By Abbi Fedrizzi
News Editor Philip Hampson "Phil" Knight (born February 24, 1938) is a sports athletic gear genius. A native of Oregon, he is the co-founder and chairman of Nike, Inc., and previously served as the chief executive officer of Nike. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon and an MBA (masters of business administration) from Stanford University. Knight wasn't a big fan of advertising, but the company's ability for promotion launched an athletic-shoe revolution. In 1993, the man whom The Sporting News voted "the most powerful person in sports" wasn't an athlete, a manager, or a team owner: It was Philip H. Knight. For nearly 30 years he has invested in the feet of sports legends. Knight first came up with a blueprint for what would become the world's number one athletic-shoe company while working on receiving his master's degree at Stanford University. Shortly after graduating in 1962, Knight decided to put his plan into action. He flew to Japan to visit Onitsuka Tiger Co., manufacturer of an Adidas knockoff sold in Japan. Introducing himself as the head of “Blue Ribbon Sports”, a company which he made up in his mind, Knight told Tiger executives that his firm was the ideal choice to import their shoes into the United States. By the early 1970s, sales had reached $3 million, and Knight decided it was time for Blue Ribbon to leave the Tiger company and start designing its own shoes. In 1972, Blue Ribbon launched its Nike line, named after the Greek goddess of victory. Knight's marketing strategy was simple. Rather than choosing to advertise (which he did not want to do), he decided he would get top athletes to wear his shoes, and then let his sales force sell the product. His strategy and the timing of the launch couldn't have been better.That summer, the Olympic track and field trials were held in Eugene, Oregon. Knight took full advantage of the opportunity, putting Nikes on the feet of several top finishers. When those finishers made national television, so did the shoes they were wearing, in turn starting Nike’s journey as one of the most successful and widely recognized brand names in the world. Comments are closed.
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LJHSLakeridge Junior High School is an award-winning academic institution located in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Archives
October 2018
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