INTRODUCTION - Nike is a very influential company that could monopolize the sneaker industry. We have gathered information regarding Nike's marketing strategies and some of the problems that this and other footwear companies are facing. The athletic footwear market has grown tremendously over the past three decades, with many factors influencing market demand. Nike marketed and manufactured to the top of the industry and looks to continue leading into the 90s. AND STOP DOING IT is an everyday saying for many Americans. PROMOTIONAL MIX - Among the other means that Nike uses to spread its promotional mix are films (Space Jam, based on the Nike advertisement with Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny, was the first film ever inspired by a television commercial) this is ADVERTISING. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Internet (www.nike.com and @lanta, the company's Olympic site) helps Nike eliminate another filter that can dilute marketing communications. Nike's phone and print ads contain only a photo of the shoe and a toll-free 800 number that consumers can call to hear a message from a Nike sponsor wearing the shoe during an actual competition; and promotional items such as key rings, dog tags, pencils and pads (PUBLIC RELATIONS and DIRECT MARKETING). When Nike was founded, it was clear the effect that opinion leaders had on public opinion. It was promoted with arguments such as putting shoes on the most dominant and charismatic runners. Today, Nike's stable of athletes is not only broader, but much deeper than that of its competitors, and the company uses those athletes, more than anything, to spread its message. Hero worship has always been useful for exploitation and a quick method to gain public cooperation (SALES PROMOTION). MESSAGE - Nike begins with her name, which means the Greek goddess of victory. However, like anyone who has watched TV, seen a billboard while driving, attending a sporting event, reading the sports page, flipping through a magazine, going to the movies, surfing the Internet or spending time at the mall, Nike does not it ends here. To ensure that its messages are seen, heard, experienced, and remembered, it is estimated that Nike will spend $800 million on marketing in 1997. The more people are exposed to an idea, the more likely they are to accept it. Nike messages attempt to appeal to emotions such as pride, sense of adventure and competitive spirit, which is consistent with its ideology. Nike advertising defined the meaning of cool for millions of teenagers in the United States. They create a mood, an attitude and then associate the product with that mood. Call it image transfer. Interesting ads, interesting product. His television commercials, in particular, are both praised and criticized for their use of graphic language and imagery. Part of the genius of Nike's brand image coherence is that the ads come from an intuitive truth about the nature of sport. Today, Nike uses architecture as a monolithic marketing structure. The company's nine NikeTowns, most several stories tall and some as large as 85,000 square feet, 92. Every design element in the stores is athletically designed right down to the dressing handles described as a behemoth and as a very fun sanctuary. No matter where you look, there's the ubiquitous Nike swoosh. NikeTowns gives the company another vehicle to spread its ideas. Retail sanctuaries help make theNike's message is easy to understand and tempting at the same time. Our stores are here to spread the message about NIKE.PUBLIC RELATIONS - The company's flagship public relations initiative, participates in Lives of American Youth (PLAY), while planning to promote fitness, athletics and active lifestyles among children, in the long term, benefits Nike. The company has enjoyed a great deal of positive press from the PLAYe campaign, more importantly, it has likely generated millions of dollars in sales of its products to children who need shoes, caps, T-shirts, etc., to participate in sports and fitness. Nike's theme must be repeated until it is learned by the audience, then repeated to reinforce the learning. The repetition of simple messages, images and slogans can create our knowledge of the world, defining what truth is and specifying how we should live our lives. Simply put, if we want to record an impression, we must use repetition. Nike not only uses all available media to convey its messages; the company spends millions of dollars repeating its messages over and over again. Nike has worked to transform itself from a sneaker brand to a brand integral to the sporting culture it addresses. SALES PROMOTIONS - Through its sponsorships of athletes, teams and leagues, Nike is present at virtually every professional and amateur sporting event in the United States, whether football, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, golf, wrestling or volleyball. But the company's presence goes beyond the playing fields. Pick up the sports page of any major newspaper or sports magazine and the Nike swoosh will be visible in match photos. For example, the cover of the December 9, 1996 issue of Sports Illustrated, arguably the world's leading sports magazine with a paid circulation of 3.2 million, features at least five clearly visible Nike swoosh logos. As another example, in a recent issue of a 90-page professional soccer magazine, I counted 59 easily identifiable swooshes on the editorial pages, not the ads. The swoosh was literally everywhere: players' shoes, socks, jerseys, pants, wristbands and gloves. Nike spokespersons use carefully crafted statements that promote Nike ideology. For example, a Nike spokesperson explained why Nike did not officially sponsor the 1996 Olympics by saying: We don't rent an event for two years. We support our athletes 365 days a year. It is the effect on the credibility of the message that appears to come from a prestigious or authoritative source. By purchasing Nike products, many feel that they are just like that particular baseball player and are part of the attractive in-group. We boost our ego by becoming just like our favorite celebrity. For example, consumers see Nike athletes in action during a game or give guidelines for their own behavior. For example, one NikeTown customer says: If they're good enough for (top-rated tennis pro) Pete Sampras, they're good enough for me. This behavior supports the theory that when linked to opinion leaders such as professional athletes, it appeals to the group's anticipatory aspirations. MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES AND SALES TECHNIQUES - Now at the top, Nike has made incredible use of the media, an innumerable amount of great athletes and consumers to push their products into almost every American home in some way. Nike's SWOOSH symbol was found on the shirts and hats of Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras at the last US Open. And, as Americans continue to strive for excellence in the fields of fitness and health, Nike appears to be leading the charge here,.