BUSINESS (NO PLAGARISM A+ WORK, ON TIME)

1

Week 1 Assignment Research Proposal

Willie Collins

AMU

MKT600

9/82025

Research Proposal: Nike Marketing Plan Proposal

Nike, Inc. is a worldwide sports footwear, apparel and sports products company, based in Beaverton, Oregon. It has over 190 countries of operation and is popularly known to be one of the most valuable and influential sports brands across the world. Nike had more than 27 per cent of the worldwide athletic footwear market as of 2023, surpassing Adidas, Puma, and Under Armour (Tcholakova, 2025). Even though it has been leading, Nike has faced rising challenges, such as heightened competition, changing consumer demands, and rising scrutiny concerning sustainability and supply chain morals. All these and changes in the consumer demographics also require a new marketing strategy that will help Nike to solidify its market standing and sustain relevancy in the long term.

Rationale

Nike is facing the need to implement a new marketing strategy that will respond to the dynamic consumer environment. The younger generations, especially Gen Z and Millennials, will tend to identify themselves with the brands that are sustainable, inclusive, and authentic (Jismark et al., 2025). The past scandals of Nike in terms of labour practices and sustainability still linger on consumer confidence, especially in the case of socially aware customers. Moreover, the brand is experiencing increased pressure from its competitors, such as Adidas, which has engaged celebrities and invested in sustainability and newer direct-to-consumer companies like Allbirds that focus on sustainable practices. These aspects emphasise the fact that Nike should rebrand itself with a new focus on sustainability, cultural affiliation, and innovation. The new marketing plan will enable Nike to attract younger and socially conscious groups and retain customers of its conventional athletic customer base.

Strategy

The target population of the proposed marketing strategy will be urban Gen Z and Millennial consumers who have a middle-to-high income level and belong to the age range of 18 to 35. This target audience is both males and females, and they are active in life, be it in the field of sports or leisurely activities. In terms of psychology, they value sustainability, inclusiveness and authenticity when making their buying choices. They are very active in the online community, appreciate interactivity and customised experiences, and brand image tends to be seen as a kind of continuation of personal ideals (Buckulcikova et al., 2022; Yang, 2024). The strategy will target the development of loyalty with the help of incorporating sustainability-based campaigns, adopting digital engagement tactics, including immersive storytelling, and supporting inclusivity via specific product lines and collaboration with ambassadors. In the last marketing plan, the data will be obtained with the help of trusted academic and business sources. These include:

· Buckulcikova, D., Motta, D., Cornuz, A., & Brasser, S. (2022). The future of fashion.  ROBECO The Investment Engineers, 2–46. https://www.robeco.com/files/docm/docu-20220628-the-future-of-fashion.pdf

· Jismark, F., Bylin, T., & Rudenlöv, S. (2025). Factors Influencing Customer Loyalty in The Sportswear Industry: An Analysis of Key Determinants in Brand Selection. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1964058&dswid=1770

· Tcholakova, E. (2025). Google search. Statista - The Statistics Portal for Market Data, Market Research and Market Studies.  https://www.statista.com/topics/4571/global-footwear-market/#editorsPicks

· Yang, Z. (2024). Research on rejuvenation strategies of traditional apparel brands. https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/etd_coll/552

Conclusion

Overall, Nike is still a force in the sportswear industry worldwide, but it has huge issues that should be addressed with a new marketing strategy. Nike can maintain its dominance with a new strategy that appeals to socially conscious consumers in Gen Z and the Millennial generation, as well as enables it to solve the challenge of sustainability and inclusivity. The strategy focuses on establishing consumer values, strengthening brand authenticity, and attracting consumers to the company with new campaigns. With the help of industry research and consumer insights, Nike will be able to develop a marketing plan, which would turn the loyalty back, attract new markets, and enhance the competitive advantage.

References

Buckulcikova, D., Motta, D., Cornuz, A., & Brasser, S. (2022). The future of fashion.  ROBECO The Investment Engineers, 2–46. https://www.robeco.com/files/docm/docu-20220628-the-future-of-fashion.pdf

Jismark, F., Bylin, T., & Rudenlöv, S. (2025). Factors Influencing Customer Loyalty in The Sportswear Industry: An Analysis of Key Determinants in Brand Selection. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1964058&dswid=1770

Tcholakova, E. (2025). Google search. Statista - The Statistics Portal for Market Data, Market Research and Market Studies.  https://www.statista.com/topics/4571/global-footwear-market/#editorsPicks

Yang, Z. (2024). Research on rejuvenation strategies of traditional apparel brands. https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/etd_coll/552