Nike "lost its momentum and 1,600 employees in its last
fiscal year. But it didn't lose its sense of humor,"
according to Jeff Manning of the Portland OREGONIAN. Nike
released its annual report this week which featured "an
outspoken, often hilarious sampling of the reams of customer
mail it receives each year." One such example: "... your
actions so disgust me that I will never buy one of your
products again. I hope my attitude proves to be universal."
In its report, Nike printed "both touching homages to the
Swoosh from devoted customers and angry screeds over the
company's labor practices." Nike managers "thought offering
up the public sentiments, as a sort of independent view of
the company, would be a refreshing change of pace." The
project's senior writer, Bob Lambie: "This was an
opportunity to, instead of Nike speaking, have consumers
tell the world what they think of the company." Nike
received 82,000 letters and 310,000 e-mail messages over the
last year. Manning wrote that some messages "are in direct
contrast to the foreboding reading in the rest of the annual
report." Nike Chair Phil Knight "warns in his letter to
shareholders that no bold turnaround is expected in the
current year." Knight: "We'll have good numbers again.
It's just not obvious when" (Portland OREGONIAN, 8/13).
