Nike, Inc.

“中國運動服裝行業競爭正日趨白熱化。在全球霸主耐克與阿迪達斯在中國不斷擴張的同時﹐一些本土公司也不甘落後。” wsj

「耐克」很可能是將錯就錯的翻譯：原來她是希臘勝利女神：Ni·ke (nī'kē)

n. Greek Mythology.

The goddess of victory.

為什麼運動商品廠商選她當公司名，音樂她也是希臘運動人員的神：The goddess of victory in ancient Greece. She was honoured by Zeus because she fought on the side of the gods against the Titans. So the Athenians dedicated her statue in Delphi after the naval victory over the Persians at Salamis (480 BC). However, athletes and charioteers also paid her honour for their successes in the games. For the Romans Nike became a symbol of victory over death, their own Victoria ensuring earthly conquests. Victoria's most important altar was placed in the senate house by Augustus in 29 BC.

這家公司的資料很容易取得

Modern Design Dictionary: Nike

(established 1972)

This highly successful sports goods and accessories company had its origins in the 1950s with two friends at the University of Oregon in the USA, Bowerman and Knight, the former developing athletic shoe design and the latter going on to study for an MBA at Stanford University. Knight pursued the idea that attractively priced, well-designed, and efficiently marketed Japanese shoes could make inroads into the German domination of the US market.

As a result a partnership was established with the Japanese athletic shoe manufacturer Onitsuka Tiger and, in 1962, Bowerman and Knight's company Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS) was established as the sole distributor of Tiger shoes. Following a period of real growth BRS began manufacturing its own shoes in 1971 and opened its first retail outlet in Santa Monica, California. BRS broke with Onitsuka Tiger in 1972, renaming itself Nike (after the Greek goddess of Victory).

The new company was launched at the US trials for the 1972 Olympic Games and by 1980 the company went public having captured 50 per cent of the US athletic shoe market. In the 1980s Nike International was formed to cater for a growing overseas market that by 2001 covered more than 100 countries.

Underpinning the company's success were a number of innovative business strategies as well as technological innovations such as the introduction of Nike-Air cushioning. In the 1990s the company continued to expand, developing its clothing and accessory lines and purchasing Canstar Sports Inc. the world's largest manufacturer of hockey equipment. In 2001 the company launched the first of its women only, NIKEgoddess stores in Los Angeles. These stores were planned as interactive with female consumers providing feedback on the style, design, and performance of Nike products.

更多資料
Wikipedia article "Nike, Inc.".