The Product Enhancement of Selling a Mission

We’ve spent a good deal of time in this class discussing the individual responsibilities that come with selling. This, of course, is probably most relevant for us as students, considering it may be some time before any of us are at a level to influence a corporate strategy or develop a corporate brand (and also considering that it’s a sales in the startup class!) J. I also am sure we’ll get into some of that as the semester goes on. But one thing that I find particularly interesting is the idea of organizational selling through a defining mission. I think one of the most prominent examples of a company that’s done this exceptionally well is Nike.

There’s no question that Nike is the leading brand world-wide in sports apparel. But the truth of the matter is that there are higher quality brands that sell for less. And that’s because of the brand perception that Nike carries. Their unmistakable slogan, “Just Do it” has in many ways marked them as a brand that everyone wants to own. This has undoubtedly impacted their sales tremendously. I think a lot of these principles and rules that we’re studying can apply to Nike as well.

For example, I think Nike has achieved attunement with its customers through their relationship with elite athletes for years now. Fans can cheer for their favorite athletes while wearing the same gear as them. This strategy has paid off in spades. Instead of distancing themselves through exclusively corporate marketing campaigns, they’ve gotten to know who their customers are and who their favorite athletes are. Understanding brand warmth and its relationship to developing consistently loyal customers, is crucial to organizational sales.