Shoe Dog By: Phil Knight.
Nike. We all know the name, we all know the iconic swoosh logo. What is the real story behind Nike? And how did this company become well known throughout the world and a powerhouse in all sports?
Phil Knight was a young distance runner from Oregon. He was into running before it became popular. In 1962 he went on a adventure to explore the world. He had a crazy idea to sell low cost Japanese running shoes in America. His stop in Japan was to pitch his idea to Japanese businessmen, and at the last minute he named his company Blue Ribbon Sports. At this point he didn't have any employees, or office workspace, just a vision. The Japanese businessmen would come to an agreement and became eager to have their shoes sold in America. This would began the many years of struggle for Knight. Constant ups and downs with running a new company and finding funding. The struggles are honest and real. He eventually names his company Nike and begins to find athletes that will wear his shoes. There are many athletes mentioned throughout the book as they became part of the Nike family.
In this book I did enjoy learning about how Nike does marketing and sales. Phil Knight and his first salesman Jeff Johnson would go to local track meets and talk with athletes, coaches, and fans. They would sell shoes out of the back of their cars, write down important details of their customers, give out free t-shirts, and keep in contact with them throughout the years. It was not unusual to get a letter from Johnson wishing an athlete good luck in a big race coming up or training tips to try. They made connections with their customers and those customers became loyal to their brand.
In this book I did not enjoy how Phil Knight was constantly gone from his wife and young family. I realize he did have to travel to many countries for weeks at a time, but I think that is hard for your family relationships. Overall I would recommend this book. It has an easy flow to it and was intriguing to see how he built his shoe company to be one of the most popular and recognizable brands in the world.
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