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The company that I have selected for the final project in MKT 345 is Nike, which focuses on athletic footwear and apparel. Nike is a good organization to analyze due to them being a worldwide company with a strong competitive presence. Nike’s footwear arsenal includes many different product designs, such as options for recreational users, elite athletes, and consumers who are attracted to fashion. Some of their most popular lines are the Air Max, the Nike Free, and the Air Jordan, which is a good example of Nike’s balance between performance and lifestyle appeal. This analysis is relevant due to Nike combining functional benefits with emotional benefits that consist of self-expression, identity, and brand loyalty. Nike also has a strong digital engagement, as well as sustainable initiatives that further support the choice to use Nike for this project.

A recent purchase that I made from Nike was the Pegasus running shoes, which shows Nike’s use of segmentation strategies. Nike identifies market segments through psychographic, demographic, and behavioral segmentation. Psychographically, Nike appeals to consumers who value self-improvement, health, and active lifestyles overall. Demographically, Nike often targets consumers it is trying to reach based on gender, age, and how much money they make. Lastly, when it comes to behaviorally, they target consumers based on performance needs, how much they run, and brand loyalty. These segmentation strategies are implemented by Nike through marketing efforts that target a certain group of people. Elite athlete endorsements help to reach performance-driven runners, as well as through competitive racing and product descriptions. How recreational runners and beginners are targeted is through lifestyle-focused advertising and accessible product pricing.

When implementing segmentation strategies, there are several key points that are crucial. It is important that the segments are accessible, measurable, and substantial enough to support marketing investment. The segmentation strategies must allow companies to make their marketing mix dynamic, effective, and adaptive to consumer behavior changes. Within the running shoe world, there is a growing segment of consumers looking for running shoes that are environmentally conscious. If Nike uses more recycled materials, manufacturing practices that are sustainable, and messaging that is transparent. Sustainability-focused campaigns can also help Nike to connect with consumers in this growing market. Sustainability is becoming more popular among many different companies producing running shoes, so it is important that Nike doesn’t fall behind and continues the same actions as other companies.

References

Johnson, K. (2025, November 11). Nike Target market. Business Strategy Hub. https://bstrategyhub.com/nike-target-market/
Pereira, D. (2025). Nike Target Market Analysis (2025). Business Model Analyst. https://businessmodelanalyst.com/nike-target-market/