Company Research
Nike Inc.
Nike Inc. employed more than 44,000 people worldwide as of 2012. The company’s main industry is in apparel and textiles with a sub industry in shoe manufacturing. Nike is involved in design, development and marketing of footwear, apparel, equipment and accessory products. The company sells its products in over 190 countries. The merchandise becomes available to the consumer in three primary methods: Nike retail stores, Internet sales, and a mix of independent distributors and licensees.
In the fiscal year 2012, Nike revenue reached nearly $24.1 billion and for the 2013 fiscal year, revenue is up 8% to $25.3 billion. The Nike brand, valued at $10.7 billion is the highest among all sports branding companies. The growth and profitability generated by Nike's intangible assets, like its “globally recognizable swoosh logo and ‘Just Do It’ slogan are reflected in its price-to-book ratio of 3.4, which is 50% better than the overall market.”1
Nike has many affiliated brands, they include: Cole Hann, Converse, Hurley, Jordan Brand, Nike Golf, and Umbro. Nike’s culture is what interests me. Nike brand footwear is the single largest contributor to Nike’s stock value; it represents over 45% of its stock value. Experts expect Nike’s market share to rise from 4.9% in 2012 to 6.5% by 2019. “Nike’s 4% share of the $125 billion global sports apparel market is small compared to its 17% share of the worldwide athletic shoe market. However, the global sports apparel market is estimated to be twice the size of the global sports footwear market, so even a small share adds significant value to Nike’s stock.”2
The pay is not at the top of the industry, but they offer full benefits and 401K options. I am interested in working at Nike not only for the culture, but also because of the continuous growth of both their employees and products. Because I am an Oregonian, it is also appealing to work for an innovative company whose roots are here in Oregon. I like the encouragement of a healthy lifestyle by giving employees the freedom to workout during the day, and an employee discount is definitely an advantage. (263)

The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company has been around for over 125 year whose focus is in the beverage industry. The company offers 500 different brands across more than 200 countries, serving 1.7 billion servings each day. Coca-Cola is ranked among the top ten private employers and has 92,800 worldwide employees. For the 2012 fiscal year, Coca-Cola generated just over $48 billion dollars, a growth of 3.2% in one year.
In 2012, $101.6 million dollars was donated to support sustainable community initiatives around the world through the Coca-Cola Foundation and Coca-Cola Company. This company strives to make a positive difference in the world, which is a very