1. The case indicates that Nike’s core competency is to create heroes. What does this mean? How did Nike build its core competency? Does it obey the VRIO attributes?
2. What would it take for Nike’s approach to turn from a strength into a weakness? Did this tipping point already occur? Why or why not?
3. What recommendations would you have for Phil Knight and Nike? Can you identify a way to “reframe” the competency of creating heroes? Or to think about a new way to think of heroes that would continue to build the brand?
4. If you are a competitor of Nike (such as adidas, Under Armour, New Balance, or Li Ning), how could you exploit Nike’s apparent vulnerability? Provide a set of concrete recommendations.