Basic Economics Project (3 options)
Project – 15% of total grade
Due: 12/9, Hard Copy, email (put Project
in subject line)
Optional Presentation (7/13-7/25)
10-20 points added Project Grade
3 to 5 page Book/Documentary/Podcast Report
(double spaced) on either of the 2 options below:
Mention Economic Factors learned in class
Micro Economics Choice
Option #1 – Pick ONE of the Stories below from:
Business Wars – Podcasts (avg 5 or 6
episodes, 20 to 30 minutes each)
Zz&index=3
Part 4 Steel/Unions:
ogD5R4KPZz
Part 5 JP Morgan Investment Banking & Industry:
PZz&index=5
Part 6 Edison vs Westinghouse electricity,Rockefeller – Gasoline:
PZz&index=6
Part 7 Monopolist vs President Roosevelt (Antitrust Battle):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDMHK9Tcjs&index=7&list=PL5KLJOKDjWUnvej3Ta5z9wGogD5R4KPZz
Part 8 Conclusion – Summary/Philanthropy:
gD5R4KPZz
What is expected?
• 3-5 page (double spaced)
• 3-5 Economic concepts explained from content
• State Monopoly Powers and Abuse
• Results of industry, Laws, competition, etc…..
Option #3 (Macro Econ)->>
3 to 5 page Book/Documentary/Podcast Report
(double spaced) on either of the 2 options below:
Mention Economics Factors
The Big Short > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgqG3ITMv1Q
Margin Call > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjZ-ke1kJrA
What is expected?
• 3-5 page (double spaced)
• 3-5 economic concepts explained from content
• Name 3 mistakes by loser in battle
• Name 3 ideas that won the battle
• Opinion on Future of Market/Industry discussed (fine to
research)
Nike Versus Adidas
Adidas
Adidas is the biggest sportswear manufacturer in Europe based in Germany. It is second
to Nike in the world. The founder of Adidas is Adolf Dassler who was later joined by his elder
brother Rudolf Dassler. The union led to the emergence of the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory
(Brown, 2020). Adolf loved different sports and understood that every sportsman depending on
the sport required a different shoe design. The thought gave rise to sport-oriented shoes so as to
improve the athletes’ performance. In 1949, however, the brothers separated, and Rudolf formed
the Puma brand that became a great rival for Adidas in Europe. Adolf then branded his shoe line
as Adidas at this point (Gurtoo, 2020). The word Adidas was derived from his names. The Adidas
logo was selected based on the shoes’ special feature. The three stripes were a shoe design for
better comfort. Adidas made a brand value of 7 billion US dollars and annual sales of 21 billion
Euros in 2017. According to Gurtoo (2020), it had 56,888 employees and made 50% of its sales
from footwear. Adidas’ brand ambassadors include James Harden, David Beckham, Novak
Djokovic and Pharrell.
Nike
Nike is the largest sportswear manufacture in the world. It is an American based company
that focuses on athletic shoes and sportswear. It was crowned as the first sports business after it
was valued at 19 million U.S dollars in 2014. The founder of Nike is Phill Knight and Bill
Bowerman. Nike derived its name from the goddess of victory of the Greeks. It was initially
known as the Blue-Ribbon Sports. It first worked as a Japanese shoemaker, making the first shoe
for Otis Davis. Otis later won two gold medals in the summer Olympics of 1960 (Gurtoo, 2020).
In the first year, the blue-ribbon sports made a sale of 8000 U.S dollars for 1300 pairs of
Japanese running shoes. The agency came up with their first advertisement in 1977 of “There is
no finish line” then “Just do it” in 1988.
North America is also a target population for Nike due to its sales in 2017. It made 30.57
billion Euros in revenue. Nike has stronger marketing and sponsorship agreements as compared
to Adidas. In 2015, Nike got the opportunity to be the only supplier of uniforms to the NBA.
These wins kept Nike higher on the sport wear map (Gurtoo, 2020). Some of Nike’s products
include Airmax, Air Jordan, Cortez, and Converse. Currently Nike’s brand ambassadors include
Drake, Roger Federer, Christiano Ronaldo and the late Kobe Bryant.
Economic Concepts
Adidas company manufacturers understand scarcity; they focus on quality and not
quantity. Nike, on the other hand, does not focus on quality but on quantity. The supply for the
sportswear has been focused on the North American market to attain highest sales. This has been
adapted by both Nike and Adidas companies. The demand for both their products continue to rise
by the day in all parts of the world. It is as a result of the branding and advertisement for both
companies (Beattie, 2020). Individuals now buy the Adidas and Nike products to make fashion
statements. The target population for both companies includes musicians, professional athletes,
and high fashion individuals. The cost of the products by both Nike and Adidas are made
affordable for their customers. This, however, is different for some of the shoes by either Nike or
Adidas. Incentives are important for the brands. Incentives control their brand ambassadors’
support for the brand.
Mistakes by Loser in Battle
Nike had signed up Kanye West as their ambassador but in 2015, Kanye West dropped
them for Adidas. This was also done by James Harden. Kanye West did this announcement at a
concert hence switching Nike’s fortune. Kanye West’s reason for leaving Nike was that he was
unable to exercise his creative freedom as a designer. He also said that Nike was working of an
old business model and suffocates one’s efforts to grow (Brown, 2020). The customer reviews
and innovation from Nike have since then dwindled. Nike makes one quarter more than Adidas
though it is threatened by Adidas’ ability to meet customer satisfaction and innovation.
Ideas that won the Battle
Adidas has been focusing on the North America market for it understands that this
accounts for 40% of global sports market. Adidas has a better understanding of what its
customers want as compared to Nike. Adidas produces quality over quantity for customer
satisfaction is paramount to them. The game changer for Adidas was when they designed the Yseries. The Y-series involved redefining material for it used boost technology in their shoes
(Brown, 2020). The boost technology utilized thermoplastic polyurethane that compresses under
pressure aiding in shock absorption. The products from Adidas that made them a stronger
contendor for Nike include Y-3 series, Stan Smith, Ultra boost running shoes, Supernova and
NMD.
Opinions on Future of Market/ Industry
The designers from Nike are to be allowed to explore new ideas and risk it. Nike has also
allowed for their brand ambassadors to grow and are open to new ideas. Nike is slowly
embracing technology that would improve the brand.
References
Beattie, A. (2020). 4 economic concepts consumers need to know. Retrieved from http://
www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/11/five-econmic-concepts-need-to-know.asp
Brown, D. (2020). Business Wars: Nike vs. Adidas. Retrieved from https://www.stitcher.com/
show/business-wars/episode/nike-vs-adidas-sneakerheads-1-53487957
Gurtoo, V. (2020). Adidas vs. Nike, the battle is still on! But which one is better? Retrieved from:
http://travel.earth/adidas-vs-nike/
Purchase answer to see full
attachment
Project – 15% of total grade
Due: 12/9, Hard Copy, email (put Project
in subject line)
Optional Presentation (7/13-7/25)
10-20 points added Project Grade
3 to 5 page Book/Documentary/Podcast Report
(double spaced) on either of the 2 options below:
Mention Economic Factors learned in class
Micro Economics Choice
Option #1 – Pick ONE of the Stories below from:
Business Wars – Podcasts (avg 5 or 6
episodes, 20 to 30 minutes each)
• Netflix vs. Blockbuster
• Nike vs. Adidas
• Marvel vs. DC Comics
• The First Computer War (IBM vs Microsoft, IBM Clones)
• Nintendo vs. Sony (gaming systems)
• Ford vs. Chevy
• Ebay vs. Paypal
• Coke vs. Pepsi
• Monster vs. Beats by Dre
• Southwest vs. American – Airline wars
• Xbox vs Playstation
• Napster vs The Record Labels
• Red Bull vs Monster
• McDonalds vs Burger King
• Browser Wars
• USFL vs NFL
• More have become available
What is expected?
• 3-5 page (double spaced)
• 3-5 economic concepts explained from content
• Name 3 mistakes by loser in battle
• Name 3 ideas that won the battle
• Opinion on Future of Market/Industry discussed (fine to
research)
Option #2->> Men Who Built America series
Intro – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQcSQ1ZcaT8
Trailer of All
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR7oHh-fXUw –
Vanderbilt (RailRoads) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9Gq-eKO6SQ
Ford https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymEa24r0xXk
Monopoly Documentaries
Pick 3 (5 pts extra credit for extra episode 1
page briefing) 2 allowed.
8 episodes (43 minutes each) of “The Men Who Built
America”, talks about Industry and Monopolies. I will
give participation point for being able to have
discussion about this in class.
Links should work, be patient or try another on
youtube list
Part 1- Vanderbilt Railroad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyFxZVPsY0&list=PL5KLJOKDjWUnvej3Ta5z9wGogD5R4KPZz
Part 2 Rockefeller Oil -:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef1C7c8NAo&list=PL5KLJOKDjWUnvej3Ta5z9wGogD5R4KPZz&index=2
Part 3 Carnegie Steel:
Zz&index=3
Part 4 Steel/Unions:
ogD5R4KPZz
Part 5 JP Morgan Investment Banking & Industry:
PZz&index=5
Part 6 Edison vs Westinghouse electricity,Rockefeller – Gasoline:
PZz&index=6
Part 7 Monopolist vs President Roosevelt (Antitrust Battle):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDMHK9Tcjs&index=7&list=PL5KLJOKDjWUnvej3Ta5z9wGogD5R4KPZz
Part 8 Conclusion – Summary/Philanthropy:
gD5R4KPZz
What is expected?
• 3-5 page (double spaced)
• 3-5 Economic concepts explained from content
• State Monopoly Powers and Abuse
• Results of industry, Laws, competition, etc…..
Option #3 (Macro Econ)->>
3 to 5 page Book/Documentary/Podcast Report
(double spaced) on either of the 2 options below:
Mention Economics Factors
The Big Short > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgqG3ITMv1Q
Margin Call > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjZ-ke1kJrA
What is expected?
• 3-5 page (double spaced)
• 3-5 economic concepts explained from content
• Name 3 mistakes by loser in battle
• Name 3 ideas that won the battle
• Opinion on Future of Market/Industry discussed (fine to
research)
Nike Versus Adidas
Adidas
Adidas is the biggest sportswear manufacturer in Europe based in Germany. It is second
to Nike in the world. The founder of Adidas is Adolf Dassler who was later joined by his elder
brother Rudolf Dassler. The union led to the emergence of the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory
(Brown, 2020). Adolf loved different sports and understood that every sportsman depending on
the sport required a different shoe design. The thought gave rise to sport-oriented shoes so as to
improve the athletes’ performance. In 1949, however, the brothers separated, and Rudolf formed
the Puma brand that became a great rival for Adidas in Europe. Adolf then branded his shoe line
as Adidas at this point (Gurtoo, 2020). The word Adidas was derived from his names. The Adidas
logo was selected based on the shoes’ special feature. The three stripes were a shoe design for
better comfort. Adidas made a brand value of 7 billion US dollars and annual sales of 21 billion
Euros in 2017. According to Gurtoo (2020), it had 56,888 employees and made 50% of its sales
from footwear. Adidas’ brand ambassadors include James Harden, David Beckham, Novak
Djokovic and Pharrell.
Nike
Nike is the largest sportswear manufacture in the world. It is an American based company
that focuses on athletic shoes and sportswear. It was crowned as the first sports business after it
was valued at 19 million U.S dollars in 2014. The founder of Nike is Phill Knight and Bill
Bowerman. Nike derived its name from the goddess of victory of the Greeks. It was initially
known as the Blue-Ribbon Sports. It first worked as a Japanese shoemaker, making the first shoe
for Otis Davis. Otis later won two gold medals in the summer Olympics of 1960 (Gurtoo, 2020).
In the first year, the blue-ribbon sports made a sale of 8000 U.S dollars for 1300 pairs of
Japanese running shoes. The agency came up with their first advertisement in 1977 of “There is
no finish line” then “Just do it” in 1988.
North America is also a target population for Nike due to its sales in 2017. It made 30.57
billion Euros in revenue. Nike has stronger marketing and sponsorship agreements as compared
to Adidas. In 2015, Nike got the opportunity to be the only supplier of uniforms to the NBA.
These wins kept Nike higher on the sport wear map (Gurtoo, 2020). Some of Nike’s products
include Airmax, Air Jordan, Cortez, and Converse. Currently Nike’s brand ambassadors include
Drake, Roger Federer, Christiano Ronaldo and the late Kobe Bryant.
Economic Concepts
Adidas company manufacturers understand scarcity; they focus on quality and not
quantity. Nike, on the other hand, does not focus on quality but on quantity. The supply for the
sportswear has been focused on the North American market to attain highest sales. This has been
adapted by both Nike and Adidas companies. The demand for both their products continue to rise
by the day in all parts of the world. It is as a result of the branding and advertisement for both
companies (Beattie, 2020). Individuals now buy the Adidas and Nike products to make fashion
statements. The target population for both companies includes musicians, professional athletes,
and high fashion individuals. The cost of the products by both Nike and Adidas are made
affordable for their customers. This, however, is different for some of the shoes by either Nike or
Adidas. Incentives are important for the brands. Incentives control their brand ambassadors’
support for the brand.
Mistakes by Loser in Battle
Nike had signed up Kanye West as their ambassador but in 2015, Kanye West dropped
them for Adidas. This was also done by James Harden. Kanye West did this announcement at a
concert hence switching Nike’s fortune. Kanye West’s reason for leaving Nike was that he was
unable to exercise his creative freedom as a designer. He also said that Nike was working of an
old business model and suffocates one’s efforts to grow (Brown, 2020). The customer reviews
and innovation from Nike have since then dwindled. Nike makes one quarter more than Adidas
though it is threatened by Adidas’ ability to meet customer satisfaction and innovation.
Ideas that won the Battle
Adidas has been focusing on the North America market for it understands that this
accounts for 40% of global sports market. Adidas has a better understanding of what its
customers want as compared to Nike. Adidas produces quality over quantity for customer
satisfaction is paramount to them. The game changer for Adidas was when they designed the Yseries. The Y-series involved redefining material for it used boost technology in their shoes
(Brown, 2020). The boost technology utilized thermoplastic polyurethane that compresses under
pressure aiding in shock absorption. The products from Adidas that made them a stronger
contendor for Nike include Y-3 series, Stan Smith, Ultra boost running shoes, Supernova and
NMD.
Opinions on Future of Market/ Industry
The designers from Nike are to be allowed to explore new ideas and risk it. Nike has also
allowed for their brand ambassadors to grow and are open to new ideas. Nike is slowly
embracing technology that would improve the brand.
References
Beattie, A. (2020). 4 economic concepts consumers need to know. Retrieved from http://
www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/11/five-econmic-concepts-need-to-know.asp
Brown, D. (2020). Business Wars: Nike vs. Adidas. Retrieved from https://www.stitcher.com/
show/business-wars/episode/nike-vs-adidas-sneakerheads-1-53487957
Gurtoo, V. (2020). Adidas vs. Nike, the battle is still on! But which one is better? Retrieved from:
http://travel.earth/adidas-vs-nike/
Purchase answer to see full
attachment
