Nike Marketing Nike Free in

Nike Marketing Nike Free in Turkey The Nike Free line offers runners a 'barefoot running' sensation consistent with a growing market trend toward lightweight running shoes. The discussion here considers the marketing mix impacting Nike Free as it enters a competitive Turkish footwear market. The budgetary, targeting and media strategies are discussed with an emphasis on improving awareness and appeal amongst both fitness and fashion devotees. Market Trends: Recent years have seen a burst of interest in running both for recreational and fitness purposes.

And as the popularity of this exercise pastime continues to advance, so too does the conversation on the footwear that is best to facilitate this activity. With the understanding that traditional shoes can add to the wear and tear caused to your joints by running impact, there is a growing focus on running shoes that can help to absorb potentially damaging shock. This demand combines with the imperative created by growing fashion demands as well. Increasingly, going to the gym is not just about fitness.

Many people go to the gym to socialize, meet singles and a host of other activities for which fashion is a genuine priority. These two market trends converge to drive the innovation that is the Nike Free running sneaker. A shoe that works to meet both the fashion demands and the functionality imperatives sought by today's runner, the introduction of the Nike Free in the Turkish footwear market has a chance to be extremely successful. This is because it brings several innovations to the growing Turkish footwear market.

Specifically, there is a growing agreement among fitness experts that some runners may benefit from a lightweight 'barefoot running' style shoe. At under 8 grams of weight and boasting an extremely malleable texture, the Nike Free succeeds in creating a new model for athletic footwear that may significantly reduce the awkward and heavy steps caused by traditional sneakers. The discussion below considers this innovation in light of market competition and target buyer expectations. Competition: Product Category and Form Competition The Nike Free occupies the athletic footwear product category.

It also occupies the subordinate market of running shoes and, more specifically, the barefoot running market. The Nike Free's lightweight design poises it to compete with other barefoot running shoes currently available. As Nike explains of the innovative running shoe, the product is "specifically designed to let your feet move more naturally and freely than traditional athletic shoes. Over time, this helps make your feet stronger.

But because you'll be using some muscles in your feet more than you might be used to, it may take some time for them to get used to all that freedom." (Nike, p. 1) This dynamic informs the nature of the product and, therefore, the competition that it will face from other lightweight 'barefoot running' products. Among those which are most popular and well-known are the separated-toe design by Vibram Fivefingers, the comfort-oriented Brooks and the versatile New Balance.

Nike must consider what each of these competitors brings to the marketplace before bringing its product to the Turkish footwear sector. Generic Competition With respect to said sector, Nike must prepare for competition within Turkey's domestic footwear production market. This is because, according to Fibre2Fashion (2008), Turkey's own locally-sourced footwear design industry is a fast-growing one. According to Fibre2Fashion, "Turkey's shoe production reached 200 million pairs in 2004. Almost 26% of the production consists of leather shoes.

In addition, there has been a rapid increase in the manufacture of plastic shoes and slippers. The footwear sector relies on Turkish made shoe production machinery as well as shoe parts. The share of the shoe parts industry in the total shoe industry production is around 5% and production is very diversified." The importance of the growing shoe manufacturing industry in Turkey may pose a challenge to Nike as it attempts to penetrate a market dominated by local producers.

Budget Competition One particular advantage for Nike in this context is that it operates on a substantially more fluid budget that many of its would-be competitors. This will help to fuel it with resources as it works to build a presence with the Nike Free in Turkey. Market Attractiveness: The appeal of the Nike Free is precipitated by the growth of interest in the 'barefoot running' trend, the growing proclivity of individuals to wear sneakers for reasons of fashion, and the growing footwear market in Turkey.

Goals and Measurements: The goal is to penetrate the Turkish market and will be measured according to the achievement of incrementally spaced sales goals. Projected sales expectations will be measured against real sales at the end of 6 months, 1 year and 2 years. Strategic Marketing Goals: Strategic marketing goals include the targeting of young users, the establishment of an affiliation between the shoe and desirable health goals and a pairing of the shoe with an image of hip, dynamic fitness orientation.

Tactical Marketing Goals: Tactical marketing goals will revolve on the promotion of medical evidence of the health benefits of 'barefoot running.' Budget: With a $20 million budget, Nike Free's expenses will revolve on production, product-placement in the Turkish marketplace, advertising and promotions. Target: The primary target markets are fitness trendsetters and fitness fashionistas.

These targets are informed by two distinct personas: The Fitness Trendsetter persona may be male or female, will likely be already in excellent physical condition, will engage a healthy and active lifestyle and will exercise in a context that is highly visible to others. This may be a trainer, a professional athlete or just a leader at a local gym. The fitness fashionista is likely to be a female buyer who is inclined toward fitness wear even when not exercising.

This buyer will also have a health and active lifestyle but is more likely to don fitness wear in everyday settings. Reaching Target: Position Statement Research tells us that there is an increasing appeal to athletic sneakers as a fashion approach.

According to Adams (2012), "both designers and street-style notables are leaving their dressy footwear at home and making fashion statements with athletic shoes." This informs the positioning of Nike Free in Turkey as a product that appeals to both those with athletic aspirations and those who appreciate that fashion appeal of the shoe line. This denotes a positioning strategy which targets young, active and socially engaged buyers, particularly those who have an interest in fitness as both a health-orientation activity and a way of pursuing recreation or social engagement.

Key Message In light of.