Case: Nike: Associating Athletes,

Performance, and the Brand

Management Decision Problem
What should Nike do to increase its share of
the athletic shoe market?

Graphical Model
Marketing Research Problem
New Nike Product Purchase Model
The marketing research problem is to determine consumer
preferences for athletic shoes. More specifically, Passive Population

Active Consumers
What criteria do consumers use for evaluating athletic shoes?
How do consumers evaluate the various brands of athletic Consideration Set

shoes in terms of the choice criteria?

How do consumers evaluate the various brands of athletic Shopping

shoes in terms of the choice criteria?

Sale
What is the demographic and psychographic profile of
customers loyal to Nike? Assessment of Product/Services

What demographic, psychographic, and product usage

characteristics differentiate Nike loyalists from consumers
loyal to other brands?

Qualitative Research What Survey Research

Focus groups with consumers in the target
market would be very helpful to identify the
salient image characteristics and the
general perceptions of Nike’s image.
Depth interviews with top athletes would
be useful to identify how athletes define
performance in sport shoes and what
emotions, attitudes, and beliefs are
associated with high performance shoes.
A mall-intercept survey can be used to
determine if Nike should invest by
opening more upscale company retail
outlets such as Nike Town. Mall shoppers
can be regarded as representative of
Nike’s target consumers for regular Nike
shops as well as the upscale Nike Town.
 Likert and Semantic Differential Stapel Scale
Nike running shoes
Strongly Strongly +5
+4
Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Agree +3
Nike running shoes +2
+1
are durable 1 2 3 4 5 Durability
-1
-2
Semantic Differential Scale: -3
-4
Durable _ _ _ _ Not durable -5

ATHLETIC SHOES QUESTIONNAIRE

Brand Preference
PART I
1-How often do you wear athletic shoes?
3.Please rate your preference for the following
a. Once a month or less often ____ brands of athletic shoes.
b-Two or three times a month ____
c-Once or twice a week ____ Not at All Very Much
d-Three or more times per week ____
Preferred Preferred
2-Please rate the importance of the following factors in your selection of an athletic shoe
brand? a.Nike 1 2 3 4 5
Not at All Very
Important Important b.Reebok 1 2 3 4 5
Image 1 2 3 4 5
Performance 1 2 3 4 5 c.Adidas 1 2 3 4 5
Comfort 1 2 3 4 5
Price 1 2 3 4 5
Durability 1 2 3 4 5
Style 1 2 3 4 5

Image Performance
4) Please rate the following brands of athletic 5)Please rate the following brands of athletic
shoes in terms of image. shoes in terms of performance.
Poor Excellent Poor Excellent
Image Image Performance
a. Nike 1 2 3 4 Performance
5 a. Nike 1 2 3 4
b. Reebok 1 2 3 4 5
5 b. Reebok 1 2 3 4
c. Adidas 1 2 3 4 5
5 c. Adidas 1 2 3 4
5
 Comfort Price
6.Please rate the following brands of athletic shoes 7) Please rate the following brands of
in terms of comfort. athletic shoes in terms of a value price.
Poor Excellent
Poor Excellent
Comfort Comfort
Price Price
a. Nike 1 2 3 4
5 a.Nike 1 2 3 4 5
b. Reebok 1 2 3 4 b.Reebok 1 2 3 4 5
5 c.Adidas 1 2 3 4 5
c. Adidas 1 2 3 4
5

Durability Style
8- Please rate the following brands of athletic Please rate the following brands of athletic shoes
shoes in terms of durability. in terms of style.
Poor Excellent Poor Excellent
Durability Durability Style Style
a. Nike 1 2 3 4 a. Nike 1 2 3 4
5 5
b. Reebok 1 2 3 4 b. Reebok 1 2 3 4
5 5
c. Adidas 1 2 3 4 c. Adidas 1 2 3 4
5 5

PART II
Shoes Ownership
Demographic
10) Which of the following brands of athletic In this part we would like to ask you some
shoes do you own? Please check as questions for classification purposes.
many as apply. 11) Your gender:
a.Nike ____ 1. Male _____
Reebok ____ 2. Female _____
Adidas ____ 12) Marital Status:
1. Married _____
Other ____
2. Never Married _____
3. Divorced/Separated/Widowed _____
 Demographic Demographic
13) Family Size 15) Your formal education
1. One _____
2. Two _____ 1. Less than High School _____
3. Three _____
4. Four _____ 2. High School Graduate _____
5. Five or more _____
14) Your age:
1. 18–24 _____ 3. Some College _____
2. 25–40 _____ 4. College Graduate _____
3. 41–60 _____
16) What is your occupation?
4. 60+ _____

Research Research Specify Description Data Sampling

objectives Hypotheses Question nos of Analysis plan

Demographic
If any (Variable Information plan
(You will code) only.
develop if Questionnaire
no should not be
information displayed here
is there in and
case to Should be
generate attached
hypotheses separately

17.Job Title: What criteria

then ignore
this column)
Performance q-2 Descriptive
do consumers is most statistics

18. Monthly Income Level (check the

use for important One sample
evaluating t-test
athletic shoes?

appropriate category):
How do Nike is 3-9 ANOVA
consumers perceived
evaluate the lower on
various brands comfort
of athletic than other

Less than Rs.10,000/- shoes in terms

of the choice
criteria?
competetors

; Rs.10,000- Rs.20,000/- ; What is the

demographic
and
Young fun
loving
athletes like
10 and11
to be added
for
Cross tab

psychographic Nike shoes psychographic

Rs.20,000/- to Rs.30,000/-
profile of most
customers
loyal to Nike?

; Over Rs.30,000/-.
What 1,2,10,11-16 Cluster
demographic, Discriminant
psychographic,
and product
usage

Thank you for your participation. characteristics

differentiate
Nike loyalists
from
consumers
loyal to other
brands?

Nike’s image
Premium -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Commodity
Relaxed -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Tense
Cozy -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Uncomfortable
Fancy -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Plain
Pleasant -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Unpleasant
Psychographics Artistic -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Not Artistic
Delicate -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Rugged
Luxurious -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Thrifty
Informal -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Formal
Soft -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Hard
Colorful -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Colorless
Classic -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Contemporary