Nike Branding Strategy
Nike has established a timeless brand identity which excels in every area of leading marketing models. Nike, Inc. has united buyers through fitness inspiration and innovation since 1964. The company was founded as Blue Ribbon Sports, but underwent dramatic rebranding and became officially known as Nike in 1971. Ever since the Nike “Swoosh”, it has become a distinct and admired brand. Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon in the US, and beginning with footwear, Nike has expanded to cover the whole fitness market for the entire planet.
Nike’s Emotional and Impactful Branding Strategy
The iconic slogan ‘Just Do It’ epitomizes the brand identity of Nike, resonating with individuals from all avenues. Actionable, inspirational, and applicable to every instance of life, Nike Inc. has led their empowering product line to unparalleled success. As a brand, Nike has consistently evolved. Through staying current with industry trends, the corporation has managed to awaken an entirely new demographic through merging sports and fitness interests. Rather than catering to a specific type of sportsman, all are rallied under one emotional brand. Nike began with simple milestones. This included a name, icon, their legendary tag line, and the color palette. From there-on out, each client and market engagement helped to shape their brand to what it is today. As a corporation, Nike pays close attention to industry insights and the focus of their audience. This is clearly exhibited through their intelligent use of celebrity sponsorships and celebrity endorsed advertising campaigns.
Brand Expansion and Market Focus
Over the years, Nike has carried out a large amount of brand acquisition. From the years 1988 to 2008, Nike Inc. acquired and diversified its production in football gear and apparel, varied footwear, and many sporting markets. However, from about the year 2000 onward, the corporation began to divest subsidiaries in an aim to adjust their focus towards core lines of business. The corporation’s effort to make sports gear a mainstream consumer item is clear throughout its history. From late 2000 until 2010, a clear example of merging brand interests can be seen with Nike Elite. Basketball socks, and apparel sporting hip-hop inspired designs, and celebrity-backed promotions were popularized as everyday clothes. Nike’s strategy of uniting consumers from different sports is recurring. Female athletes from all sports continue to dominate Nike’s marketing, as can be seen by the recent Nike Women campaign.
Nike: Inspiring & Building Communities
From their inception, Nike Inc. has strived to create a sense of community with their customers. By doing so, fans stay engaged and products stay in demand. Nike is always on the forefront of digital advertising. Fantastic examples of their power on social media can be seen through their Twitter feed, dominating interest and engagement in the lifestyle & fitness sector. Their social engagement across all leading networks is superior to that of competitors, while their subscribers also top all others. Each of Nike’s over 700 stores across the world upholds the style, quality, and homage given to sports. For 2017, their brand will be lifted to new levels of recognition due to their new engagement as the official apparel supplier for the NBA.
