Nike founder: from mediocrity to outstanding

Although sports ability not too well, but, encourage the character, and against finally make Nike founder knight chose and Jordan cooperation, henceforth soared.

Rodman | TongCheng

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Phil knight

Nike legendary leader, once the long-distance runner, a fortune 500 company in one of the most eccentric leader.

In 1985, spring, American millions of television viewers, see such a period of advertising: a basketball quickly to the stadium end, rolling wait there for a handsome guy easily of sneakers with wearing colored ball hook into palm foot, began dribbling mobile, meanwhile, spread the harsh noise engines, the engine roars louder, young man then soared. The final 10 seconds of advertising is Jordan's "the cloud", although have never seen walking the basketball game, also can plainting in audience for his superb skills. This period of advertising is not only proof Jordan have special flight capacity, also suggests that his feet with the shoes are also inevitable connection.
Air Shoes
In this AD, the magical guy is the famous NBA sports star Michael Jordan, his feet pair of sneakers is the famous brand "Nike". Before retiring, Jordan sincerely exclamation: "phil knight and Nike to turn me into a dream character." Here is the knight "Nike"'s founder, is him, a small company into a large group, once unknown Jordan pushed superstar position.

Famous brand "Nike" founder phil knight in 1986 ~ 1996, during the fortune 1,000 companies from across the United States has always been row at 10. In 1991, Nike become the world only a assets of more than $3 billion of sports and fitness company.

Little-known, knight itself is a sports fan, but as a not outstanding athletes, he became business back on the Kings, created the wall blossomming inside the wall sweet miracle. In China, we believe in all roads lead to Beijing, and knight's success, perhaps can give many Chinese entrepreneurs to enlightenment.

The athletes failed

In 1938, a normal boy was born in the United States, and then most of the teenager, he likes sports, playing basketball, baseball, running, his name is phil knight, as an ordinary ordinary young man, he told the adidas, puma this kind of sport brand is very familiar, but let unexpected is, is that this ordinary guy, later initiate a new brand - a Nike, adidas even more than the dominant position in the sports field.

Knight has been very like sports, his high school papers, almost all is sports-related, even college also choose is American athletics stronghold - university of Oregon. Although knight like sports, but just a grades of mediocre 1 mile runner, his worst grades are 13 seconds, nearly 4 points world-class athletes (grades didn't get into the ranks for 4 points), who like that almost too many! But fortunately so, otherwise today will not see a great entrepreneur.

In Oregon, knight met the oneself life the mentor, is their coach bill · bormann. Bormann 1950s had run for breaking the world record, Eugene city also therefore here. He is a man of strong dedication, trying to make themselves more than other team sports. Training games, the athletes' feet disease is most often makes, bormann then think that designs a new shoes, bottom light and support and good, friction small and strong stability, so can reduce the pain, athletes foot ran out of the good grades.

Hence, bormann elaborate design a few picture sneakers pattern. He found several shoe company, but nobody answered him, stubborn bormann simply himself consult the cobbler, learned to do in a sports shoes, he put the athletes by his hand making, lighter comfortable appearance ugly but the shoes, the results than running out of any previous games are good places.

After graduation, knight continue to Stanford university studying for an MBA degree; bormann continued in university athletics coach and design sneakers.

In 1960, knight graduation. In a survey during his report mentions, many sports star and ordinary athlete actually have a common goal: beat adidas, let more and more athletes put on Japan's production of high quality low price running shoes - Tigers (tiger brand the knight decided. After graduation going to Japan looking for an opportunity.

The exhibition in Japan, knight met Japan's tiger brand sports shoes factory, he claims to be from the United States "blue ribbon sports company", just the tiger brand needs a agent to break into the U.S. market, hence take the agency gave on the guy.
Air Sport Shoes
Get the agency's knight immediately found bormann, they two capital contribution of $500, real blue ribbon sports company, become tiger brand sports shoes sole distributor in the United States, began initial venture. The "blue ribbon" is "Nike" predecessor.

As wildfires burning Nike

Startup time, not the inventory in barns, knight in the basement of the house of his father-in-law knight, he and bormann two men a tube tube design, a financial, cooperate very tacit understanding. Facts prove that he on the market forecast is correct, this low-cost sneakers, and good sales in the first year sales value of $8000 tons.

In 1968, the restructuring by bormann Cortez shoes become tiger brand sports shoes, and the most popular product for the development of the company knight lay a solid financial foundation. The company's business began to get better.
Air Shoes
Soon, Japanese corporation perceive products sell well, and asked them to deliver first after remittance. Thus, bormann their costs will greatly enhance, have to redouble their efforts to promote. But Japan is often not punctual, even the grade a secretly in Japan, the defective goods sent to a U.S. sales. Once, bormann they received a batch of shoes, customers wear for two weeks, is the sole partition edgefold. They had to submit to humiliation, in order to maintain credibility, timely to customers for replacement