The company that I have decided to use for my Marketing Research project is Nike. Outside of being a fan of Nike because I am an avid sneaker lover and enjoy purchasing sneakers from them, I have admired Nike because of their efforts to be more inclusive in terms of showcasing bodies that are not the standard or average size.
When it comes to athletic wear, there has always been an assumption that only average-sized women wear athletic wear because they are the only body type that participates in working out. But that is not the case. Women who have bodies that are not seen as the "standard" work out as well, and we enjoy wearing athletic clothing that we can feel good in while working out. Although Nike had already incorporated plus-size clothing into their brand, they decided to make a big move in 2019 by featuring plus-size mannequins in their London flagship store. In a press release, Nike stated "To celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of sport, the space will not just celebrate local elite and grassroots athletes through visual content, but also show Nike plus size and para-sport mannequins for the first time on a retail space" (Kai, p. 1, 2019). As someone who has gone from being morbidly obese to now being considered mid-size and who works out frequently (OrangeTheory Fitness is my home) away from home), I can appreciate that effort Nike is putting forth by trying to use mannequins to showcase how some women may look in real life. For me, it feels great being able to walk into a store like Nike and shop for clothing while looking at mannequins whose bodies may look like mine. This may not be a big deal for other people, but representation and body inclusivity matters.
Because I chose Nike, I would like to launch an athletic wear set that can be transitioned from being worn to workout into being able to be worn during the day or night. This set could be worn while working out, but it could also be worn during a night out with the girls on a cool summer night. Although many companies have done this before, I do believe that many women who wear athletic clothing have a hard time understanding that leggings can be worn outside of wearing an oversized sweater with it. If you are intentional about your clothing, all of your clothing pieces can be transitioned into multiple outfits throughout all of the seasons.
References:
Kai, M. (2019, June 7). Inclusivity? Just Do It. Nike Adds Plus and Para-Sport Mannequins to Its London Store. The Root. https://www.theroot.com/inclusivity-just-do-it-nike-adds-plus-and-para-sport-1835321268
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