Marketing Strategies of Nike: Analysis of Success and Durability

This essay analyzes Nike's marketing strategies, examining the factors that have contributed to its remarkable success and durability in the competitive footwear industry. The essay discusses key aspects such as product quality, pricing strategies (specifically premium pricing), effective distribution through supply chain management, and impactful marketing strategies. It emphasizes the importance of aligning product objectives with consumer needs, leveraging sponsorships with professional athletes, and utilizing mass media and unique slogans for brand promotion. The essay also highlights the role of a reliable supply chain in ensuring product availability and customer satisfaction. By focusing on these strategies, Nike has been able to maintain a strong market position and achieve consistent profitability, even during challenging economic periods. The essay references academic sources to support its analysis of Nike's marketing approach.

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Nike
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Nike can be considered as one of the most successful companies that produce footwear products.
There are various aspects which must be addressed by all companies which want to be
successful. The aspects include product quality, pricing strategies, distribution strategies,
marketing strategies, and customer satisfaction. The manufactured products should be availed to
the target market in time so as to maximize sales [2]. This calls for effective supply chain
management which will help the company distribute the manufactured products effectively. This
essay is written to address the marketing strategies employed by Nike which has made the
company to be durable.
Nike produces footwear which is most used by professional sportsmen and women. The target
market for the company is sportsperson who have been largely used to promote the footwear
through sponsorship deals. The company manufactures products which satisfy the needs of the
target market as there is great emphasis on product objective or purpose [4]. This helps the
marketing operations as it helps to create psychological effects which can be associated with the
shoes. When the person promoting the shoe is associated with victory, other people will be
willing to purchase the same shoes so as to be successful too.
The company has also employed proper pricing strategies which have enabled the company to be
able to realize high revenues. The company has adopted premium pricing strategies because the
target market is concerned with the quality of the product and not the cost of the product. This
has enabled the company to endure turbulent times successfully because the sales of the
company do not depend on the income of the consumers [1]. The sales of the company depend
on the quality of the products availed to the market. This is one of the factors which has enabled
the company to be durable and still make profits when other footwear manufacturers are
struggling to break even.
The marketing strategy of Nike also largely depends on product promotion and commercials.
The company invests heavily in mass media commercials which have enabled the brand to be
popular among many sportspeople [1]. The company also has a unique marketing slogan which
motivates consumers to face whatever challenge that comes on their way to success. The
marketing of the products has also been aided by professional athletes who have signed contracts
with the company in order to endorse a certain type of footwear manufactured by the company.
The contracted professionals usually have huge social media following and the followers will

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purchase the promoted footwear in order to achieve the same lifestyle as the celebrities. This
helps to raise awareness of the products in the market and help improve the sales of the
company.
The marketing strategies of Nike also involve a reliable supply chain management which always
ensures that the products are at the right place at the right time. This enables the products to be
readily available in the market. The ease of access creates convenience to the customers and this
results to customer loyalty as customers are always satisfied [3]. The employed marketing
strategies have enabled the company to withstand turbulent times and achieve success in the
industry.

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References
[1] Carrillat, François A., and Alain d'Astous. "The sponsorship-advertising interface: is less
better for sponsors?." European Journal of Marketing 46, no. 3/4 (2012): 562-574.
[2] Ko, Eunju, Charles R. Taylor, Heewon Sung, Jooyeon Lee, Udo Wagner, David Martin-
Consuegra Navarro, and Fanghua Wang. "Global marketing segmentation usefulness in
the sportswear industry." Journal of Business Research 65, no. 11 (2012): 1565-1575.
[3] Leigh, James H., and Terrance G. Gabel. "Symbolic interactionism: Its effects on
consumer behavior and implications for marketing strategy." Journal of Consumer
Marketing 9, no. 1 (1992): 27-38.
[4] Pharr, Jennifer Renee, and Nancy L. Lough. "Differentiation of social marketing and
cause-related marketing in US professional sport." Sport Marketing Quarterly 21 (2012):
91.