We chose to visit Nike while in Georgetown. For years Nike has been regarded as one of the most successful retail companies, and they aren't showing any signs of slowing down.
Nike is an appealing store for young people, as they provide new attractive products, and successfully use well-known professional athletes to help market these products. Names like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, Rodger Federer, are all household names internationally.
Recently Nike controversially signed former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick to lead a their 30 year anniversary of the "Just Do It" campaign. Using Kaepernick is a strategic marketing move made by Nike. The addition of Kaepernick has drawn in a whole group of people that support Kaepernick's message.
5 Things That Matter to The New Generation
1. Popularity Nike uses big name athletes to help market their products. Today these athletes are one of the top reasons for Nike's success, due to social media. With the recent partnership between Nike and Kaepernick, much of the younger generation wants to support Kaepernick's cause politically.
2. New and Exciting Products Nike is constantly providing new technology and products that make their services go above and beyond other companies and their products. Clothing technology like "Dri-FIT" combines high performance microfiber and polyester fabrics which are intended to "wick" away sweat from the body.
3. Customization Nike was one of the first companies to allow consumers to customize their own shoes and other clothing. NikeID gives the customer the option to create their own works of art and wear them proudly. Other companies such as Under Armour and Adidas have since then copied this strategy.
4. Connectivity Nike has developed their own app that allows users to shop, keep track of favorite sports teams, log workout activities, and set workout goals. Nike also offers separate Apps like "Nike Run Club" which allows users to find motivation to run more often, "Nike Training Club" which offers over 160 different guided workouts to follow, and "Nike SNKRS" which allows users to follow the most recent release of new shoes.
5. The Brand Today, particularly younger people are very brand conscious. Nike world wide is known for being one of the most attractive and popular brands, and as a result everyone wants a piece. Wearing Nike gear for some is more an image than anything else.
How Other Companies Can Learn From Nike
The popularity of Nike is no accident and other companies could benefit greatly from learning from Nike's business model. The use of celebrities and athletes is something that can help set companies apart from their competitors and is a practice that is already widely used. Additionally, one of the most recent moves by Nike is something that other companies should look into adopting and may soon. The use of a controversial political figure is something that has made Nike more popular and brought new customers to the brand. The biggest lesson here that other companies can learn is that taking a political stance and sticking to it can bring in new customers and inspire greater loyalty in existing customers. This approach is something many companies will be taking a look into given the Kaepernick success, and those type of ads could become more popular in the coming days.
While at Nike we met Adam and Erica who were shopping to prepare for a hiking trip. They said that they came to Nike because of the "reliable products" and "convenience" as it was on their way to lunch.
When we arrived at Nike we noticed two young boys marveling at this wall with various athletes names next to their corresponding heights.
We found this interesting as it was a way to entertain and keep customers engaged while shopping.
We talked to the boys mother who said she wanted to shop at Nike for political reasons to support Colin Kaepernick, as she said "she fully supports his cause" and in doing so it creates a more "personal" feel while shopping.