Nike Strategic Analysis

This analysis is the result of a desire to examine the corporate strategy of one of the world\u27s leading marketers of athletic footwear and apparel, Nike, Inc. Our analysis takes a close look at Nike\u27s core competencies, their present strategy, and several directions it could take to become successful in the ever-changing global marketplace. Research for this analysis was primarily complied using web-based, qualitative information gathered from sources outside of Nike, Inc. itself. Nike is one of the most closely watched players in its industry, and we found that there is certainly no shortage of facts or opinions on its performance or future direction. The largest obstacle encountered in the preparation of this analysis was a lack of time to digest all the available data and literature on the company. Nike is the leader in the US athletic footwear and apparel market, with ambitions of becoming the dominant leader worldwide. In 2001, Nike\u27s total revenues topped $9.4 Billion and is truly the one to catch in this global race for first place. However, Asian and European markets hold many opportunities for Nike and its competitors, and no clear leader has emerged as of yet. We conclude that Nike needs to do more to increase its market presence and sales outside the US market, specifically in Europe/ Africa, Asia, and the Americas. CEO Phil Knight states in the 2001 Nike Annual Report that the company is halfway through a 10- year implementation of a global marketing strategy. We will examine the steps Nike should take to achieve this goal in the Alternatives and Recommendation sections. Second, we concluded that Nike must respond to the negative criticism generated by labor groups and environmentalist