One of my favourite videos is Casey Neistat‘s Make It Count for Nike.
Apparel and footwear is one of the most competitive global industries. Competition is driven by large companies and retailers benefiting from economies of scale, streamlined business operations, lean supply chains and big data analytics (Euromonitor, 2017).
One of the giants that has dictated the direction of this industry is Nike. The US-based company, that dominates the world’s largest sportswear market – the US – is a king of innovation. This aspect can be observed both in their products, but also in their market segmentation, marketing strategies or advertising campaigns.
Two of Nike’s strategic areas that drive the company’s direction of work are direct-to-consumer focus and international expansion in emerging markets. Looking at these two, there is no wonder that Nike uses sponsorship deals with massive sport properties a lot and tries to make the most of them. In return for the incredible amounts of money offered to them, Nike takes advantage of the permission to use the assets of the brands that they endorse and to attract fans from all over the world.
World’s most Instagramed brand, Nike is in a powerful position in London. They have one of the most appreciated flagship stores in the world, with an incredible location – at the heart of the Londoners’ shopping paradise – Regent Street. No surprise that they are trying to do the most of it and get the store ready for its visitors.
The Premier League Area
Having signed Chelsea and Tottenham, they have a specially disigned zone dedicated to the two London clubs. The area feels a bit like Stanford Bridge or White Heart Lane, and serves as a strong call to action for any fan that might find himself in Nike Town.
The NFL Madness
As NFL came to London this October, Nike had to take advantage of this unique celebration of American Football. On the occasion of NFL at Regent Street Festival, they decorated the store in a very American way. American Football was for sure the no.1 sport for a few days in the capital. The members of staff were all wearing NFL merch and were ready to guide the customers and teach them more about America’s number one sport. The changeover made a huge difference in terms of sales, being a massive success for Nike.
The way Nike make their sponsorship deals count when we look at their figures is fantastic. The operations side of the company is an example of good practice for any brand that wants to associate itself with a top sport property. These are just a couple of example from Nike’s main store in the UK, but thir success is not bound by a store, a city, a country or a sport anymore.
References:
Euromonitor, 2017. Competitive strategies in apparel and footwear
Andrei Angelescu 