Nike is a leading maker of athletic shoes and apparel. It was founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports to import Japanese running shoes. The company was renamed Nike in 1971 and began manufacturing its own shoes overseas. Through innovative shoe designs and aggressive marketing campaigns featuring top athletes, Nike grew rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s to become the largest seller of athletic shoes in the United States. It now has global operations and owns other brands like Converse and Hurley.
23. Nike also collaborated with Apple and is launching new apparel and footwear that will easily carry the consumer’s iPod
24. Product innovation is an ongoing process and is vital to stay ahead of competition Companies in this industry invest money in R&D to keep up with the new demands of today’s athletes.
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26. Nike has made a true bounce-back from the negative media attention, and continues to be successful due to their strong business ethic philosophy.
56. ProductsMoving Toward Greater Diversity <br />Employee Networks<br />Nike Employee Networks are designed to help Nike move toward greater diversity. In the U.S., six employee networks focus attention on important communities within Nike. The intended role of each network is to foster professional development, enhance work performance, identify mentors, assist in recruiting diverse professionals, develop increased community interaction, and encourage improved teamwork and interaction within and across work groups.<br />Native American Employee Network<br />Mission: To increase awareness and continue to educate Nike employees about the Native American culture.<br />Through educational opportunities, seminars, speakers and community involvement, NAEN continues to increase awareness of Native American values and culture at Nike. By sponsoring sporting events and various youth programs, the group creates visible community support and inspiration for Native cultures. With their help, the North American Native American community will understand Nike is an employer of choice.<br />Latino Employee Network<br />Mission: To increase the awareness of the Hispanic/Latino culture at Nike, explore diversity in the Nike workplace, develop resources to increase career and cultural growth for Nike employees, strengthen ties to the Hispanic/Latino community and develop initiatives that align with Nike business strategies.<br />The Latino Employee Network encourages all Nike employees to experience Hispanic/Latino culture. The group holds monthly network meetings to discuss Hispanic/Latino initiatives and activities, and celebrates Hispanic/Latino cultural events such as Cinco de Mayo and Hispanic Heritage Month. <br />Ability* Network<br />Mission: To enrich Nike and our community