Graham Allgood Research Essay Fortune 500 California Baptist University Introduction to Business April 10, 2014 Nike, Inc. is an American company that designs and sells athletic footwear and apparel (Nike, inc., 2011). Bill Bowerman, a track and field coach at the University of Oregon, founded the company in 1964. Originally called Blue Ribbon Sports, Nike Inc. opened its first retail location in 1966. Nike's mission is "To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world." Bill Bowerman once said, “If you have a body, you're an athlete.” The first line of Nike footwear was presented in 1972 at the US Track and Field Trials and the runners who tried them were enchanted. This progress continued into the 1970s and propelled Nike to become a publicly traded company in 1980. Throughout the 1990s, Nike became known for its great shoes. Subsequently, Nike decided to expand into other sports. They had huge success in golf with the then unknown Tiger Woods wearing all Nike apparel (Nike, inc., 2012). Nike also made a huge investment to maintain sponsorship of Lance Armstrong during his battle with cancer. In return Lance sponsored/advertised their products through his record seven consecutive Tour de France championships (Nike, inc., 2012). Today, Nike continues to enjoy great success. They are innovating the way clothing and footwear are used in almost every sport. “Even during recent economic downturns, Nike has continued to increase its revenue target, targeting tax revenue of $28-30 billion” (Nike, inc., 2012). There is no limit to what athletes will do to gain a competitive advantage over their opponent. Athletes always want the latest technologies to get… middle of paper… previous mistakes (“nike SWOT Analysis,” n.d.). My dream is to receive a marketing internship with Nike during the summer before my senior year at CBU. I chose to write about Nike because of my passion for them and my great experience with their brand. I think Nike has a very bright future ahead of it and if I had money to invest, I would definitely invest in Nike. My favorite thing that Nike is doing right now is that they are sticking to their mission and helping athletes around the world! ReferencesFriesner, Tim. “Nike, Inc. SWOT Analysis.” Nike SWOT. Np, nd Web. April 10, 2014.NIKE, I. c. (0012, March). NIKE, Inc. features ColorDry technology and a high-tech Taiwanese facility to eliminate water and chemicals in the dye. Business Wire (English).“Nike Mission Statement.” Nike mission statement. Np, nd Web. April 10, 2014. www.Nike.com