Here are some facts: The U.S market share of Nike was only around 48% in 2006. Two years later, 2008, the number has increased up to 61%. Sport goods belong to a very competitive segment and this kind of increase is somehow magical. U.S marketers are still passionately discussing, how this Lifestyle-Brand could achieve such an amazing result.

The main argument in the discussion centers quite obvious on the name of Nikeplus. More of the scene’s insiders believe that the influence of Nike’s own social network is barely even considered. The former Nike Marketing advisor – Ted Mininni wrote: „There’s no doubt that social marketing has had an impact at Nike. Question is, how much?“

With the success of Nikeplus.com, Business Week puts up the question, if Nike with its community actually created standards for other brands networks? But somehow, there exists seldom company, which started its own online network and then achieved such brilliant success. As said by Nike’s global director of consumer connections – Stefan Olander – „ It was never about how can we convert some percentage of users (to buy Nike shoes), it was about creating a social network for dedicated runners. . .“.

Mininni summed up on the results to the Business Week’s article:
“- The use of social networks has grown 38% in the past year, per comScore.
- A recent McKinsey survey found that many companies are struggling with Web 2.0 technology.
- McKinsey also cited that only 21% of nearly 2000 executives surveyed were satisfied with available software to launch blogs or create social media.“