Nike
What I Knew Before
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Nike is the world's most popular sports brand, being the king of sneaker sales for decades
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They have signed some of biggest athletes in the history of sports between the Nike and Jordan brands including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Derek Jeter, Odell Beckham Jr, and many, many more
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I knew of Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman, and knew that they started the company at the University of Oregon, but did not know about the trial and error experimentation that they did, the origin of Blue Ribbon Sports, etc.
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Introduction and Expectations​
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Nike was the company that I most looked forward to on this trip. With approximately 50% of my closet being Nike products and 100% of my shoes, it is fair to say that I am a big fan who is incredibly loyal. Since we had the opportunity to visit the infamous Beaverton, Oregon Nike Headquarters, my expectations for the campus and workplace were sky high. Not only were my expectations met and exceeded, but by the end of the visit I found myself saying, "If this was a college campus, I would have came here instead of Maryland."
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The story of Nike's origin is a story that would redefine sports forever. Nike was started by Bill Boweman and Phil Knight, in 1964 when "Blue Ribbon Sports" was nothing more than a reseller for what is now ASICS. Bowerman would even sell the shoes out of the trunk of his car at track meets to sell inventory.
Nike would turn into the company that we know today after Bowerman realized that it was time for him to produce his own shoes. He famously made the first model of the Nike Shoe by melting rubber in a waffle iron, which inspires the waffle-sole that is still prevalent today. The rest is history, with Nike grossing $34.4 billion in revenue in FY17.
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The strategy of Nike is “to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.” They really strive to reach a wide variety of consumers, saying, “If you have a body, you are an athlete.” They really have products for everyone, but recently they have increased their targeting of women, young athletes (to create brand loyalty from a young age), and runners.
Visit Summary
Our visit was set up by Ken Cohen, UMD class of 1983. We knew that the Nike visit was going to be incredible when we were met by a former Olympian when we got out of our vans and laid our eyes on the amazing entrance to the Nike campus. From there, we were brought into a theatre-type lecture hall to hear more about the company.
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The atmosphere was very friendly and open, with the Nike employees wanting to learn about our majors and favorite Nike products. Nike stressed that they had a "culture of invention," making products, services, and experiences for today's athletes while still looking forward to solve problems for the next generation. Nike also told us about the DNA of their company, first talking about their mission to serve the customer, just like Amazon. Nike focuses on people and strives to use teamwork to accomplish goals. They create and enable very diverse and fully inclusive environments, and they strive to WIN. Their motto "Just Do It" capsulates all this in a uniquely Nike way. They want to change the game even more than they already have.
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We also heard from Felicia Lopez, a Nike recruiter. Felicia told us about some key traits that Nike looks for in its candidates. The ideal Nike candidate will be a curious, analytical,
passionate leader.
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The most memorable speaker of the visit was of course Howard White, former UMD point guard who was drafted to the NBA, VP of the Jordan Brand, and the man who played an integral role in bringing Michael Jordan to Nike, changing the sports apparel industry forever. White's views on life were full of positivity and inspiration. The line that really resonated with so many of us was, “even a dog who passes by on the street can wag its tail,” reflecting his outlook on life and why it is so important to be positive. White wrote a book that we were all lucky enough to receive called "Believe to Achieve." He really believes that it is very important to have a fire inside of us that motivates us to be the best version of ourselves, and use this fire to motivate others and light their internal fire.
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Key Takeaways
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A company like Nike takes time to reach its potential. In today's digital age, we feel like we hear about many "overnight successes," but that type of success is often not realistic. Nike was just a dream that Bowerman and Knight only could see the tip of, and they were able to realize the full potential of this dream through hardwork, trial and error, perseverance, and a vision for the future.
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Know your market, and tailor everything you do to the people you aim to serve. Nike told us time and time again that they strive to serve the people, the athletes, first. Everything they do, they do with the customer in mind, and this is what has let them skyrocket to immense heights.
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As we learned from Howard White and "Believe to Achieve," no one is so small that they do not deserve to be acknowledged. When he was 10 years old, his mother taught him this lesson, and it is a lesson that has resonated with him throughout his life. White talks about that not only would he say hello to the founder of his company, but also the janitors, other employees, and everyone in between. After years of this, he asked the founder for a meeting, and had a great conversation that inspired him to work even harder. If you can say hello to someone and it brings a smile to their face, he sees that as one of the most powerful feelings in the world.
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As a leader, it is important for your employees to believe in you. While touring the facility and hearing from different employees, it was very clear that everyone whole-heartedly believes in the message that Knight and Bowerman built this company on, and that is enhanced by their belief in the men who started it all.
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Knight makes it very clear in his memoir "Shoe Dog" that Nike would not be Nike without a variety of people showing that teamwork and trusting the people around you is incredibly important, as is learning from mistakes and failures. Without the effect of Steve Prefontaine, Onitsuka Company and others, the company would be in a different place.
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Post Visit Action/ Thoughts
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After the visit, I connected with Felicia Lopez on LinkedIn. While at Nike's campus, before lunch, I had a great conversation with Felicia, and in the LinkedIn connection, I included a personal message that referenced that conversation and how much I loved the visit.
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Nike has always been a company that I have thought very highly of, but after seeing their incredible facility and amazing staff, I can confidently say it is my favorite brand in the world. Their campus was incredible, I love their mission and what they stand for, and it seems like it would be an amazing place to work.