Nike the Business Case Written

Nike

The business case written in 2004 about Nike Incorporated was developed in a simple but clear style and contains relevant information about the company's history, culture, business operations, competitors as well as the internal and external forces which affect the company's actions. The information is useful for answering a wide variety of questions about the company and it is basically addressed to the general reader. If one desires a more comprehensive approach, further and more extensive research is required.

Nike was founded in 1971 from Philip Knight's commitment to developing high quality and low cost sports shoes. Along the years, the company went through numerous processes of organizational restructuring and followed mergers and acquisitions to finally become the company we know today. Nowadays, Nike is an international brand renowned for their high quality sports shoes, clothing and equipments. They sell their products across the globe and so wide is their reputation that the company no longer writes their name on the products, but simply places the swoosh sign, which is itself a brand.

The year 2003 was generally marked by growth at Nike, the single decrease being registered in the sales within the United States territory. This was generally due to unfavorable market and economy conditions and it had nothing to do with Nike's quality performances. The company constantly invests in new technologies and numerous features which increase the efficiency of the business operations but also increase the company's chances of retrieving a most successful outcome, satisfying as many customers as possible and serving a wide market. The main areas of interest within Nike are research and development, marketing and distribution, social responsibility, managerial culture and financial outcomes.

Nike's marketing and sales strategy is based on strong advertising and promotional campaigns. They mainly contract the world's most famous athletes at the time of launch and pay them large sums of money to appear in Nike commercials. The general public has often criticized this approach stating that the company officials spend far too much money with these operations. To attract some support from the public, Nike engages in social activities which are aimed to support communities' development. They also sponsor numerous charitable events.

Even thought they face fierce competition from both national and international manufacturers of sports shoes, apparel and equipments, Nike looks ahead with confidence. Their expectations include a doubling of sales in the women's sector and the opening of new Nike stores.

These being said, fact remains that Nike is indeed the world's leader on the industry of sports wear. And along the years, they have implemented numerous strategies to ensure they reach and then maintain their top position. But ironically, those strategies which they implemented to ensure the leading position have turned against them and transformed them into targets for accusations of immoral and unethical conduct.

The case is written in a simple but comprehensive manner, focused on the main highlights of Nike's activity. It is useful for the specialized economists as it presents real and clear facts, but it can also be useful to the novice economist or the simple individual, who wishes to get some insight into the Nike culture and ways.

The main purpose of the report is to inform the reader about the general facts at Nike in 2003 as well as the forces which marked its past. It is basically addressed to the general and unspecialized reader, and it is insufficient in information to be considered a specialized report. Therefore, if the reader desires more data, he will have to consult other sources as well. For instance, the present case offers limited information about the company's financial highlights for 2003. Then, it fails to offer an analysis of the company's stock performance - a feature vital for any potential investor. Another feature which lacks in the report is the company's customer base. However they do refer to it, there is limited information presented.