Nike Soccer Cleats
Commodity Project
Product Variety
Nike has cleats in many colors and styles with a wide range of prices to fit all budgets. Some models such as the Men’s Tiempo Legend V and Tiempo Legacy look similar but are a difference of 100 US dollars, because of build quality and materials. Even so, beginner and advanced players can be targeted because their interests in the design are still met.
Nike has many models of soccer shoes. The first boot made was the Mercurial in 1971, and is still made today in a new and improved form. Sports equipment has important uses, but it is still a fashion trend. To put it simply, fashion is never finished. Nike will always strive to develop new designs that meet new demands so that their products are sought after over the competitor.
Impact
Creating a variety of products means that the company is always looking to create the next big thing. This has had numerous social impacts. First, it has created jobs at Nike for engineers and physicists to work on creating new synthetic materials as well as employees to analyze fashion trends and develop new patterns to incorporate into upcoming products.
Secondly, product diversity provides customers with options that may be better suited in their part of the world. The designs custom made for the local "superstar" will sell better because of the popularity of that player in that region. However, this luxury is often at the expense of increased consumer pricing.
This map shows how Nike creates a variety of products and advertises them around the world. The cleats above are very simular, but the variety of color combinations and designs from sponsorships help Nike sell cleats because it associates a talented individual with their product. The map also shows how the price of the cleats vary by popularity, which is directly related to the skill of the sponsored player using it.
