Nike, Inc. is a multinational company that is the largest supplier of athletic gear and shoes in men's sports today and a major manufacturer of sports equipment. Headquartered at Beaverton in Oregon, the company has recently launched its women’s line as well. What makes Nike better than all its rivals is the effective and dedicated scientific research experiments to look for the shoe that gives ultimate comfort. The company's brilliant marketing strategies in addition to the innovative technology that it brought to running shoes have resulted in the making of what Nike is today, easily fitting the bill of a cultural icon. Check out the Nike online [/b]website for a more detailed look on all its technology and various tie-ups with athletes all over the world.
Nike's success has been fast and it has established itself as a powerful multinational corporation within a few decades of its set up. The iconic Swoosh is symbolic of the Wings of Goddess Nike, the mythological figure of victory and the company seems to have set sail aboard these very wings. Here are few pointers on the evolution of the brand into what it is today:
1. [/b]The Humble Origins [/b]
In the year 1964, a man named Philip Knight, a Track Star at the University of Oregon and his Coach Bill Bowerman first founded a company known as Blue Ribbon Sports, not a manufacturer but a distributor of ASICS sportswear and shoes. But, the company quickly outgrew this company and expanded beyond.
As the company grew, the Swoosh icon made an appearance in 1971, designed by a university student for a few bucks. Over the years there have been many versions of the Nike logo but, the essence of the company captured in its name and icon has remained the same. Check out Nike online[/b] for a trivia filled history of the evolution of the logo.
2. [/b]Industry Dominance[/b]
By 1980, Nike had claimed more than 50% of the market in the production of athletic shoes. This happened relatively early for the company, taking a little bit more than a decade to reach this kind of success. By the end of the year, in December 1980, the company expanded in global proportions. The colours red and white were adopted as the trademark colours of Nike, symbolising energy and passion and purity and nobility respectively.
This massive change required an update of the company logo. And the necessary changes were made. The Swoosh was retained, of course, and the name of the company appeared in bold typeface above the sign to make it clear and recognisable.
3. [/b]Bigger and Better[/b]
In the 90s and the years that followed, the company made an even bigger name for itself. Success was not taken for granted however and in order to outdo all the contemporaries and also provide a better experience for the customers, Nike turned to science to enhance the experience of their sports shoes. With a 13,000 square feet building reserved to look into the innovative technology, due importance was given to human biomechanics, physiology and sensory perception of any shoe model. With great features such as impact protection, the Nike shoes easily became the favourites in the sports shoes section.
The Swoosh became an icon synonymous to Nike and the company became such a household name that it was seemed acceptable, even encouraged, to drop the name from the company logo. People were acquainted enough to know the logo.
4. [/b]The Company Today[/b]
Nike today has outrun all its peers, even Adidas, in becoming the world’s leading sports gear supplying and manufacturing company. In June 2015, Nike signed an 8-year deal with the National Basketball Association in the USA to be the only supplier for basketball season every year for eight years that began from the 2017-2018 season. The company also sponsors a host of other sports events across the globe. As of 2017, the Company was valued at $29.6 million. With excellent marketing strategies and tie ups with athletes across the world, like Michael Jordan, LeBron James and others, the company continues to grow in modern times.
Nike currently employs more than 40,000 people across the globe and generates jobs as well. Visit Nike online [/b]to know more about this amazing story. Indeed the company has evolved into a cultural icon, a spurt aided by the Michael Jordan tie-up, with the Air Jordan styles taking the company to levels hitherto unimaginable.