Social media (SM) strategies have gained major importance for the retailers in the last decade. The effective use of SM channels for marketing purposes leads to valuable information and insights about markets. However, many managers still fail to understand the importance of the possibilities of SM usage for strengthening brand perception. This might be due to the lack of commonly agreed SM success factors in academic research.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss SM success factors and to evaluate how the two world leading sports brands NIKE and adidas follow the application of the discussed success factors.
Based on a literature review, the authors summarized the most commonly discussed SM success factors. Data collection was conducted in a consecutive, two step approach, first extracting relevant data from the annual reports, and then withdrawing data from the companies SM channels through text mining.
The data was then analysed according to the success factors summarized from academic literature. Also NIKE’s and adidas’ accomplishments in achieving their goals set in the annual reports on SM were examined.
adidas achieves a higher success rate than NIKE in laying out their SM strategy. Both adidas and NIKE cannot entirely live up to their ambitions, underperforming on SM in practice.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 1.1. Purpose
- 1.2. Outline of the study
- 2. Literature review
- 2.1. SM strategy target audience
- 2.2. SM channel choice
- 2.3. SM strategy goal / purpose
- 2.4. SM content monitoring
- 2.5. Brand image & reputation impacted by SM communication
- 2.6. Interaction between organizations and consumers on SM
- 3. Frame of reference
- 3.1. Research gap
- 3.2. Research questions
- 4. Methodology
- 4.1. Research Approach and Research Design
- 4.2. Data Sources and Sampling
- 4.3. Operationalization
- 4.4. Data Collection
- 4.5. Data Analysis Method
- 4.5.1. Content Analysis
- 4.5.2. Data Analysis Tool - Leximancer
- 5. Data Analysis and Results
- 5.1. Data Analysis of the Annual Reports of adidas and NIKE
- 5.1.1. SM Strategy Target Audience
- 5.1.2. SM Channel Choice
- 5.1.3. SM strategy goal / purpose
- 5.1.4. SM content monitoring
- 5.1.5. Brand image & reputation impacted by SM communication
- 5.1.6. Interaction between organizations and consumers on SM
- 5.2. Data analysis of the SM channels - adidas
- 5.2.1. Brand image & reputation impacted by SM communication
- 5.2.2. Interaction between adidas and consumers on SM
- 5.3. Data analysis of the SM channels - NIKE
- 5.3.1. Brand image & reputation impacted by SM communication
- 5.3.2. Interaction between NIKE and consumers on SM
- 5.1. Data Analysis of the Annual Reports of adidas and NIKE
- 6. Conclusions and discussion
- 7. Limitations
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper aims to identify key social media (SM) success factors and evaluate how Nike and Adidas, two leading sports brands, apply these factors in practice. The study utilizes a two-step data collection approach, analyzing annual reports and employing text mining on the companies' SM channels. The analysis focuses on comparing the companies’ performance against the identified success factors.
- Social media strategy effectiveness in the sports apparel industry.
- Comparative analysis of Nike and Adidas' social media strategies.
- Identification and validation of key social media success factors.
- The impact of social media communication on brand image and reputation.
- Analysis of consumer interaction with Nike and Adidas on social media.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the research, outlining the increasing importance of social media strategies for retailers and highlighting the gap in understanding common success factors. It establishes the paper's purpose—to analyze the application of social media success factors by Nike and Adidas—and provides a brief overview of the study's structure.
2. Literature review: This chapter reviews existing literature on social media strategies, summarizing key success factors. It examines the target audience, channel selection, goal setting, content monitoring, brand image management, and consumer interaction aspects of effective social media strategies, laying the groundwork for the empirical analysis in later chapters. The chapter synthesizes various academic perspectives to build a comprehensive framework for understanding social media success.
3. Frame of reference: This chapter defines the research gap that motivates the study—the lack of empirical validation of social media success factors in practice. It explicitly states the research questions that guide the investigation. It bridges the gap between the theoretical framework established in the literature review and the methodological approach that follows, ensuring coherence and focus.
4. Methodology: This chapter details the research approach, design, data sources, sampling methods, operationalization of key concepts, and data analysis techniques. It describes a two-step data collection process, involving annual report analysis and text mining of social media channels. The chapter outlines the use of content analysis and the Leximancer software for data analysis, providing a detailed account of the methodology used to answer the research questions.
5. Data Analysis and Results: This chapter presents the findings of the data analysis, comparing Nike and Adidas' performance across the identified social media success factors. It examines both annual reports and social media channels, utilizing Leximancer for qualitative analysis. This chapter provides a detailed comparison of the two companies' successes and shortcomings in their social media strategies, presenting empirical data in support of the analysis.
Keywords
Social media strategy, social media success factors, Nike, Adidas, brand image, consumer interaction, text mining, content analysis, annual reports.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview of Social Media Strategies of Nike and Adidas
What is the purpose of this study?
This study aims to identify key social media (SM) success factors and evaluate how Nike and Adidas, two leading sports brands, apply these factors in practice. It compares their performance against these identified success factors using a two-step data collection approach: analyzing annual reports and employing text mining on their SM channels.
What are the key themes explored in this study?
The study explores several key themes, including the effectiveness of social media strategies in the sports apparel industry, a comparative analysis of Nike and Adidas' social media strategies, the identification and validation of key social media success factors, the impact of social media communication on brand image and reputation, and the analysis of consumer interaction with Nike and Adidas on social media.
What is the structure of the study?
The study is structured into seven chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the research and outlines its purpose and structure. Chapter 2 reviews existing literature on social media strategies. Chapter 3 defines the research gap and research questions. Chapter 4 details the research methodology, including data collection and analysis techniques. Chapter 5 presents the data analysis and results, comparing Nike and Adidas. Chapter 6 offers conclusions and discussion, while Chapter 7 addresses limitations of the study.
What methodology was used in this study?
The study employs a two-step data collection process. First, it analyzes the annual reports of Nike and Adidas. Second, it uses text mining on the companies' social media channels. Data analysis methods include content analysis and the use of the Leximancer software.
What data sources were used?
The study uses two primary data sources: the annual reports of Nike and Adidas, and the social media channels of both companies (specific platforms are not explicitly stated).
What are the key findings of the study (in general terms)?
The study presents a comparative analysis of Nike and Adidas' social media strategies across several key success factors. Specific findings are detailed in Chapter 5, including comparisons of their target audience, channel choice, goal setting, content monitoring, brand image management, and consumer interaction.
What are the limitations of the study?
The limitations of the study are discussed in Chapter 7. Specific limitations are not provided in this preview.
What are the key words associated with this study?
Key words include: Social media strategy, social media success factors, Nike, Adidas, brand image, consumer interaction, text mining, content analysis, annual reports.
What is the overall conclusion of the study?
The overall conclusion of the study is presented in Chapter 6, and a specific summary is not available in this preview. However, it is expected to synthesize the findings and provide insights into social media strategy effectiveness for the two companies.
Where can I find more details about the specific data analysis and results?
Detailed data analysis and results are presented in Chapter 5 of the full study.
- Quote paper
- Anna Lena Bischoff (Author), 2017, Validating the social media strategies of adidas and Nike on Facebook and Instagram, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/354477
