Month: June 2019

Nike’s Marketing Strategy

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Nikes marketing strategy rested entirely upon a brand image which is favourable and has evolved into a great multinational enterprise over time. The favourable brand image has been kept afloat due to the strong association with the Nikes logo which is quite distinctive and the slogan Just Do It which has been used in advertisement for quite some time. The company has been known to invest heavily in advertisements and brand promotion (Fill C, 2005 p.54).

Market Segmentation
Most of the consumers of Nikes products are mainly sportsmen. This is so because of the utility that comes with the products. An athlete is more likely to go a sports shoe designed and marketed by Nike more than a person who detests sporting and exercises. Nike targets these consumers by agreements between Nike and athletic teams, colleges athletic teams1 etc for product sponsorship and eventual promotion to the members of these teams. In this way, Nike is able to reach a wide number of consumers and consumers who are more likely to buy. Even though others are likely to buy the products, Nike pays specific emphatic targeting to the athlete more than any group of individuals even though it also targets the youth who have embraced the hip hop culture (Mercer David, 1996, pp 171).

Targeting strategies
Nike lays a number of strategies to target their immediate consumers; athletes and other sportsmen. The targeting strategies include among others the sponsorship of products by professional athletic teams, celebrity athletes and college athletic teams. This strategy is specifically successful because of its ability to reach a large number of athletes. If the athletic team manager prescribes a specific type of track shoes made by Nike, the trainees have no option other than to buy them. The teams can as well buy the track shoes in bulky and supply them to the team members.
The second strategy that Nike applies is the designing of product destination. It does this by associating success with the product. For example, when a celebrity athlete sponsors a specific brand of athletic shoes, the brand will be associated with success. This psychological effect is reinforced with advertisements that affirm this position.
Finally, Nike targets the consumers who are likely to develop product intimacy; those who care more about the utility and quality of the product than the price. In this way, the pricing is not affected too much in a bid to accommodate a large number of consumers. However, price has also been factored in Nikes marketing strategies as shall be seen later in this paper (Frank, 2004, p.173)

Pricing Strategies
As stated in the foregoing section, Nike targets the consumers who embrace product intimacy and thus care less about the product. This has enables Nike to set relatively higher prices than its competitors. This is a strategy that calls for higher pricing points so as to push the perceived product value. It has been established that consumers who consider a product to be of high quality are likely to pay the high price more often and consistently. Once consumers develop product intimacy, they come to associate their person with the product and will pay whatever price quoted on the product provided it has the Nike logo on it.
Another very important thing to note is the fact that Nike uses the vertical integration pricing strategy in which they take ownership of the participants at channel levels that differ and they also engage in multifarious channel level operations both in a bid to control costs and thus influence pricing function (Goldman S, 2000, pp154)

Distribution Strategies
Distribution strategies embraced by an organization can either give them an edge in market or make them lag behind the winners in the market. The more efficient the product distribution is the more sales and thus more profits. The delivery of the right product and at the right time to the consumer not only effects utility but also leads to high degree of consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Nike distributes its products on level basis. The high priced premium products are given to certain distributors while leaving the low priced to be sold at highly discounted prices at mega retail stores such as Wal-Mart. Whereas Reebok embraced a limited distribution strategy Nike ventured more into a global3 market capitalization (Jeannet J, 2000, pp 44).

Promotional and Communication Strategies
Apart from Nike selling quality products which have lead to a high degree of customer loyalty, the promotional strategies that the company employs are simply superb. Nike has contracted a number of professional and celebrity athletes which have managed to draw a considerable attention to their products. Some of the sportsmen signed by Nike include soccer stars such as Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, Basketballers such as Jermaine O’Neal and Lebron James2, triathlete Lance Armstrong and golf superstar Tiger Woods. This has created a relatively high degree of Nike products awareness. Besides the signing of celebrity sportsmen to promote their products, Nike has also employed a great deal of advertisements through the mass media. Nike employs a selective- demand advertisement focused on the high priced shoes used for traditional sports (Goldman S, 2000, pp154).

Conclusion
Nike has remained and continues to remain at the top of production and distribution of sports gear and equipment. However, it should be noted that competitive pressure cannot allow Nike to sleep at the top. The recent Reebok- Adidas merger poses a great challenge to devise new marketing strategies to continue leading or recede to oblivion. The following recommendations are suggested in a situation where marketing management is competent. These include:
Increased market share through a new product development, competent pricing strategies, advertisement and other sound promotional activities.
Restructure market dominance by driving away competitors mainly through fierce promotional strategy coupled by pricing function that will make the market quite unattractive for the competitors.
Increased social responsibility to strengthen the image of the company
Diversification of market through factoring the Asians and Black Americans in their product promotion besides doing a research to establish the tastes of these groups.
Venture into new distribution channels especially in international markets
Different pricing strategy so as to open up a new market segments.

All the above show a competent marketing management can hoist organizations top become market leaders and making the market leaders maintain their competitive edge in the market through adherence to marketing ethics, marketing plans and well thought out and formulated marketing strategies.

Social Security in Cameroon Toward Greater Solidarity between Cameroonians

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Although several discussions and efforts to debate on social security in Cameroon had been made, this issue remains a major problem in president Biya’s social policy making.

Nevertheless, the sector of National Social Insurance Fund (CNPS) has seen some improvement in terms of services offered. The renewal of the CNPS has seen more stations being opened up to ensure that retirement pension’s payment can be paid almost anywhere and that people do not have to queue for long hours waiting to be served. Similarly, pension payments can now be done monthly unlike the previous system of quarterly payments with the pension holders getting money directly to their bank accounts if any.

On a different note however, these new arrangements have not been as helpful as not all the retirees have access to this money owing to the fact that they have insufficient documents to ascertain that they are indeed the beneficiaries or the money deducted from their salaries earmarked for submission to CNPS offices never got there.

In terms of social security policy, retirement has become a puzzle. Without a shred of doubt, the social security in Cameroon is yet to help many despite it being a collective aid for Cameroonians against social risks like illnesses, old age and disability, family and maternity. According to a recent survey, the Prime Minister announced that very few people benefit from this system.

During the unveiling of the government’s social and cultural, economic and financial plans in parliament two years ago, the Prime Minister, Yang Philemon declared that the government was working towards ensuring that all members of Cameroon would be able to have access to CNPS. A month later, the head of state confirmed this issue by informing the public that the social security system was being studied.

The task force responsible for upgrading the social security has conducted various studies and have submitted their reports. This unit has mainly focused on the exploitation, response and validation of the steps taken by the piloting committee which is in charge of upgrading the CNPS. Also responsible for making recommendations, this unit has come up with ways which will expedite a harmonious development of social security in Cameroon.

The report forwarded to the government precisely covers organizational improvement as well as the current management systems in the social security sector. It also works towards putting up measures to cover the people who were not covered before and also upgrade the current benefits for better service.

Under the new management, both public and private sectors will work together towards social security in Cameroon simply because this issue deals with the social protection of all Cameroonians and therefore this should be met by both sectors.

The public organizations include the National Social Security Fund (CNSS), the National Fund for State Employees (CNPE) and National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM). The private organizations comprise of social mutual like the insurance companies, fraternal benefit societies and health mutuals.

This works with CNPS coverage for voluntary insurance, being taken over by the CNSS while the CNPE is responsible for taking care of civil servant’s benefits as well as people who belong to decentralized territorial communities. These three organizations offer four types of cover: family, maternity, old age and disability and work related accidents.

All these reforms work towards modernizing social security in Cameroon while we ensure that all is in accord with the other member countries.

read more articles and news from Cameroon on our websites cameroon-report.com and cameroonblog.info.

Cameroon-report.com is dedicated to news in Cameroon. You will find articles about politics, economics, society, sports, culture in Cameroon. As living in Cameroon, or part of the cameroonian diaspora anywhere in the world, cameroon-report.com keeps you informed on a daily basis. Cameroonblog.info presents different opinions openly or editorials about Cameroon and cameroonian diaspora.

The importance of social networking sites in social media marketing

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Social networking is the newest and most popular trend on the internet today. Many individuals who join a social networking site are able to keep in touch with old friend and relatives, meet new people and make new friends. With just a few clicks of a button, you are able to access and share so much information, and many businesses have taken advantage of social media to market their products as well as to promote their websites.

Social media marketing is now one of the fastest growing trends among online entrepreneurs today and small business owners can benefit as well. What makes social media marketing via these social networks so attractive is the fact that anyone can join. Whether you are a college student, a housewife or an entrepreneur, anyone and everyone with internet access has the ability to join a social network. With millions of active users constantly on these social networking sites, a small business owner has surely a lot of potential customers to do business with. Most of the social networking sites are free, so you do not have to pay anything to sign up. By simply creating an account and updating social networking pages, businesses can advertise their wares.

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are some of the popular social networking sites available. Facebook is a great way to advertise products and services. With a like feature, users can recommend a web page or link, which increases the chances of people investigating your site further. Be sure to utilise all possible Facebook tools such as posting a fan page for your business and include pictures, questions, information, and resources that your target audience would find useful. Twitter has a limited amount of text to use, so make sure that you customise your page to be unique with a catchy background and title. Also, hyperlink words back to your company website, which will create traffic and increase the possibility of being picked up by search engines such as Google. By using LinkedIn, you can link your company’s website to the network and it will be shared with the professional community. You will have the ability to answer questions posted by your target audience which will give you expertise in the field.

If you are a business owner who is considering online marketing to increase your sales, then use social networking. This way you can increase your advertising potential by reaching more people and at the same time develop a niche market for your products and services.

Poker Training Network Review – Poker Goes Mlm

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Poker and Network Marketing?

Is this really happening?

Well, it is.

Considering the explosion of poker and the amazing staying power of the industry that just continues getting more popular, it’s easy to see why this company makes sense.

First off, Let me acknowledge that I am a founding affiliate for the Poker Training Network. What that means that this review is biased, even so if you decide to research on your own, you will see that everything in this review is true. I’ve been a part of the MLM industry for nearly 20 years and I carefully studied nearly 50 companies before choosing to go with PTN.

What that means is that the Poker Training Network beat out everyone else.

In early September 2009, the Poker Training Network (PTN) went into a soft launch and since then has made a bit some noise in the network marketing industry as well as the poker industry. It’s not gambling, it’s poker training and here’s the pleasant surprisetheir products work, very well.

The Poker Training Network makes a suit of training products available that anyone can use, regardless of skill level. The system includes a video lesson library, podcasts, a play simulator, a proprietary game room, a results tracker and an incredible database driven analytic tool that actually records your play then provides feedback on your play based on core poker fundamentals.

It’s like having your own personal poker coach.

It’s estimated that there are 300 million people that play poker and combine that with non-playing network marketing followers; most agree PTN has a rather large place to market.

New MLM’s launch frequently and every good business person knows that the place to start and end your evaluation is with management.

So, who is behind PTN?

Dennis Nadeau is the Founder and CEO. Nadeau has had success in both MLM and traditional business, making it big years ago with Quorum before changing his focus to internet marketing for fortune 100 companies.

Dennis Windsor serves as the President and Chief Marketing Officer. Those who’ve been familiar with the network marketing business for some time will recognize Mr. Windsor’s name. He’s been on both the distributor and management side of the industry most notably with The People’s Network and he ran the network marketing division of Video Plus.

The following information will be quite interesting, especially for the long-time network marketers. Do you want to know of the chief investors? None other than Jeff Olson (NSA, Quorum, The People’s Network, Slight Edge). Jeff is likely the biggest name in MLM for the last two decades and has raised three different network marketing businesses to over $250 million yearly and has been #1 distributor or the owner of each. He must see something he likes with PTN since he’s never done anything small in the industry.

Okay, so it’s an awesome product with stable managementwhat about their compensation plan?

The Poker Training Network has gone with a binary with a check match. So, you’ll earn 10% of the volume of your pay leg (lesser volume) and are eligible for a check match for everyone in your enrollment tree down 10 levels. You enrollment tree is your personally sponsored people plus their team.

Even at the beginning levels, you earn a 50% match of someone’s check. So, if you help someone make $2,000/mo, you will earn a $1,000 bonusand that’s just for that one affiliate.

This is the real power of these binary check matches. You won’t get rich on your team bonus (it caps at $25,000/mo), but the check match can represent some huge income over time.

PTN is a firm organization with a star-studded management and ownership team; there is no question about that. They have a firm compensation plan; that is easy to see. If you look up some info, you will also find their poker training products are by far the best in the industry.

So now what?

How are you going to market your business/product?

Trade shows? MLM events? Family? Friends?

All of these methods could potentially work, but what if you really learned how to market like a pro?

What if you learned how to position yourself and your company so that you only talk to people who wanted to talk with you?

Every business should have an effective marketing plan. It’s what makes an organization work. Making a list of the top 200 people may work for some, but definitely not everyone.

If you really want to build a long term, effective, profitable business with PTN, you definitely must learn a few core marketing skills that will separate you from everyone els.