Favorite Brand Paper Case

Favorite Brand Paper

Felicia Lombard

MKT/421

February 23, 2015

Ronald Rouillier

Favorite Brand Paper

Air Jordan is one of America’s number one brand in athletic tennis shoes and sportswear while also securing their place as the premiere choice to consumers for decades. Air Jordan does not sell just only because of their diversity and variety, but also for its effective strategies in marketing. This paper will analyze what strategies make Air Jordan successful, how they appeal to their customer base, and their two top competitors which are Reebok and Adidas.

                                                   Overview of the Brand

Air Jordan was produced, owned, and designed for Michael Jordan in 1984 by subsidiaries of Nike’s Jordan Brand. In 1985, Jordan was given a unique logo and a signature line from Nike. Pete Moore was the designer chosen for the first Air Jordan I shoe which he integrated the Nike Swoosh on the panel and the wings by the upper ankle. What distinguished Air Jordan from Nike previous athletic sneakers were the toe overlay with added lockdown, the cushioning for the heel, and the additional protection of padded foam ankle collars. The Air Jordan I was the first basketball sneaker produced that were colorful and changed basketball history ("History of Air Jordan", 2015).

                                                      Exceptional Qualities of the Brand

Air Jordan is an exceptional brand due to its style, innovation, and culture. When the first Air Jordan I was created the NBA banned their athletes from wearing them due to its eccentric colors. Michael Jordan was fined each time he wore the colorful Air Jordan’s due to the rule that players are only allowed to wear white basketball sneakers during games. Nike was happy to pay the fines the NBA charged player was fined and once Michael Jordan proved to be the best basketball player of all time those sneakers became part of history. Spike Lee connected the African American culture when his classic film “Do the Right Thing” debuted in theaters during the 1990’s (Howenstine, 2014). These sneakers allowed an opportunity for African Americans to express their selves through style and art. The Air Jordan sneaker are innovative due to its constant change in shape, colors, and significance.

                                     Building Loyal Customer Relationships

Air Jordan has built loyal customer relationships since its first release and has since create a huge fan base. Customers know when they buy this product it will always be current and never go out of style. Air Jordan has become a brand that offers a new style annually and each year it is in high demand. With that high demand, Air Jordan is now available to view on Facebook and Instagram with information and resources on where to purchase and each sneaker’s history.  The price for a pair of Jordan’s can be expensive but customers know when you purchase this product it will come with high quality, manufacturing, and durability. The Air Jordan brand was not successful across all groups due to their cost, their history of child labor, and their ability to spark riots and killings to own a pair. In 2011, the Air Jordan XI was released on December 23rd and created 5 incidents across the United States. That day many riots began with consumers pushing and trampling over others to be the first to gain entrance into the sneaker stores. This created many injuries and some arrests while others abandoned their children or purchased them online for three times the cost at stores (Shaw, 2011).