it provides an evidence for both Nike
and its customers.
Memorandum- Memorandum is used by Nike for internal communication within the various
departments of the organization. The use of this communication mode is made basically for the
employees of Nike. The employees or staff members of Nike are required to go through the
memos and act upon them as and when they are addressed. Since Nike is spread across a number
of financial departments and geographical areas, it issues various memos each and every day.
However, with the advent of electronic communication, memos are mostly being sent via an e-
mail to the employees (Debasish & Das, 2009).
Letter- Letter is used by Nike as a method of formal and informal non- electronic
communication. Formal letters are used for appointment, resignation, termination, contract other
instructions, etc. and are issued to staff members, suppliers, etc. However, informal letters are

Communication and E-Communication Strategies 5
issued by Nike to the customers for creating awareness regarding the current offers, discounts,
events, etc. (Quintanilla & Wahl, 2015)
Nike also makes the use of other practices such as issuing of posters, banners, advertisements in
magazines and newspapers, etc. for the promotion of the company in the target market.
Moreover, it also publishes legal information in the newspaper which is required by specific laws
for creating awareness in the general public.
Key Electronic Media and Communication Strategies Used by the Company
Electronic communication can be defined as communication through the use of an electronic
device. Electronic communication has completely changed the way business conducts its
activities. The adoption of electronic media and communication strategies by Nike has helped it
making its business activities easier and has resulted in saving of time and money. The modes of
electronic communication adopted by Nike include e-mail, website, social media, video
conferencing, etc.
E-mail- this electronic communication method is used by the HR department of Nike for
establishing official communication with the employees and management. Moreover, this mode
is also used for sending special offers and discount to the customers who have subscribed to the
email newsletter of Nike. This method is used as a strategy for getting the previous customers
return to Nike by updating them with new offers that meet their requirements (Sanchez, 2015).
Website- Website is another electronic media and communication method adopted by Nike with
the help of Nike is able to communicate useful information to its customers and prospective
investors. Through the website, Nike communicates information regarding its history,
management, various practices adopted, products and services offered and its various branches
across the globe. This mode uses the strategy of relationship and community building, providing
current information and increasing customer involvement (Oh & Doo, 2015).
Social Media- Being a sport giant, Nike is also required to maintain its presence on the social
media. It uses almost every social media platform including Facebook, Twitter, Google+,
Pinterest, etc. it is the most effective communication strategy adopted by Nike. The pages
created by Nike on social media is considered to be one of the most dedicated pages that are

Communication and E-Communication Strategies 6
updated on daily basis with images, videos, etc. and its corporate page is updated around once a
week (Johnson & Hong, 2015). The Twitter page helps Nike in communicating with the
customers regarding the details of products, stock information, and order queries. It has used
social media as the central tool in its marketing campaign. The strategy involves celebrating the
greatness of the athletes which in turn serves its mission of bringing inspiration and innovation
for every athlete (Blakeman, 2018).
Video Conferencing- The business activities of Nike is situated in almost every part of the world.
Therefore, it is not possible to conduct face to face business meetings with the management of its
various branches. Therefore, video conferencing is used for business meetings with little notice.
This strategy helps in delivering real time and face- to- face interaction with business partners
and remote employees without any wastage of time or costly travel (Guffey & Loewy, 2015).
The other strategies adopted by Nike involve advertisements on televisions and radios for the
promotion of its products and offers in the general public and prospective customers.
SWOT Analysis of the Company’s Overall Communication Methods and Practices
The SWOT analysis of the overall communication methods and practices highlights the
following strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Strengths- The social media strategy has been adopted by Nike in such a way that it has resulted
in some notable successes. During the London Olympics, Nike somehow managed to surpass the
official sponsor Adidas with a huge social and billboard campaign across the entire capital.
Moreover, the other strategies, methods and practices adopted create an option for open
communication for everyone including the employees, customers, suppliers and business
partners. Such open communication assists in resolving queries in due time and does not result
in further conflict (Dolan, Conduit, Fahy & Goodman, 2017).
Weaknesses- The overall communication methods and practices adopted by Nike are better in
comparison with its competitors but still have certain weaknesses. The internal communication
system of the company still requires to be strengthened so that the employees and other staff
managers can openly discuss their queries and grievances. Moreover, there is requirement for

Communication and E-Communication Strategies 7
encouraging the staff members to provide their ideas and suggestions with regard to the
operations and plans of the company (Kolesnik & Tretyak, 2016).
Opportunities- with the advent of technology, a number of opportunities are presented in the way
of Nike which can be used for improving the overall communication methods and practices of
the organization. Certain innovation can be made in the website of the organization with the help
of which the company should be able to receive feedback from the customers regarding the
products purchased by them (Kakabadse, Kouzmin & Kakabadse, 2017). It can also make the
use of popular hashtags in the social media platform which will expand its reach among the
customers. Also, the internal communication can be enhanced by creating an internal
communication app for the employees where the messages can be easily shared at any time and
place (Hulsmann & Pfeffermann, 2011).
Threats- The internal communication methods adopted by Nike are very rigid which has
established the practice of one-way communication within the organization. Such one- way
communication is a threat for the business as it can lead to conflicts in the organization due to
unresolved queries. Moreover, Nike is not bringing any innovation in the strategies adopted for
communicating the information to the customers. This can lead to diversion of the customers of
the company to other attractive strategies adopted by the competitors (Roth, 2014).
Therefore, there are strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and strengths of the communication
methods and practices adopted by Nike. This must be taken into consideration for the purpose of
improving the methods and strategies and for carrying out effective internal and external
communication within the organization.
Assessment and Comparison of the Communication Practices of the Company with Main
Competitors
The main competitors of Nike are Adidas and Reebok. Both of them are involved in bringing
innovative strategies related to communication and e- communication for attracting the
customers and for facilitating effective communication within the organization.
As far as Adidas is concerned, it makes the use of both online and offline communication
strategies of advertising and promotion. It has also developed an innovative website which

Communication and E-Communication Strategies 8
proves to be informative for the customers and is the top priority for the company. The customer
base of Adidas is diverse and is mostly dependent on communication. Promotion campaigns are
conducted from time to time with the help of celebrities. The methods used involve the use of
television advertisements, outdoor advertisements, internet and sponsorships and events. The
internal communication activities of Adidas group also makes the use of social media tools for
addressing the specific agendas. Also there is personalization of information in the workplace
which makes knowledge management and collaboration an easy task. The internal network is
easily managed by the employees with its help along with the projects that run on joint platform
(Lee & Kahle, 2016).
The communication and e- communication strategies adopted by Reebok, another competitor of
Nike, involves creating awareness regarding the products and promoting the brand through the
use of television commercials, online advertising, billboards, print ads, sponsorship events. There
is an efficient flow of communication within the company which has made it one of the leaders
of the sports products in the market. It updates its blog and social media on regular basis on
regular basis for the purpose of keeping its customers informed. The internal communication of
the customers is also strong as the employees are free to ask questions directly from the top
management (Terskikh, 2018).
The comparison of the methods and practices adopted by the competitors with that of Nike
provides that there are not much deficiencies in the communication and e-communication
strategies of Nike. However, there are still some areas of improvement which can be considered
by properly analyzing the strategies of the competitors in detail. The company can obtain ideas
from the strategies of the competitors.
Suggestions and Recommendations
After taking into account the communication methods, practices and strategies adopted by Nike,
it is recommended that Nike is further required to focus on its promotional strategies. Further, for
improving the communication with the customers it should employ trending celebrities for
endorsing the products. Celebrities act as the crowd pullers and will definitely assist in
enhancing the communication of company.

Communication and E-Communication Strategies 9
Furthermore, Nike can make the use of tailor made app which facilitates internal communication
within the organization. Such app will assist the employees and other staff members to receive
urgent information and other details in due time and will not lead to any delays. The company
can also make the use of innovation management systems so that employees can freely
communicate their ideas and suggestions for the benefit of the organization (Quirke, 2017). The
strategy for communication should be adopted in a way such that it communicates the mission of
the company to the employees and customers of the organization (Eyre, 2016). The
communication should be made in such as way so as to make the part of the team called Nike
Inc. Moreover, it should make continuous evaluation of the strategies adopted by its key
competitors namely Adidas and Reebok so that it can analyze the market trends and can take
steps in this regard.
Conclusion
Therefore, it can be concluded that effective communication consists of the effective exchange of
information between the sender and receiver. The communication strategies can be defined as the
scheme of planning the way of sharing information. This report focused on the communication
and e- communication strategies adopted by Nike. The companies makes the use of non-
electronic (face o face communication, letters, invoice and memorandum) and electronic
communication (website, social media, internet and e- mail) methods, practices and strategies for
ensuring effective communication with the customers, suppliers, staff and public. The report
further highlights the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the overall
communication methods and practices of the company with the help of a SWOT analysis.
Furthermore, the report makes the assessment and comparison of the communication practices of
the Nike with its main competitors i.e. Adidas and Reebok. Moreover, some suggestions and
recommendations have been made in this report which should be considered by Nike for further
improving its communication and e- communication practices.

Communication and E-Communication Strategies 10
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