Chapter Review

Video Case 6.1How Nike Uses Targeting in the High-Stakes Race for Sales

Nike, the company behind the famous swoosh logo and the classic "Just do it" ad campaign, has long been a major force in marketing athletic footwear, clothing, and equipment. It targets professionals and other consumers with innovative shoes and apparel for running, basketball, soccer, tennis, skateboarding, football, andlacrosse, among other sports. In recent years, the Oregon-based company's annual sales have increased beyond $30 billion as it progresses toward its 2022 goal of achieving annual sales of $50 billion. In this high-stakes race, Nike must also stay ahead of Adidas, Puma, and other competitors seeking to capture a higher share of the market for athletic footwear.

Careful targeting is a key element in Nike's strategy for marketing shoes. Consider the company's Zoom Vaporfly 4%, a high-performance sneaker designed to help marathon runners speed ahead through 26.2 miles. This special shoe incorporates lightweight foam for effective cushioning and a shaped carbon-fiber insert for putting spring in every step, mile after mile. Nike invested heavily in developing and testing the advanced components of this product, which it promotes as being capable of boosting a racer's efficiency by as much as four percent.

The target market is both elite runners and weekend athletes who know that saving even a fraction of a second can make all the difference as they approach the finish line. Nike markets one version of the shoe, the Zoom Vaporfly Elite, for top athletes who run in the world's most competitive marathons. The less-expensive, but still pricey, Zoom Vaporfly 4% is for serious runners seeking to boost personal performance.

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Prior to the product launch, the company staged an unofficial marathon event, "Breaking2," featuring leading marathoners Eliud Kipchoge, Lelisa Desisa, and Zersenay Tadese wearing Zoom Vaporfly Elite shoes. Their goal: to complete the course in two hours or less, a feat unprecedented in marathon history. The winner was Olympic marathon champ Kipchoge, with the impressively fast time of 2 hours and 25 seconds. A number of world-class runners have since won official marathons wearing Zoom Vaporfly Elite shoes, adding to the product's reputation and desirability within the target market. The company continues to solicit feedback from elite runners as input for improving its sneakers to give athletes at all levels a real performance edge.

Nike dominates the U.S. market for basketball shoes, with branded product lines by NBA legends Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Nike Air Jordan sneakers have been selling well for more than 30 years, regularly updated with new features that enhance performance and stylish touches that bring today's looks to these classic shoes. And every time LeBron James wears his newest Nike shoes on the basketball court, sports-minded fans focus on the functional improvements while fashion-conscious consumers check for the latest colors, patterns, and materials.

In addition, Nike targets "sneakerheads"consumers who are sneaker enthusiasts and want to be among the first to have the newest, "must-have" products. With this market in mind, the company is expanding its range of unisex sizing to make hot new styles accessible to anyone, male or female, who wants to buy. In some key stores, stylists are on hand to help buyers select shoes that fit their lifestyle and express their personality. Nike also offers an app called Snkrs that informs sneakerheads when and where highly coveted limited-edition sneakers can be purchased. This keeps sneakerheads happy and, in turn, reinforces loyalty to the Nike brand.

Questions for Discussion

1. When Nike segments the market for athletic shoes, what types of variables is it using? Why are these variables appropriate?
2. Is Nike using a differentiated, an undifferentiated, or a concentrated strategy for targeting buyers of athletic shoes? Explain your answer.
3. How should Nike assess competitors that market to the segment of consumers who buy high-performance running shoes such as the Zoom Vaporfly?