“Sports is like rock ‘n’ roll,” says Knight. “Both are dominant cultural forces, both speak an international language, and both are all about emotions.” Since the company first got its new name in 1972, Nike has appealed to the emotions of customers to become the leading athletic shoe retailer in the world. With the company’s ‘Swoosh’ logo tattooed on his ankle, Knight has become the embodiment of what it means to succeed as an entrepreneur in the 21st century. How did Knight climb to the top?
Marketing: Few companies have been as successful as Nike in creating powerful and lasting messages to promote its products. From its internationally recognized “Just Do It” slogan to its ‘Swoosh’ logo to the athletes that stand behind it, Nike has become a relentless marketing machine. Knight pushed the boundaries of sports marketing, taking it to new heights that many questioned the very legitimacy of.
Risk: He signed Michael Jordan before he became the international superstar ‘Air Jordan’ and he signed Freddy Adu before he had even had his 15th birthday. Time after time, Knight has demonstrated his willingness to take the risks he needed to take his company to the next level. With no guarantee that any of his moves would make the mark, Knight took the gambles that in the end would take him to the top.
Focus: Knight and all of his Nike employees are adamant about the fact that they don’t work for a fashion company. Nike is about athletics and producing shoes that will create high-quality athletic performances. They didn’t get sidetracked and simply focused on their end goal. Once this focus was clearly defined, there was no stopping the company from climbing to the top of its game.
Competition: Knight has created a company that is fiercely competitive, willing to do whatever it takes to distinguish itself from its main competitors. It was by instilling a war mentality throughout his company that Knight was able to constantly stay ahead of the pack.
Conviction: Rarely has there been a time when Knight was not at the centre of some controversy or another. From being accused of upholding poor labour standards to signing deal endorsements with such controversial athletes as Dennis Rodman, Nike has been a lightening rod for public criticism. But, Knight has taken it all in stride, standing strong in his belief that what he was doing was right and necessary, and refusing to back down in the face of public controversy.
“There is an immutable conflict at work in life and in business, a constant battle between peace and chaos,” says Knight. “Neither can be mastered, but both can be influenced. How you go about that is the key to success.” Knight has managed to maintain that balance between peace and chaos as he navigated his way to success. He has drawn on the universal language of sports and combined it with his own passion for athleticism in order to create the most successful company in the industry.
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