Strategy in Sports

1. Collegiate
Social
Technology
Sydney Holmes and Matt Hernandez

2. Nike’s Collegiate Social
Technology Campaign
After a careful analysis of the wearable fitness technology industry as well as
research into Nike’s digital sports capabilities, we have created a campaign that
is focused on collaborating with Nike-sponsored universities to present a new
Nike product: the Nike Power Band.
We intend to implement this product as a creative strategy to incentivize student
fitness and attendance at sporting events, an innovative alternative to
universities’ Big Ticket and gym membership scanning with the added
component of a rewards system. Through the utilization of a digital social
platform, the Power Band is a fun and multi-faceted approach to bolstering
attendance at games and encouraging on-campus exercise at recreational
facilities--all within one wearable device.

3. The Product: Nike Power Band
The Power Band will have multiple functionalities:
(In this case, UT Austin will be used as an example).
❖ The Power Band is linked to the Recreational Sports and Athletic
Departments and gives points for usage of gym facilities and attendance at
games through a scanning mechanism (similar to scanning into Gregory Gym
using a UT ID or scanning into a football game using a Big Ticket).
❖ The Power Band can also be linked to Canvas (or Blackboard) through an
access code and then used to check into class for attendance records (this
function does not award points for attendance but merely exists to further
serve students’ needs and eliminate the necessity of an extra device).

4. The Rewards System
30 Minutes at RecSports Sponsored Gym
60 Minutes at RecSports Sponsored Gym
1 Hour Attendance at Athletic Event
Full Attendance at Athletic Event
❖ To access rewards, students must go to a Nike Fitness Leaderboard, located
at a RecSports facility. By scanning the Power Band to the leaderboard,
students can track their points and their point activity relative to their peers.
There will be a tiered reward system in which students can unlock different
levels of merchandise by earning more and more points.
X Points
2X Points
X Points
2X Points

6. Nike Power Band Industry Analysis + 5 Forces
❖ Nike is dominant in the
collegiate sponsorship
market, maintaining the
largest market share in
comparison to its
established rivals, Under
Armour and Adidas.
❖ Obtaining a utility patent
would be key to impeding
any duplication by entrants
or rivals.

7. Nike Power Band’s “to be” Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas

8. Nike Power Band Blue Ocean Visualizing Strategy
❖ Visual Awakening: The Nike Power Band will tap into an uncontested marketplace in the
wearable technology industry: universities and university students. While FitBit’s success
stemmed from social media advertising, Nike’s existing relationships with universities allow
for reduced investment in their advertising budget.
❖ Visual Exploration: Distinctive advantages of the Power Band include tracking minutes spent
exercising, just like similar wearable tech products; however, this product will emphasize
more than on-campus fitness. The single tracking scanning software will track fitness
engagement, academic attendance, and improve school spirit - “capitalizing on an existing
[technology] in order to add branding value” (The Sports Strategist, Chapter 3).
❖ Visual Strategy Fair: After receiving feedback from UT students on this potential product, our
strategy canvas reflects the high priority given to academic space and the rewards program,
driven by our mission of encouraging student fitness within an academic setting.
❖ Visual Communication: To actualize this strategy, Nike’s Power Band should foster a
connection between university students by having narratives tailored uniquely to each
Nike-sponsored college, with fellow classmates interacting through the same product and
leaderboard since it will be an exclusive university sportband.

9. Blue Ocean Strategy + Conclusion
❖ After comparing the FitBit with the proposed Nike Power Band in our Blue Ocean
Strategy Canvas, there are multiple opportunities for Nike to become a powerful player
within the wearable technology industry. The tracking analytics will remain prevalent in
the Nike Power Band, but the focus will shift towards college students’ needs.
❖ Nike’s exclusive partnership with 68 of 128 FBS schools allows them to negotiate
contracts with the ease of an established industry giant. Thus, universities won’t enter
into new agreements because it will create a conflict with exclusivity rights and
sponsorship loyalty.
❖ According to Chapter 4 of The Sports Strategist, a “sports strategist must balance the
benefits of technologies, their accompanying business realities, and fan expectations.”
Our product does not include new technology, but instead, provides new offerings
within existing technology. With that said, the Nike Power Band will enhance the overall
university experience without hindering students’ academic responsibilities.