This market analysis report summarizes the successes of the Air Jordan brand over the past 30+ years since its founding. It details how Air Jordan has achieved over $1 billion in sales and signed endorsement deals with star athletes. However, the report recommends that Air Jordan should expand into women's apparel and shoes to capitalize on the growing popularity of women's sports. Endorsing new rookie players in various sports could also help the brand appeal to new audiences and withstand competition from other brands.

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A Market Analysis for
Air Jordan
Brittney Kunder
Full Sail University
Project & Portfolio II: Business and Marketing
March 29, 2020

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This is a market analysis report for the Air Jordan brand, an apparel and shoe company that was
developed originally by Nike and Michael Jordan. This report will show their successes
financially and collectively with their merchandise. As times are changing recommendations are
made at the end, these will show how expanding a collection will generate new revenues and
improve the brand’s overall reputation. The Jordan brand has been going strong for over 30
years, these expansions could help make the Jordan brand successful through the next 30.

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OBJECTIVE
The objective of this report is to help the Air Jordan brand, a successful and powerful brand, last
the test of time. The information gathered has been analyzed thoroughly and has been used to
show the Air Jordan brand opportunities in their market.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The information used in this report is mostly generated from external, secondary information
found on the Internet and online databases. The information gathered is current and dates back to
2018. References are all listed below.
RESEARCH AND KEY FINDINGS
In 1984, Nike signed NBA rookie Michael Jordan, they produced a shoe specifically made for
Jordan’s liking. Later that year they released the shoe to the public. Little did they know, the
impact the product line would have on the company. In 1997, Air Jordan spun off as their own
brand and continued to dominate the shoe and apparel world. They offer shoe wear to a variety
of sports such as basketball, football, and golf. Their merchandise is mostly offered in kids’ and
mens’ sizes. Through the years they have signed endorsement deals with Chris Paul, Russell
Westbrook, and most recently Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson. In 2011 they signed their first
female athlete, Maya Moore, a dynamic all-star in the WNBA. Although the Jordan brand is a
sponsor for a few major universities and supplies the athletes with Jumpan jerseys, endorsement
deals have only been with pro basketball players.
The Air Jordan brand is by all means successful. In December 2018, they announced their
biggest quarter to date reaching over a billion dollars. (Bain, 2019) They have been able to

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market their shoe line in other sports besides basketball. Football and soccer cleats sporting the
Jumpman logo have found their way to the field.
Golf cleat Basketball shoes Football cleat
Over the past few years the popularity in women’s’ sports has grown quite a bit. Below,
Appendix A shows the rising interest in women’s sports. The market for shoes and apparel for
women is a necessity and with little to choose from, is harder than one would think. Women’s
shoes are built with a slightly wider forefoot and toe area plus a narrower heel. Men’s shoes, on
the other hand, tend to exist wider, with larger sizes than women’s shoes. (Hefnawy, 2018) Most
women athletes have to convert to a men’s’ or kids’ size shoe, but does that mean they are
sacrificing comfort? Something to think about.
CONCLUSIONS
When looking at Air Jordans’ financial well-being, their merchandise and the way they have
marketed, plays into their high success. Their brand is superior and has been a top favorite for
over 30 years. The brand has a lot of consumers who buy their products on a regular basis, they
need to now look into finding alternative ways for new consumers to keep them a successful
brand.

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RECOMMENDATIONS
Moving forward the Air Jordan brand should look to expand their women’s collection. This goes
for shoes and apparel. Currently, there are little options when it comes to the Jordans women’s
line. As women’s sports become more and more popular, the need for athletic wear and shoes
can be filled with the Jordan brand. With women equality and the movement for equal pay for
women athletes are becoming more inevitable, the Jordan brand can be a trend setter and really
set the tone for women’s merchandise.
Endorsing new professional rookie players who are in the market to sign their first deal is a big
opportunity for the Jordan brand as well. Looking into other sports besides basketball can expand
their reach and have possibilities to gain new consumers. Again, with women’s sports becoming
more and more popular, signing a professional woman athlete carries a lot of potential. With
newer players like Lebron and Kevin Durant merchandising their own shoes, brings competition.
Signing new promising rookies and advertising can help alleviate some competition. Looking
below at Appendix B, shows that Jordan shoes are not as popular on the court as they once were.
These are strategic recommendations for the Jordan brand to further their success. These changes
to their brand will take money and time but in the near future will see the results were worth it.

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REFERENCES
Andrews, R. (2018, November 13) Women’s Sports Popularity is Growing, according to
Nielsen Study. Retrieved from https://globalsportmatters.com/business/2018/11/13/womens-
sports-popularity-is-growing-according-to-nielsen/
Bain, M. (2019, December 21). Nike's Jordan brand reached a billion-dollar milestone.
Retrieved from https://qz.com/1772989/nikes-jordan-brand-just-had-its-first-billion-dollar-
quarter/
Becoats, K. (2019, May 31). Jordan Brand adds Nurse, Durr to WNBA roster. Retrieved
from https://www.si.com/wnba/2019/05/31/kia-nurse-asia-durr-join-maya-moore-jordan-brand-
roster
Hefnawy, A. (2018, June 22). The Difference Between Men's and Women's Shoes.
Retrieved from https://blog.we-are.com/difference-between-mens-and-womens-shoes/
Jordan 11 Football Cleat. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://news.nike.com/footwear/jordan-
xi-football-cleat
Sneakernews. (2020, February 28). Air Jordan 11 Bred 2019 Release Date Info:
SneakerNews.com. Retrieved from http://www.providenceresearch.ca/dshop/2019/08/25/air-
jordan-11-bred-378037-061-2019-release-date/
Wade, R. (2018, December 30) Yahoo Finance; How Nike Took Over the NBA Sneaker
Game. Retrieved from https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nike-took-over-nba-sneaker-
211812914.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=
AQAAAIXPxgazqKu7XUbr0JdMSB16LcwkOnUk4caMfnmHaPoCmmU93grE_Eu5irM0rdRb8
u53xT8EnG-
c53qbkDNJkRm2TiLgYbp4LYb6yTr2Hgkv4VPghY1sxFNRWWGjj9yY1cFVDLVjx24yL_9Z
CBPMsMxR6vl1UrwVzyFLvELCQo69&guccounter=2
APPENDICES

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Appendix A
Appendix B

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