Week 3- Nike's Environmental Threats

Week 3 - Evaluating Environmental Threats

Nike's greatest offense is their great defense in the marketplace.  The world of sports, in any capacity, is competitive.  Athletic apparel, footwear and equipment channels of Nike are right up there in the arena of competitive.  Nike's closet competition is adi (Adidas) and Under Armour, Puma and other big brands, but that doesn't mean Nike can sit back and only strategize against just those entities.  Nike must remain vigilant against other, seemingly smaller brands that might crop up and out.

How might they combat against current and potential competitors?  By staying ahead of their game, innovations, first to launch lines, and continuous pulse on the consumer demands.  Nike's very well aware of their target market needs, and most importantly, wants.  They continue to evolve, in fact one of their 10 Maxims (or core beliefs) is to "Evolve Immediately".  The employees at every level of the "game" are always evolving immediately.  They push grassroots marketing, in which turn grants them direct access to the "field".

According to our textbook, one of the potential threats to an industry is directly related to the consumer buying power.  I believe this to be true, and time and again, we see in many industries the awesome power consumers hold.  In Nike's case, it would seem to me they take that power their consumers hold, and listen very carefully.  By focusing always on what their consumers want, they are rewarded with win after win in the athletic industry.