Organizations and Reputation

In this post, I will write as a consumer of products by the brand Nike.

Nike brands itself as a provider of many products, but completely limits itself to the sports industry. This isn't a bad thing, as this specialization has allowed them to not only excel in the sports market, but to dominate the sports market as well.

The company is known for its broad range of products pertaining to the sports industries. Their products range from their most iconic product, their shoes, to team uniforms, to training products, to sports' balls (footballs, basketballs, baseballs, etc.). It is nearly impossible to watch an athletic competition without seeing at least one player wearing something made by Nike, with the norm being entire teams sponsored by Nike with their uniforms, shoes or cleats, and other gear.

They developed their reputation through a combination of amazing marketing and a high-level of consistency in their products' performance. Their remarkable marketing comes through their long-list of superstars that are spokespeople for their products. In the sports world, nobody will buy a product unless the company has a superstar backing the product. This is mainly due to two reasons: if that superstar is willing to use their product, then the product must be good, and if the company is successful enough to afford this superstar, then the product must be good. No company stands close to Nike in terms of superstars representing their product, with Adidas probably being a distant second. The second aspect of their reputation comes from the overall performance of their products. As an owner of many Nike products, I can say that I know when I buy a Nike product, I am getting a good and reliable product, and this has allowed them to build a near-universal customer base. It is probably impossible to find an athlete that doesn't own at least one product of Nike.

In the sports world, people are always looking to get a leg up on the competition, and Nike has built their reputation on the reliability and high-level performance of their products, as well as the constant advancements of their products. This has allowed them to become the go-to brand in the sports market.

Reputation at Work

I work at a restaurant while attending school as a delivery driver. I have been employed there almost two years now, and developed a reputation over that time. My reputation is somebody who is goofy, but always reliable and hard-working. While drivers have come and gone through the restaurant, mainly being fired, I have consistently been employed there because of my nature to always show up at work on time, whenever I am scheduled, work for others when somebody doesn't show up, work hard while I am at work, keep personal opinions and relationships to myself, and go home at the end of the day. Because I have had consistent employment since I was 14 years old, along with my blue-collar upbringing, I have never been afforded the opportunity to be unemployed. Because of always having a job, always needing a job, and always wanting a job, I have developed a strong reputation as a reliable, good worker, which is definitely the case at where I work now. 

I keep my reputation intact and enhanced further by continuing how I have always approached work: always show up on time, never don't show up to work, keep opinions and personal relationships to myself, remain friendly, and work hard. I have never been able to "cash in" my reputation for personal gain because unemployment is not an option, and by abandoning my reputation as reliable I would probably lose my job.