Promotion Of Nike Vs. Adidas

PROMOTION!

NIKE

Nike is the world's #1 manufacturer and marketer of athletic footwear and apparel. Almost out of the blue, the company established itself as one of the world's most familiar brands during the 1980s and 1990s.and now 2000s. As familiar as a Coke bottle or Big Mac, the Nike "swoosh" logo came to symbolize not just sports culture, but street culture, as the appeal of the star players who endorsed the brand was carried onto city streets. Nike is undisputed leader in sports-oriented street wear. “Advertising Age estimated global measured advertising expenditure of $308 million in 2006, making Nike the world's #89 advertiser (http://www.mind-advertising.com/us/nike_us.htm).”

Nike has been using the same logo ever since they established the famous swoosh. The swoosh logo is a graphic design created by Caroline Davidson in 1971. It represents the wing of the Greek Goddess Nike. Caroline Davidson was a student at Portland State University in advertising. She met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company. Phil Knight asked Caroline to design a logo that could be placed on the side of a shoe. She handed him the swoosh, he handed her $35.00. In spring of 1972, the first shoe with the Nike swoosh was introduced (from Nike Consumer Affairs packet, 1996). Not only does Nike have one of the famous logo, Nike also has one of the most famous slogans around: “Just Do It!” According to Nike company lore, it was coined at a 1988 meeting of Nike’s ad agency Wieden and Kennedy and a group of Nike employees. Dan Weiden, speaking admiringly of Nike’s can-do attitude, reportedly said, “You Nike guys, you just do it.” Then the brilliant slogan came about. Nike continues to lure customers with a marketing strategy centering around a brand image which is attained by th distinctive logo and advertising slogan.

It is my belief that Nike's power to sell comes from deep-rooted desire for cultural inclusiveness and individual athletic accomplishment. These desires collide in consumer’s hearts and minds and produce the unyielding urge; “the got to have them,” or “can’t do without them” for Nike shoes and apparel. Nike appeals to these disparate elements of Americans' personalities through an advertising philosophy that is, at once, simple and sublime. In addition, Nike's practice of top-level athletes promoting their products appeal to countless ages and acts as a way to identify with and emulate their athletic heroes. These forces work powerfully upon the individual consumer.

Nike promotes its products by sponsorship agreements with celebrity athletes, professional teams and college athletic teams. Nike promotes itself as a premium-brand that sells quality-designed and luxurious goods. It is because of this extensive advertising and many sponsorship programs that Nike’s products are priced higher than its competitor’s products.

Nike’s focus has always been on athletes and has always used premiere athletes to help promote its products. It started off with Steve Prefontaine in the 60’s wearing Nike running shoes. In the early eighties, Nike wanted to really grow and become a player in the sport of basketball. At the time, Converse we endorsing two of the NBA’s biggest stars, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Nike took a chance on a young rookie who eventually became the greatest on earth. Nike created a signature shoe for the Chicago Bulls rookie guard called the Air Jordan. This was the best investment Nikes has and probably ever will make. Because of Michael Jordan being the most popular player in the league, the hype and demand of this shoe was unbelievable. Tinker Hatfield designed the shoe and he spurred the basketball shoe industry to new heights. Because Air Jordans became so popular and in such demand, Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own company named appropriately the Jordan Brand.

The introduction of the Air Jordan line helped to create new lines of basketball shoes, including the Air Force and Air Flight lines of basketball shoes and apparel. Also, a new innovative technology was a layer of air cushioning in their shoes; this was truly a differential factor for Nike when placed in comparison with other shoe companies. Nike’s Air Jordan shoe was the best selling and most popular basketball shoe on the market. The Air Jordan shoe reached a point in the mid-nineties. According to Donald R. Katz, when a small picture of Michael Jordan at practice wearing different shoes sparked a booming inquiry all over Chicago. One store alone received over 300 phone calls asking if they had the shoes in stock.

From the popularity of the Air Jordan, and innovative styles and colors of Nike, a sub-culture of shoe collectors was born. These people search miles and miles and often camp out for these Limited Edition shoes. Nike, knowing that this market exists, will make very limited release of some special shoes known as quick strike or hyper strike editions to cater to this group. These shoes include retro version of styles, the 360 Hybrids, Paul Rodriguez, Rejuvenations, Clerk packs, and many more. Because theses shoes are released in limited quantities and the demand is so high, Nike can sell these shoes at enormous profits.

Nike CEO Phil Knight is not slowing down as he continually signs new colleges on as Nike endorsed schools, current and up in coming star athletes. Nike has reached a point where they can count on the Nike name promoting itself, Nike believes, “If you have a body, you are an athlete.” And as long as there are athletes, there will be a need for Nike.

(http://www.designerathletic.com/Brands/Nike.php).

ADIDAS

Adi Dassler was the man who gave Adidas its name. Dassler was inspired by a single idea when he made his first shoes in 1920, at the age of just 20. His first shoe, made from the few materials available in the difficult post-war period, was produced from canvas. A passionate athlete himself, from the very beginning Adi Dassler was in close contact with sports participants and was always present in person at important sports events. In the mid 1930s Adi Dassler was already making 30 different shoes for eleven sports, and he had a workforce of almost