Nike

Nike

Nike, Inc. is a multinational corporation based in Oregon in the United States; the organization specializes with production and distribution of apparel, footwear, accessories and equipments. It is listed among the Fortune 500 companies in America; surveys have indicated that Nike is the global supplier of athletic apparel, shoes and sport equipments (Carbasho, 2010). The company has a workforce of more than forty four thousand persons across the world. Nike brand is the most recognized in businesses dealing with sports.

Nike has engaged psychology in convincing the target market in purchasing its products and services. Technological advances have made it easy to engage psychology as part of designing the Nike sportswear, which in return has been influential in creating a competitive edge in the target market (Strasser, 2003). Creative director at Nike argued that psychology of sporting apparels and footwear is not only focused at the lightweight, but also on environmental performance and physical performance. Nike believes on style for performance, and partners with global icons in sporting all over the world (Strasser, 2003).

Nike believes that there are superstitions attached to the performance, and works on the superstitions in selling the brand. ‘Looking good’ is part of the superstition that enhances performance. Technology has made it easy for Nike to develop light products and styled in meeting the wants and the needs of the target market. New designs offered by Nike give players a mental boast, which improve on the general performance. An example is the Nike Pro Turbo Speed Suit that is characterized with contrasting colors and holds firmly on the legs and the arms (Carbasho, 2010). The product is designed to play with the psychology of the sportspeople in developing a competitive edge and in improving performance; the plan has worked on a number of instances. Players have the feelings of ‘speed’ as they engage in competitions; Flickering effect also improves on performance.

Considering the Nike Zoom Superfly R4 running spikes, photo provided below, the shoe has a golden bottom, this is a psychological trick, in the sense that when the spikes are visible under the light of the stadium, golden color reflects back, which in the minds of the competitors and the spectators creates an impression that the competitor is trained to attain a gold. Nike under this circumstances works on the psychological boosts, in enhancing performance. Psychological effects on the Nike products have increased the sales of Nike’s products and services (Carbasho, 2010).

Source: (Google.com, 2013)

Consumer behavior in Nike is characterized with the study of groups, individuals and organizations in reflection to the processes they engage in securing and selecting the Nike’s products and services. The buying behavior of the sporting products and services has been facilitated by the roles played by the target consumers. Consumers play the roles of payers, users and buyers, an indication that predicting consumer behavior is a complex task.

Nike is a strong brand, an indication that it has gained brand loyalty among the target customers. Nike has gained STP (Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning) strategy, which has been classified according to the consumer behavior. Nike.com offers one of the best sites to carry out online shopping; Cookies are used in knowing the tendencies and preferences of the target online customers (Carbasho, 2010). The marketing plan should emphasize on product mix in making sure that all the customers get the products and services they require. The organization culture of Nike is reflected in the eyes of health consciousness, innovativeness and fitness orientation; a model that has built the brand over the decades (Strasser, 2003).

References

Carbasho, T. (2010). Nike (Corporations That Changed the World). Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood.

Google.com. (2013). Images for Nike Advertisemnets. Retrieved November 02, 2013, from Google.com: https://www.google.com/search?q=nike+advertisements&espv=210&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=6Jh0UuGEAfGM7Absx4CABw&ved=0CDAQsAQ&biw=1440&bih=785

Strasser, J. B. (2003). Swoosh: Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men Who Played There. New York: HarperBusiness.