Nike’s vision for its Jordan Brand is to "extend to categories beyond basketball -- all with the goal of doubling the brand’s sales" to $4.5B by '20, according to Townsend & Soshnick of BLOOMBERG NEWS. That extension "even includes a play for runners." Nike President & CEO Mark Parker said, "The opportunity is to give the consumer more choice in that brand, carefully." But NPD Group industry analyst Matt Powell said that the move "has the potential to dilute one of the company’s crown jewels by getting away from its hoops DNA." Nike "already dominates women’s athletic shoes, but the Jordan brand barely registers." Even at some "marquee basketball programs where the men’s teams wear the Jordan brand, the women opt for Nike." While there is "anecdotal evidence that some women are buying boys sizes, current Jordan offerings for women on Nike’s website are just accessories like socks, hats and backpacks" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 10/15).
SPORTS SCIENCE: Under Armour Founder, Chair & CEO Kevin Plank at Wednesday's espnW: Women + Sports Summit said that his business is "still lagging far behind in innovation and technology." He added that UA has "gone from 15 engineers fewer than two-and-a-half years ago, to close to 500 people on its connected fitness teams, more than 350 of whom are engineers or app developers." But he said that it is "still not enough." Plank: "This is part of the brain drain in sports. We are not just competing with 'Are you going to come work at Under Armour or some company in the Pacific Northwest?' It's 'Are you going to come work for Under Armour or go work with Lockheed Martin or Goldman Sachs?' How do we get smarter people to address sports?'" (ESPNW.com, 10/14).
