The market for women's sports apparel was never looked upon as being a market with much growth potential and Nike never targeted women. With the emergence of women's athletics at all levels in the last decade, Nike has made large strides in marketing to women. Although women's shoes and apparel account for only 20% of Nike's U.S. sales, they are one of the fastest growing products that Nike sells. According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, women's sports apparel grew 6.8% last year, compared with only a 2.6% growth in sales of Men's apparel (Lee 139). Nike is also using popular female athletes like Marian Jones, Suzy Favor Hamilton, and Mia Hamm, to help appeal to women athletes. Many analysts predict that the market for women's sports apparel will continue to increase while Nike plans to increase spending on advertising that targets women.
Another demographic trend that has an impact on Nike's marketing now, but will have a much larger impact in the future is the changing age structure. The U.S. population is getting older because of the slowdown of the birthrate, and the increased life expectancy of humans. The athletic shoe market for seniors would seem almost nonexistent, but because of the healthy and active lifestyle the seniors are beginning to demonstrate, Nike has created ads that specifically target seniors. In one particular ad, Nike spotlighted the "Kids and Kubs", a world-renowned senior baseball club. In the ad, George Blake, who is 100 years old and the oldest member of the club, says, "Playing ball keeps me young. It is my primary form of exercise, but I also do a little something each day to maintain strength and flexibility" (Cull 42). The success of this ad helped to support Nike's claim that even the elderly can "Just Do It".
A final demographic factor that has importance to Nike when deciding how and where to market is diversity. Diversity plays a major role in how Nike decides to market its products in the U.
