What is Nike's marketing strategy? Nike's marketing tactic leverages the four Ps—product, price, promotion, and place. While these elements are fundamental in every marketing strategy, Nike understands how to gain an advantage. The brand uses a good combination of these components to lure more potential leads.
If there’s one thing advertisers can learn from Nike, it’s how the brand invests heavily in marketing and use emotional impact to capture its audience’s heartstrings. Since Nike’s launching, its dominance in marketing and advertising explains how the brand has been well-recognized worldwide. Nike dwells on its audience’s pain points and an against-all-odds marketing strategy. Remember the Colin Kaepernick campaign that pushed millions of Nike users to boycott the brand? Nike seemed unfazed about this negative publicity. Despite campaigns like this, the brand still enjoys a 38.23 percent total market share. So if you’re wondering why Nike’s marketing strategy and campaigns work, we’ll break it down for you in this article.
What is Nike’s marketing strategy?
Nike’s marketing tactic leverages the four Ps—product, price, promotion, and place. While these elements are fundamental in every marketing strategy, Nike understands how to gain an advantage. The brand uses a good combination of these components to lure more potential leads.
Price – Nike products come at premium prices. However, customers still aren’t bothered by this because Nike knows how to position their products which emphasize the benefits. And for consumers, this is essential.
– Nike products come at premium prices. However, customers still aren’t bothered by this because Nike knows how to position their products which emphasize the benefits. And for consumers, this is essential. Product – You can’t deny that Nike products are high-quality and aesthetically unique compared to other footwear brands. And Nike takes pride in maintaining this reputation when it comes to its footwear.
– You can’t deny that Nike products are high-quality and aesthetically unique compared to other footwear brands. And Nike takes pride in maintaining this reputation when it comes to its footwear. Promotion – Nike’s marketing efforts are carefully created to directly target a particular group of people, even with varying demographics and psychographics.
– Nike’s marketing efforts are carefully created to directly target a particular group of people, even with varying demographics and psychographics. Place – The brand also leverages third-party resellers and retailers to skyrocket sales. However, the brand diversifies its selling channels, such as online stores and physical locations.
Nike’s marketing strategy isn’t a tough nut to crack. Binge on a couple of your favorite Nike advertisements, and you’ll see there are common denominators you can quickly pinpoint. But here’s what you can learn from Nike’s marketing strategy:
1. Target audience segmentation
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A golden rule in marketing is to define your target audience clearly. Once you’ve narrowed down your target audience, you can classify them into groups. This way, advertisers can experiment with their marketing campaigns. Nike’s target market is diverse, making its reach extensive. The brand identifies its target audience through demographics, psychographics, behavior, and location.
Segmentation is advantageous if you’re diversifying your advertising efforts. You’ll know how to use specific campaigns that sit well with a particular group. This way, budget, time, and effort won’t go to waste.
2. Not overselling the products
If you gather your favorite Nike advertisements, you’ll notice that the brand doesn’t put its products in the limelight. Most of the highlights in their videos are pointed toward the athletes’ or people’s struggles. They create a good storyline that everyone can relate to. Regardless of your status, the struggles are vague enough to instill relevance within Nike’s target audience. However, these struggles are also identified carefully so the audience can put themselves into the athlete’s shoes.
For example, Nike targets mothers who juggle taking care of children and regular training. The struggle itself relates to all mothers who have a lot on their plate. However, Nike identifies mothers who are into an active and healthy lifestyle.
3. A focus on pain points
Another rudimentary element in Nike’s marketing strategy is its focus on its target audience’s pain points. Nike’s vision for its users is geared toward achievement and triumph in their lives. Unfortunately, we all know this win can come with many hurdles along the way. Successful athletes stood on podiums because of their hard work and determination.
But what the public eye doesn’t see is the struggles behind the success. Nike emphasizes this so potential customers can relate to the brand and its vision. In turn, it gives them a sense of inclination toward a brand that understands their daily pain points.
4. Emotional marketing
If you look at some of Nike’s video advertisements, you can’t help but shed a tear or two. Any advertiser can attest to how Nike leverages emotional appeal to tug at their audience’s heartstrings. Every video and still advertisement has a gist behind its creation, which the viewers can learn from.
Relevance is significant in advertising, and Nike integrates this element in its marketing campaigns. If people can relate to the gist and moral story of the ads, the message will stick with its audience.
5. Working with celebrities and influencers
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Nike’s marketing strategy also relies on celebrities and influencers. The brand supports individual athletes, and working with people who have been on the same road will make brand communication stronger. This is because people look up to others who could rise amidst the struggles in their lives.
Who is Nike’s target audience?
Nike segments its target audience into four parts:
Demographic
Psychographic
Behavioral
Geographical
The demographic segment of Nike’s target audience range between 15 and 40 year-olds. The brand primarily targets teens who look up to famous and successful athletes. Nike also targets the middle-aged group to extend its popularity with the younger generation. For example, a 40-year-old mother who is into volleyball can influence her children to maintain an active lifestyle.
Nike selects people who understand and aim for an active lifestyle in psychographics segmentation. The brand’s audience revolves around anyone who has a body and wants to be an athlete. For Nike, if you have a body, then you’re an athlete. Also, if you’re constantly thinking about sports, watching sports, or doing sports, you belong to Nike’s target market.
Additionally, behavioral segmentation pertains to how Nike makes its target audience feel. Nike reminds users that it’s not about how its products make you look. But it’s all about how Nike products make you feel as an athlete.
Finally, Nike dwells on geographical location because sports vary by location. For instance, Nike can’t market to football players in India, Finland, or the Philippines because this sport isn’t as popular compared to the popularity of football in Mexico, England, or Australia.
The bottom line
Nike is a leader in marketing, and for a good reason. They never fail to take notice of their audience’s pain points and offer an inspiring solution that keeps customers for life. Aside from creating emotional videos that pack a punch, Nike’s still ads are equally riveting. Nike’s advertising graphics speak the message directly and clearly.
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Photo: Alena Darmel
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