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Global Marketing

Nike’s International Market Communications Strategy

Nike uses a strong promotional market communications mix to reach its target consumers in the global athletic apparel industry.  They leverage the 4 P’s (product, promotion, place, and price) to attract both existing and new customers. Similar to other large businesses, they use an integrated marketing approach to strengthen their brand image through the use of many different channels that can reach their global consumer base.

Nike’s advertising efforts require a large financial contribution, but usually result in gains in profit and revenue. One of their main international market communications tactics involves the use of celebrity sponsors. Using celebrity athletes to market their products helps them achieve a global presence because these athletes are well-known around the world.  Many people from multiple countries can easily identify with these athletes’ stories, encouraging them to better recognize the Nike brand and strengthening their desire to buy Nike products.

One prominent example of Nike’s international market communications efforts through celebrity athlete sponsorship is their “Hello World” advertisement with Tiger Woods.  In this campaign, Nike took a stance on the issue of race within golf, which many people around the world could identify with. They used Tiger’s newly gained platform to bring attention to a larger societal issue, which ultimately helped them heighten their global brand awareness. They focused not just on a domestic U.S. market, but appealed to the entire world by leveraging Tiger’s well-known response to his new-found celebrity athlete status during a press conference in which he stated, “I guess, hello, world.”

Another part of Nike’s international market communications strategy involves their uniform sponsorships. Nike sponsors the uniforms of many basketball, baseball, football, and soccer teams throughout virtually all seven continents.  This sponsorship helps them garner a strong brand image that people can easily recognize anywhere they are in the world. With a prominent international presence, they are able to distribute ads globally that the majority of their audience can connect with, helping them better communicate their brand values.

One recent example of Nike’s implementation of this tactic involves their ad to celebrate the U.S. National Women’s Soccer Team’s second consecutive World Cup victory. Considering soccer is arguably the most popular and watched sport worldwide, Nike strategically used this campaign to again communicate a more significant message to a global audience. In this campaign, they focused on women’s empowerment to help little girls around the world recognize that they can conquer and achieve anything with the U.S. National Women’s Soccer Team as a prime example. Furthermore, this campaign directly aligns with Nike’s values and mission to positively impact communities and heighten human potential.

Overall, Nike’s international market communications involves a focus on celebrity athlete and team sponsorships to help expand their global brand awareness and image.  Capturing an international audience with their ads and campaigns, Nike can better communicate their messages that go beyond the sports world. With a global presence, they can create ads that people around the world can identify with, helping Nike communicate their values and mission to contribute to a better world.