Table of Contents
1. Arriving to Portland
2. Adidas
3. Kennedy School
4. Cuddle Up to Me
5. Nike
6. Exploring Portland Through a Team Learning Adventure Exercise
2. Adidas
3. Kennedy School
4. Cuddle Up to Me
5. Nike
6. Exploring Portland Through a Team Learning Adventure Exercise
Arriving to Portland
I was super excited to FINALLY be going to Portland I barely could sleep that night which was the exact opposite that Dr. Wellman had asked us to do… I get to Dulles airport and my plane gets delayed so I miss my connection. I end up flying to San Francisco and then to Portland. It was a rough day to say the least with the time changes and lack of sleep. The upside of arriving to San Francisco is that I got a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge while landing and the first taste of the culture. In the airport, there were yoga rooms which was extremely odd in my opinion. There was also no special rooms or exits for people to smoke. Throughout the years, there has been a change in culture about how cigarettes and marijuana are perceived. Thankfully, efforts to stop people from smoking tobacco products is impacting the entire country. One of my generalizations about people in California is that they are moving towards healthier food products and lifestyles. I assumed that tobacco smoking would have been seen more of a taboo in California versus New York, but I didn’t expect it to be to the extent where the entire airport wide that I was on have nowhere for people to be able to smoke and ,instead, have special places for people to relax and meditate.
Adidas
What I knew before:
Adidas is one of the top competitors for sports brands in America. They have a partnership with Major League Soccer and they offer a variety of products such as gear for sports, apparel, and footwear. Without doing any of the readings, I knew that Adidas had struggled in the past with Nike dominating the market. In fact, barely any people I knew had any Adidas shoes 5 years ago. Lately, they’ve had a huge comeback with the Superstar, and Stan Smith shoes. What I had not noticed is that Adidas was targeting another trend- lifestyle. I personally think this is a great technique that they have adopted because people my age are searching for comfort and looking stylish at the same time. They also understand the influence that artists have on fashion trends and products so they use an “open source approach” to collaborate with artists and influence the culture.
Adidas didn’t just bring up the classics, but they brought them back and used innovative technology to alter them.
Visit summary:
My flight was unfortunately too late to be able to attend the presentation and tour of Adidas so my visit summary is based off other people’s notes.
In the tour they visited the Campus Employee Gym, design lab, Performance Testing Center, the giant Adidas Superstar Shoes, and the Employee Store.
In other words, Adidas was very opened as to what they showed us unlike other companies where we just saw the conference room where they presented. Although we couldn’t take pictures in most of the places it was really interesting being able to touch the 3D printer!
One odd thing that I noticed was that someone that was playing soccer in the field was wearing Nike’s shoes which I’m guessing is a bit fraud upon.
Overall the layout of the building other than the giant shoes was very hard to recognize. When I first pulled into the parking lot I would have not guessed it was an Adidas building compared to the campus feeling we got at Nike.
We weren’t allowed to get on the giant shoes which was a bit of a disappointment but it was a great place for a picture! Furthermore, the Adidas store prices were remarkable! I was able to buy a pair of slides for 13 dollars!
Key takeaways
I learned that the Adidas strategy was to build a culture around creativity, confidence, and collaboration. We saw this in how it did not seem like there were many security clearance levels and people could access the labs and give their feedback and work together.
In today’s society people are becoming more aware of the environment, so their strategy of creating more sustainable products by using recycled products is definitely something that their consumers are looking for.
Their strategy of marketing their products through famous people such as Gigi Hadid, a model, has impacted their success greatly. Additionally, signing with celebrities such as Kanye West and James Harden has also had a great impact on the company’s success. Kanye West which is a very popular icon today’s shoes (Jeezy’s) go out of stock within the hour!
They allow the artists/athletes/celebrities great leeway when creating their products which has set them apart from Nike.
Post visit actions/thoughts
We live in an era where technology is megatrend. We don’t just see its effects in the latest phone or computer, but also in apparel. Adidas implements its latest technology such as the Futurecraft that is designed with midsoles crafted with light and oxygen in order to make athletes perform at their best. Additionally, we also see this in BOOSt and Adidas x Parley.
Part of the ‘future’ could be 3D printed shoes. I do not think that shoes could be fully printed in the near future because nobody wants a one material shoe and 3D printing has to be further advanced and become less expensive for shoes to be produced this way. When 3D printing does reach that level, I do think that it could become the main form of production. I also think that at the beginning it could be really trendy and people will think it’s really innovative.
Although Adidas second quarter sales increased by 23% from last years, I do not think that it will ever overtake Nike anytime soon if not ever. Adidas strategies are definitely competing with Nike, but Nike has established a better ground and name recognition that is very hard to overpower.
Adidas is one of the top competitors for sports brands in America. They have a partnership with Major League Soccer and they offer a variety of products such as gear for sports, apparel, and footwear. Without doing any of the readings, I knew that Adidas had struggled in the past with Nike dominating the market. In fact, barely any people I knew had any Adidas shoes 5 years ago. Lately, they’ve had a huge comeback with the Superstar, and Stan Smith shoes. What I had not noticed is that Adidas was targeting another trend- lifestyle. I personally think this is a great technique that they have adopted because people my age are searching for comfort and looking stylish at the same time. They also understand the influence that artists have on fashion trends and products so they use an “open source approach” to collaborate with artists and influence the culture.
Adidas didn’t just bring up the classics, but they brought them back and used innovative technology to alter them.
Visit summary:
My flight was unfortunately too late to be able to attend the presentation and tour of Adidas so my visit summary is based off other people’s notes.
In the tour they visited the Campus Employee Gym, design lab, Performance Testing Center, the giant Adidas Superstar Shoes, and the Employee Store.
In other words, Adidas was very opened as to what they showed us unlike other companies where we just saw the conference room where they presented. Although we couldn’t take pictures in most of the places it was really interesting being able to touch the 3D printer!
One odd thing that I noticed was that someone that was playing soccer in the field was wearing Nike’s shoes which I’m guessing is a bit fraud upon.
Overall the layout of the building other than the giant shoes was very hard to recognize. When I first pulled into the parking lot I would have not guessed it was an Adidas building compared to the campus feeling we got at Nike.
We weren’t allowed to get on the giant shoes which was a bit of a disappointment but it was a great place for a picture! Furthermore, the Adidas store prices were remarkable! I was able to buy a pair of slides for 13 dollars!
Key takeaways
I learned that the Adidas strategy was to build a culture around creativity, confidence, and collaboration. We saw this in how it did not seem like there were many security clearance levels and people could access the labs and give their feedback and work together.
In today’s society people are becoming more aware of the environment, so their strategy of creating more sustainable products by using recycled products is definitely something that their consumers are looking for.
Their strategy of marketing their products through famous people such as Gigi Hadid, a model, has impacted their success greatly. Additionally, signing with celebrities such as Kanye West and James Harden has also had a great impact on the company’s success. Kanye West which is a very popular icon today’s shoes (Jeezy’s) go out of stock within the hour!
They allow the artists/athletes/celebrities great leeway when creating their products which has set them apart from Nike.
Post visit actions/thoughts
We live in an era where technology is megatrend. We don’t just see its effects in the latest phone or computer, but also in apparel. Adidas implements its latest technology such as the Futurecraft that is designed with midsoles crafted with light and oxygen in order to make athletes perform at their best. Additionally, we also see this in BOOSt and Adidas x Parley.
Part of the ‘future’ could be 3D printed shoes. I do not think that shoes could be fully printed in the near future because nobody wants a one material shoe and 3D printing has to be further advanced and become less expensive for shoes to be produced this way. When 3D printing does reach that level, I do think that it could become the main form of production. I also think that at the beginning it could be really trendy and people will think it’s really innovative.
Although Adidas second quarter sales increased by 23% from last years, I do not think that it will ever overtake Nike anytime soon if not ever. Adidas strategies are definitely competing with Nike, but Nike has established a better ground and name recognition that is very hard to overpower.
Kennedy School
What I knew before and Introduction:
The Kennedy School used to be an abandoned elementary school and then it was turned into a hotel. It opened in 1915 and its location wasn’t ideal for the students to attend school because of its remoteness. Throughout the years when school wasn’t in session it had been used for other events such as public meeting halls, blood drawing centers, etc. In the 1970’s the school faced a decline in enrollment and had to shut down. Since it was an old crumbling building, there were many demolitions orders, but many people fought against it in order to preserve its history and meaning to the community. Finally in the late 1990’s two men were able to get their proposal through and renovate the school. Ever since, it is a lively place with a lot of attitude and many activities to host and attend. Expectations I expected to feel as if I was in a haunted place because I had looked at the photos and it gave off a creepy vibe. |
I am pizza enthusiast
|
Visit summary
We enjoyed some really tasty pizza and salad while learning about Cuddle Up to Me. We walked around and got a feel of the place.
Key takeaways
Reading about its history and walking through the halls of what was previously a school and now an entertainment center was really enticing. The Kennedy School shows a combination of customer service, teamwork, business and culture. Since the building holds so much meaning and history the people that work there were locals and they were very passionate about what this building represented to them and their town. People that currently work there are not the only passionate ones. All the students, teachers, and townspeople coming together as a community and working as a team to preserve a building. The thought behind buying the building and creating a service company that gives back to the people in the area through entertainment is what makes this place unique. It is meant to attract tourists, but it also focuses on the people that live in the area.
Post visit actions/thoughts
Kennedy School reminded me about the theater in the town of Hershey that we visited in the trip to Hershey Park for the Business, Society, and the Economy scholars program. The guide on the trip was extremely passionate about the place that he worked at and gave a wonderful customer service experience just like the waitresses and the people that worked in the Kennedy School. Both establishments had been renovated yet preserved in their original style and their main focus is to provide some sort of entertainment to the people that are visiting and the locals.
We enjoyed some really tasty pizza and salad while learning about Cuddle Up to Me. We walked around and got a feel of the place.
Key takeaways
Reading about its history and walking through the halls of what was previously a school and now an entertainment center was really enticing. The Kennedy School shows a combination of customer service, teamwork, business and culture. Since the building holds so much meaning and history the people that work there were locals and they were very passionate about what this building represented to them and their town. People that currently work there are not the only passionate ones. All the students, teachers, and townspeople coming together as a community and working as a team to preserve a building. The thought behind buying the building and creating a service company that gives back to the people in the area through entertainment is what makes this place unique. It is meant to attract tourists, but it also focuses on the people that live in the area.
Post visit actions/thoughts
Kennedy School reminded me about the theater in the town of Hershey that we visited in the trip to Hershey Park for the Business, Society, and the Economy scholars program. The guide on the trip was extremely passionate about the place that he worked at and gave a wonderful customer service experience just like the waitresses and the people that worked in the Kennedy School. Both establishments had been renovated yet preserved in their original style and their main focus is to provide some sort of entertainment to the people that are visiting and the locals.
Cuddle Up to Me
What I knew before:
Samantha Hess created a business where people paid by the minute to get professionally cuddled. It was an idea that no one had ever seen before so she received a lot of attention on social media and news about her company.
People can apply to be professional cuddlers and it is a lengthy process.
Intro and Expectations:
I am not going to lie, I was very skeptical about this idea and really intrigued about how someone can pull this off without it being weird. I think I speak for most people when I say that cuddling is considered something intimate and for others even sexual. I thought a lot about what type of training someone had to undergo in order to be able to erase those schemas that people have with cuddling and making people feel comfortable by being touched by a stranger. I thought it was kind of weird that people couldn’t just cuddle with a friend in a friendly style, with a parent, or a significant other. I went in with a lot of questions and skepticism which Samantha addressed in a comfortably friendly style.
Visit summary:
Samantha was right, she loves making people feel uncomfortable. She was goofy, loud, and in your face which in a weird way created a level of trust between her and her audience. One of my biggest questions is how does she deal with all the skepticism that people have about her service company and how does she get people to give it a try. She told us that she had received death threats and that it is totally normal for people to come in for a couple of sessions and not get touched at all. It is all about making the customer feel comfortable. One of the most important ways to make the customer feel comfortable is asking for consent and making sure that they say yes loudly and confidently in order to not cross anyone’s boundaries.
In order to be a professional cuddler, you need life skills such as compassionate listening and her business is the only one that certifies people. Additionally, no one else has set up the same type of business that provides love so she has no competitors.
Samantha opened up to us about her failed marriage story, but she went more in depth in her book. She talked about the passing of a colleague made her realize that her husband was just not there for her the way that she needed him to be. Although they were best friends, they could just not be a couple anymore. It was a very heartfelt story and it is very courageous of her to speak so openly about her experiences and be the bubbly, optimistic person that she is.
Key takeaways
Samantha's business crosses the pillars of creativity, culture, business, entrepreneurship, and customer service.
She got her inspiration and made her own business as creatively as she could. Her studio has different rooms with different setting to improve that customer experience. Samantha kick started her company from the ground. It took her a lot of time, sleepless nights, endless effort, and willingness to learn in order for her to learn the legal and business aspects of cuddling! The reason why I think this reflects on culture is because of her passion of giving back. The way that she talks about how her services make a positive impact and how the reward is helping versus the money says a lot about some of the service businesses in Portland.
It was also very impactful knowing her troubled background at home and how she suffered from chronic pain. The hardships and obstacles that she faced made her into the drive, successful woman that she is.
Post visit actions/thoughts
Someone asked in the presentation if anybody could get their sessions covered by insurance is this is their was of therapy and Samantha said no. It caused a heated debate among my table whether or not it should be allowed. I found myself in the middle because I acknowledge the fact that human touch and having someone just listening or holding you can be very therapeutic, but if insurance were to acknowledge Cuddle Up to Me as a form of therapy where does it stop? Maybe someone is convinced that going to zumba class in their gym helps them with stress or anxiety then shouldn’t insurances pay for people’s gyms memberships?
Additionally, I never considered human touch to be something really important in my life and part of an exercise that I tried over the summer is not letting anyone touch me to see if it had any effect on how I felt. It opened my eyes to how much I had taken human touch for granted. I cheated my exercise and cuddled with my dog because I felt like I needed someone at times.
The way that she got inspired to create this business, which was by looking at someone who was offering hugs for money, motivates me to really pay attention to my surrounding because something very small that might seem ordinary or unimportant could turn into a remarkable idea.
Image: https://vacilandoblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/spooning.jpg
Samantha Hess created a business where people paid by the minute to get professionally cuddled. It was an idea that no one had ever seen before so she received a lot of attention on social media and news about her company.
People can apply to be professional cuddlers and it is a lengthy process.
Intro and Expectations:
I am not going to lie, I was very skeptical about this idea and really intrigued about how someone can pull this off without it being weird. I think I speak for most people when I say that cuddling is considered something intimate and for others even sexual. I thought a lot about what type of training someone had to undergo in order to be able to erase those schemas that people have with cuddling and making people feel comfortable by being touched by a stranger. I thought it was kind of weird that people couldn’t just cuddle with a friend in a friendly style, with a parent, or a significant other. I went in with a lot of questions and skepticism which Samantha addressed in a comfortably friendly style.
Visit summary:
Samantha was right, she loves making people feel uncomfortable. She was goofy, loud, and in your face which in a weird way created a level of trust between her and her audience. One of my biggest questions is how does she deal with all the skepticism that people have about her service company and how does she get people to give it a try. She told us that she had received death threats and that it is totally normal for people to come in for a couple of sessions and not get touched at all. It is all about making the customer feel comfortable. One of the most important ways to make the customer feel comfortable is asking for consent and making sure that they say yes loudly and confidently in order to not cross anyone’s boundaries.
In order to be a professional cuddler, you need life skills such as compassionate listening and her business is the only one that certifies people. Additionally, no one else has set up the same type of business that provides love so she has no competitors.
Samantha opened up to us about her failed marriage story, but she went more in depth in her book. She talked about the passing of a colleague made her realize that her husband was just not there for her the way that she needed him to be. Although they were best friends, they could just not be a couple anymore. It was a very heartfelt story and it is very courageous of her to speak so openly about her experiences and be the bubbly, optimistic person that she is.
Key takeaways
Samantha's business crosses the pillars of creativity, culture, business, entrepreneurship, and customer service.
She got her inspiration and made her own business as creatively as she could. Her studio has different rooms with different setting to improve that customer experience. Samantha kick started her company from the ground. It took her a lot of time, sleepless nights, endless effort, and willingness to learn in order for her to learn the legal and business aspects of cuddling! The reason why I think this reflects on culture is because of her passion of giving back. The way that she talks about how her services make a positive impact and how the reward is helping versus the money says a lot about some of the service businesses in Portland.
It was also very impactful knowing her troubled background at home and how she suffered from chronic pain. The hardships and obstacles that she faced made her into the drive, successful woman that she is.
Post visit actions/thoughts
Someone asked in the presentation if anybody could get their sessions covered by insurance is this is their was of therapy and Samantha said no. It caused a heated debate among my table whether or not it should be allowed. I found myself in the middle because I acknowledge the fact that human touch and having someone just listening or holding you can be very therapeutic, but if insurance were to acknowledge Cuddle Up to Me as a form of therapy where does it stop? Maybe someone is convinced that going to zumba class in their gym helps them with stress or anxiety then shouldn’t insurances pay for people’s gyms memberships?
Additionally, I never considered human touch to be something really important in my life and part of an exercise that I tried over the summer is not letting anyone touch me to see if it had any effect on how I felt. It opened my eyes to how much I had taken human touch for granted. I cheated my exercise and cuddled with my dog because I felt like I needed someone at times.
The way that she got inspired to create this business, which was by looking at someone who was offering hugs for money, motivates me to really pay attention to my surrounding because something very small that might seem ordinary or unimportant could turn into a remarkable idea.
Image: https://vacilandoblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/spooning.jpg
Nike
What I knew before:
In the class How Do Innovators Think we learned that Nike’s core values are to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world, no finish line, and if you have a body you’re an athlete. We also learned that they also want to have sustainability at all levels and that their buildings were dedicated to athletes and had inspirational slogans throughout the workplace.
It is widely known, or assumed, that Nike is the one of the biggest sporting goods companies in the world and is very innovative with their products in order to help athletes perform the best that they can.
Just to impress you: Nike operates in 120 countries and sells approximately 900 million items every year. Although their growth isn’t spiking like Adidas, they are a huge in the market.
After reading Shoe Dog by Phil Knight I learned the valuable lesson about never quitting, not even considering it. Phil knight saw the rewards of not quitting with Onitsuka, but it goes beyond just not quitting a legal battle. Fails and wins are both very valuable in learning about strengths and weaknesses. The outcomes of things won’t always go your way, but it is important to learn about perseverance and what flaws you have. Phil Knight was very self aware and knew he was flawed as a person and as a husband. Knowing this, he never quit trying to be better. He believed in valuing the eternal present. Although I don’t necessarily agree that we should view the past, present, and future in that way, I do see the value in focusing on the now, on what is important, and on what we can change.
Visit summary
When we arrived to Nike you could instantly tell it was Nike unlike Adidas. We were greeted by Ken Cohen and our minds were blown. I do not think anyone left Nike without saying I want to work here.
We learned about how Nike started which was by Bill Bowerman (a track coach) and Phil Knight (a runner) in 1964 and how they made they made their first shoes using a waffle iron.
Additionally, we also learned about their strategy which is to bring inspiration and innovation to consumers from all backgrounds. All sporting brands started off by targeting men in sports, but Nike was one of the first companies to target women after Joan Benoit successfully finished a marathon which was thought to be impossible. Ever since, products for women have expanded in all areas such as athleisure, sports gear, and others.
In the panel we had many UMD alumni that had all many different backgrounds. They were all very passionate about the work that they did because it did not feel like work. Yes they had deadlines and responsibilities, but it was coming to play at their job. That is something we all aspire to get from our jobs one day.
Overall everyone seemed very friendly among the team that they worked in. Portland is a pretty small place and from what the tour guide said, people’s social lives revolve around people in their workplace because it is very hard to meet others, but because of the level of security among certain departments it is hard interacting with certain teams.
They told us about the amazing opportunity that we can apply for next year which is the Procurement Analyst Program where interns rotate in fields of supply chain, analytics, and manufacturing. Through working in teams they are looking for people that exhibit analytical thinking skills, curiosity, problem solving, leadership, passion, integrity, and fit into the culture of Nike. What I thought was interesting about this internship program is that they take all majors which shows how much Nike appreciates diversity in all backgrounds, “superthinkers”, and the ability to work together with people from different fields. This is almost like Quest in the business school.
Regarding their buildings and campus it was breathtaking. Since we don’t know what athletes do in their spare time and the controversies that arise years later, Nike is starting to name their buildings with shoe names versus athletes to avoid controversy. The lake was so peaceful and it is definitely a view that you want to have from your office as well as go for a run once in awhile. The cafeteria had a great view of the lake and had food from all around the world which shows how much they appreciate diversity.
Key takeaways
Although Nike was more reserved as to what they showed us in the tour other than their recreational center and the history exhibitions, they are working under closed doors to increase technology and innovation in their products. Their main focus is speed, scale, and technology. We see this in their new shoe that directly connects to your phone in the case that you forget your smartwatch.
Nike works closely with their consumer and they have strengthened their communications with them to increase customer service through memberships. personalization, and through media. They also know what type of consumer they are targeting and want to be involved in the social changes going on in the world. They did this through launching the equality campaign, building a brand that is respectable and credible, and moving towards sustainability. Their efforts in making sustainable products come from the idea that they will be producing products that will help next generation’s problems or avoid creating more.
One of the speakers was Howard White whom I expected to talk about Nike’s culture, but instead he gave an amazing inspirational talk which is why I write about him in key takeaways because every word that he said was extremely important for young adults.
Howard White was a UMD basketball player who because of a knee injury had to leave the NBA. This didn’t stop his passion for basketball so he became an assistant coach at the University of Maryland and then became a Field Representative at Nike. During his career he met with Michael Jordan and is now the vice president of the Jordan brand.
He gave us a little insight on his book called “Believe to Achieve” which has numerous advice about how to grow personally and professionally because who you are is reflected in your profession. He told us that in order to achieve we shouldn’t second guess ourselves and push ourselves as well as the people around us because their impact on us is the same as our impact on them.
My favorite takeaway is his story of being someone polite with manners because even a dog wags his tail at someone. This advice is reinforced in my communications class (CPBE225) where my professor, Ira Koretsky, talks about the importance of treating everyone like CEO. Disregarding the fact of whether or not this person could ever help us in the future, it is important to be polite to others because we don’t know what impact we could have on their life and what extraordinary things they could do because of you (although it would be nice if they did something amazing they could lend you a hand).
Post visit actions/thoughts
We see that Adidas took a strategy to go towards lifestyle products and we see Nike doing this by making athleisure products. Adidas is dominant in this market, but I do think Nike could catch up to them. Personally, I am tired of seeing the Superstar shoes and Stan Smith shoes because EVERYONE has them. I want to be trendy, but I don’t want to have what everyone else has which is something that Nike should exploit. Nike comes off as a more sporty vibe so they definitely need to market towards people that want to wear comfortable shoes to simply go to class or to the mall that isn’t converse. Converse competes with shoes such as vans and in middle school I saw a spike in converse, but in college I see vans a lot more and just white high top converse so they need to advertise converse in a different way or come up with new lifestyle products.
I asked our tour guide how many pairs of shoes he had and he told me probably over 70 and I asked ken Cohen how many he had and he told me over 20. At Adidas I saw someone wearing Nike shoes, so I think Nike encourages people to wear their products a lot more and their store is a lot bigger with insane discounts.
I bought my dad a Barça jersey to thank him for sending me in an awesome trip.
In the class How Do Innovators Think we learned that Nike’s core values are to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world, no finish line, and if you have a body you’re an athlete. We also learned that they also want to have sustainability at all levels and that their buildings were dedicated to athletes and had inspirational slogans throughout the workplace.
It is widely known, or assumed, that Nike is the one of the biggest sporting goods companies in the world and is very innovative with their products in order to help athletes perform the best that they can.
Just to impress you: Nike operates in 120 countries and sells approximately 900 million items every year. Although their growth isn’t spiking like Adidas, they are a huge in the market.
After reading Shoe Dog by Phil Knight I learned the valuable lesson about never quitting, not even considering it. Phil knight saw the rewards of not quitting with Onitsuka, but it goes beyond just not quitting a legal battle. Fails and wins are both very valuable in learning about strengths and weaknesses. The outcomes of things won’t always go your way, but it is important to learn about perseverance and what flaws you have. Phil Knight was very self aware and knew he was flawed as a person and as a husband. Knowing this, he never quit trying to be better. He believed in valuing the eternal present. Although I don’t necessarily agree that we should view the past, present, and future in that way, I do see the value in focusing on the now, on what is important, and on what we can change.
Visit summary
When we arrived to Nike you could instantly tell it was Nike unlike Adidas. We were greeted by Ken Cohen and our minds were blown. I do not think anyone left Nike without saying I want to work here.
We learned about how Nike started which was by Bill Bowerman (a track coach) and Phil Knight (a runner) in 1964 and how they made they made their first shoes using a waffle iron.
Additionally, we also learned about their strategy which is to bring inspiration and innovation to consumers from all backgrounds. All sporting brands started off by targeting men in sports, but Nike was one of the first companies to target women after Joan Benoit successfully finished a marathon which was thought to be impossible. Ever since, products for women have expanded in all areas such as athleisure, sports gear, and others.
In the panel we had many UMD alumni that had all many different backgrounds. They were all very passionate about the work that they did because it did not feel like work. Yes they had deadlines and responsibilities, but it was coming to play at their job. That is something we all aspire to get from our jobs one day.
Overall everyone seemed very friendly among the team that they worked in. Portland is a pretty small place and from what the tour guide said, people’s social lives revolve around people in their workplace because it is very hard to meet others, but because of the level of security among certain departments it is hard interacting with certain teams.
They told us about the amazing opportunity that we can apply for next year which is the Procurement Analyst Program where interns rotate in fields of supply chain, analytics, and manufacturing. Through working in teams they are looking for people that exhibit analytical thinking skills, curiosity, problem solving, leadership, passion, integrity, and fit into the culture of Nike. What I thought was interesting about this internship program is that they take all majors which shows how much Nike appreciates diversity in all backgrounds, “superthinkers”, and the ability to work together with people from different fields. This is almost like Quest in the business school.
Regarding their buildings and campus it was breathtaking. Since we don’t know what athletes do in their spare time and the controversies that arise years later, Nike is starting to name their buildings with shoe names versus athletes to avoid controversy. The lake was so peaceful and it is definitely a view that you want to have from your office as well as go for a run once in awhile. The cafeteria had a great view of the lake and had food from all around the world which shows how much they appreciate diversity.
Key takeaways
Although Nike was more reserved as to what they showed us in the tour other than their recreational center and the history exhibitions, they are working under closed doors to increase technology and innovation in their products. Their main focus is speed, scale, and technology. We see this in their new shoe that directly connects to your phone in the case that you forget your smartwatch.
Nike works closely with their consumer and they have strengthened their communications with them to increase customer service through memberships. personalization, and through media. They also know what type of consumer they are targeting and want to be involved in the social changes going on in the world. They did this through launching the equality campaign, building a brand that is respectable and credible, and moving towards sustainability. Their efforts in making sustainable products come from the idea that they will be producing products that will help next generation’s problems or avoid creating more.
One of the speakers was Howard White whom I expected to talk about Nike’s culture, but instead he gave an amazing inspirational talk which is why I write about him in key takeaways because every word that he said was extremely important for young adults.
Howard White was a UMD basketball player who because of a knee injury had to leave the NBA. This didn’t stop his passion for basketball so he became an assistant coach at the University of Maryland and then became a Field Representative at Nike. During his career he met with Michael Jordan and is now the vice president of the Jordan brand.
He gave us a little insight on his book called “Believe to Achieve” which has numerous advice about how to grow personally and professionally because who you are is reflected in your profession. He told us that in order to achieve we shouldn’t second guess ourselves and push ourselves as well as the people around us because their impact on us is the same as our impact on them.
My favorite takeaway is his story of being someone polite with manners because even a dog wags his tail at someone. This advice is reinforced in my communications class (CPBE225) where my professor, Ira Koretsky, talks about the importance of treating everyone like CEO. Disregarding the fact of whether or not this person could ever help us in the future, it is important to be polite to others because we don’t know what impact we could have on their life and what extraordinary things they could do because of you (although it would be nice if they did something amazing they could lend you a hand).
Post visit actions/thoughts
We see that Adidas took a strategy to go towards lifestyle products and we see Nike doing this by making athleisure products. Adidas is dominant in this market, but I do think Nike could catch up to them. Personally, I am tired of seeing the Superstar shoes and Stan Smith shoes because EVERYONE has them. I want to be trendy, but I don’t want to have what everyone else has which is something that Nike should exploit. Nike comes off as a more sporty vibe so they definitely need to market towards people that want to wear comfortable shoes to simply go to class or to the mall that isn’t converse. Converse competes with shoes such as vans and in middle school I saw a spike in converse, but in college I see vans a lot more and just white high top converse so they need to advertise converse in a different way or come up with new lifestyle products.
I asked our tour guide how many pairs of shoes he had and he told me probably over 70 and I asked ken Cohen how many he had and he told me over 20. At Adidas I saw someone wearing Nike shoes, so I think Nike encourages people to wear their products a lot more and their store is a lot bigger with insane discounts.
I bought my dad a Barça jersey to thank him for sending me in an awesome trip.
Exploring Portland Through a Team Learning Adventure
Exercise
My team and myself went to Boys Fort, Voodoo Doughnuts, and John Helmer Haberdasher Inc.
The one that stood out to me the most was John Helmer Haberdasher Inc. It is a family business of hats and head accessories. John Helmer has lived in Portland his entire life. He said that his customers are extremely nice. He acquired the store by buying it from his Dad.
The store was founded over 90 years ago by his grandfather. They sell products that are one of a kind due to its uniqueness. John Helmer III works every day! He finds happiness in helping people express themselves through head accessories.
If John Helmer Haberdasher Inc. doesn’t have what you’re looking for, they encourage you to call them and they will either make it just for you or do their best efforts to find it for you which shows how much they care about their customers.
John Helmer III worked as a kid in the store so he grew up around the business and he finds his store to be a second home.
Although it seems to be an old fashioned show, they have their website where you can look through their head accessories, but they also make custom suits. He also told us that he hopes that one of his kids will one day want to take over the business and continue passing it down their family.
I think that his business would be successful in other places, but in unique ones like Portland. I do not seeing it working in a mall, New York City, or Washington DC. I think it could be successful in small towns that have a personality.
Task 3:
Me and my teammates actually had some trouble finding people from Portland when we were in line of Voodoo Doughnuts. When we did, they said that they thought the economic climate in the US is a lot faster than the one in Portland, but that the one in Portland isn’t slow. When asked about the biggest challenges some people went political, but others said that there is a lot of homeless people around the street and that they wish Portland would give off a better air.
They value leisure, family, friends a lot so they try to find a work balance that allows them to keep their relationships and free time as a priority.
The people that we interviewed had lived in Portland for three years. They were a little younger than I was, but they told us that they moved because their mom re married to someone from the area, but that they enjoy the uniqueness of it.
Task 4:
We couldn't find a souvenir in Boys Fort that was less than 10 dollars.
Task 6:
Consumers seemed to be focused on quality versus quantity. John Helmer’s company is focused on selling their products as well as repairing them if necessary. Everyone in the area was really nice, but it was a time a little scary walking by certain streets where there was a lot of homeless people because they seemed to be high and yelling/talking to themselves. They were concentrated next to Voodoo doughnuts specially.
Overall the people that worked at the places that we went to were really passionate about their job and happy to let us interview them!
There wasn’t that many people in the area or in the stores buying things. The place that was really packed was Voodoo Doughnuts. I guess it is a Georgetown Cupcake feel DMVers get.
The one that stood out to me the most was John Helmer Haberdasher Inc. It is a family business of hats and head accessories. John Helmer has lived in Portland his entire life. He said that his customers are extremely nice. He acquired the store by buying it from his Dad.
The store was founded over 90 years ago by his grandfather. They sell products that are one of a kind due to its uniqueness. John Helmer III works every day! He finds happiness in helping people express themselves through head accessories.
If John Helmer Haberdasher Inc. doesn’t have what you’re looking for, they encourage you to call them and they will either make it just for you or do their best efforts to find it for you which shows how much they care about their customers.
John Helmer III worked as a kid in the store so he grew up around the business and he finds his store to be a second home.
Although it seems to be an old fashioned show, they have their website where you can look through their head accessories, but they also make custom suits. He also told us that he hopes that one of his kids will one day want to take over the business and continue passing it down their family.
I think that his business would be successful in other places, but in unique ones like Portland. I do not seeing it working in a mall, New York City, or Washington DC. I think it could be successful in small towns that have a personality.
Task 3:
Me and my teammates actually had some trouble finding people from Portland when we were in line of Voodoo Doughnuts. When we did, they said that they thought the economic climate in the US is a lot faster than the one in Portland, but that the one in Portland isn’t slow. When asked about the biggest challenges some people went political, but others said that there is a lot of homeless people around the street and that they wish Portland would give off a better air.
They value leisure, family, friends a lot so they try to find a work balance that allows them to keep their relationships and free time as a priority.
The people that we interviewed had lived in Portland for three years. They were a little younger than I was, but they told us that they moved because their mom re married to someone from the area, but that they enjoy the uniqueness of it.
Task 4:
We couldn't find a souvenir in Boys Fort that was less than 10 dollars.
Task 6:
Consumers seemed to be focused on quality versus quantity. John Helmer’s company is focused on selling their products as well as repairing them if necessary. Everyone in the area was really nice, but it was a time a little scary walking by certain streets where there was a lot of homeless people because they seemed to be high and yelling/talking to themselves. They were concentrated next to Voodoo doughnuts specially.
Overall the people that worked at the places that we went to were really passionate about their job and happy to let us interview them!
There wasn’t that many people in the area or in the stores buying things. The place that was really packed was Voodoo Doughnuts. I guess it is a Georgetown Cupcake feel DMVers get.