Nike 2008 Annual Report Download - page 5

After all the work we have done this year, I’m very pleased with how
we have enhanced the position, performance, and potential of all
the brands and categories in the NIKE, Inc. family. They illustrate the
commitment we have to athletes and the unique role we play in
sports and the cultures that surround our consumers.
As I write this we’re heading into the Beijing Olympics – a moment that
NIKE has been working toward for 30 years. NIKE is the number-one
sports brand in China, which is also our largest sourcing country and
our biggest market outside the U.S. During the past four years we
have worked with thousands of athletes from more than 100 countries.
We’ve gained valuable insights nobody else has and used them
to design and deliver some of the best performance innovations NIKE
has ever developed. From the Hyperdunk basketball shoe, Zoom
Victory Spike, and LunaRacer to Swift apparel and the Pre Cool Vest
– NIKE product innovation is setting new standards in all 28 Olympic
sports. And we’ll continue to connect with Chinese consumers long
after the Olympic torch goes out, bringing innovative products, retail
experiences, and communications to this exciting marketplace.
We’ll give the world a chance to catch its breath from Beijing, but
only for a minute. On August 31 we launch The Human Race, the world’s
biggest single running event in history – runners around the world
competing and connecting simultaneously through the power of NIKE+
technology - raising funds for global causes with every mile. This is
what NIKE is all about – innovating on multiple fronts and creating a
bigger more vibrant marketplace. That’s what we do best and we’re
doing it all over the world.
And our world is changing. The digital age is fueling change at its
fastest rate in history. Power is in the hands of consumers. They have
near innite choices and unlimited access to those choices. The cost
of entry into their world has risen dramatically. To be relevant, to be
accepted, a company must bring its authentic self to market. For NIKE
this means vast new opportunities to reach and reward consumers
– with product innovation and compelling experiences at retail and
online. We’re leveraging those opportunities by sharing our passion for
sports and design and communications – our own never-ending story.
More than ever our story involves the commitment to innovate for
a better world. We’re very focused on creating products that reduce
their environmental impact and showcase sustainable innovation.
We’re committed to helping improve working conditions across the
industry’s supply chain. And we continue to invest in our communities
through programs like Let Me Play and our partnership with the
Lance Armstrong Foundation. Every day we see how social and
environmental change can promote innovation and growth in our
business and in the world.
This year we were named one of the world’s most ethical companies
(Ethisphere Magazine), one of the world’s top sustainable stocks
(Sustainable Business and KLD), #3 in 100 Best Corporate Citizens
(CRO Magazine), one of the 100 Best Places to Work (Fortune magazine),
and the World Wildlife Fund and others have recognized NIKE for our
work on climate change. I’m grateful that we’re being noticed for
our contributions, but our work in this area is a journey. There is always
more to do.
I’ll point to a $100 million partnership between the NIKE Foundation
and Peter and Jennifer Buffett’s NoVo Foundation. Together we are
creating an exciting new initiative called the Girl Effect. The premise
of the Girl Effect is as simple as it is profound – when we invest in the
health, safety and education of an adolescent girl, we create a ripple
effect that improves her quality of life and that of everyone around
her – her family, her village, her nation and, ultimately, all of us. Global
research and experience show that investing in girls and creating the
Girl Effect may be the most powerful missing piece to the puzzle of
alleviating poverty.
For all we have accomplished this year, we remain humbled by the
amazing things we witnessed in the world of sports – Tiger Woods
playing through pain to win the U.S. Open, Paul Pierce leading the
Boston Celtics to their rst NBA title in more than 20 years, the
passion of a historic European Championships, and Rafael Nadal
outlasting Roger Federer in the longest and most dramatic nal
in Wimbledon history.
It is epic moments like these – and the millions of everyday moments
created by athletes around the world – that inspire us. Their dreams
motivate us to create the most innovative product in sport, and to
serve more fully every consumer who shares our passion for performance
and excellence. That is our responsibility and our privilege.
As we move through scal 2009, now is not the time to be timid.
We know that doing business as usual – doing what we’ve done in the
past just a little bit better – is not enough. We are committed to the
principals that got us here – innovation, consistency, and competitive
re. We’re focused on managing for growth. Where others retract, we
reach out. Where some react, we create. We are on the offense, always.
I wouldn’t trade what we have with anybody in any industry.
Mark Parker
President and Chief Executive Ofcer
NIKE, Inc.
1A calculation of return on invested capital for NIKE, Inc. can be found at
www.nikebiz.com/investors.