In response to Tylor Macdonald’s blog post on Septebmer 19, 2011, I agree that Nike was attempting to show the consumer that anyone can be an athlete. We can find the evidence just by looking at Nike’s slogan, “Just Do It”. What this slogan means is that you can do whatever you want. If you want to be a great basketball or soccer player, just do it, because nothing is going to stop you from being a great athlete. The only force that can stop you is yourself. As a result, Nike’s products become the sign of success.

Furthermore, Nike’s product becoming the sign of success can also be explained by their usage of famous athletes in its commercials.  Nike has been using a lot of sport stars in their advertisement. People who watch its advertisements will think that a good athlete needs good equipment, or that good equipment can lead to a good athlete. As we have learned in class that one of the factors affecting consumer behavior is social factor, which includes reference groups, social networks, and opinion leaders. Not only has Nike been using reference groups to advertise its products, but it has also used social networks to promote its products. For example, Nike promoted its products on Facebook and Twitter by updating its status and letting followers know about the newest products and promotion.

If I have to choose an item, say a pair of basketball shoes, from Nike, Puma, Adidas, and some other famous brands, I would choose the one that fits me most. I won’t choose a particular brand because of the super stars they have used in their commercials because I know that it’s just a kind of marketing strategy, but it doesn’t affect the real suitability of the products for me.