CONTENT

Content Page

a)Executive Summary 2

b)Company Background 2-5

c)Situational Analysis 5-6

d)System Application Product 7

e)Operation 8-9

f)Financial 10-14

h)Summary 15

i)Recommendation 16-19

j)References/Appendixes 20

1

CONVERSE

Executive Summary

Converse was founded in 1908 and by 1917 the All Star shoes were introduced on the market as

an American made product. In 1923 the shoes were renamed the Chuck Taylor, after the

semiprofessional basketball player. By 1970, eighty percent of basketball players wore Converse

shoes out on the court. In 1983 their revenue was $209 million. Converse faced a lot of

competition, and in 1989 they only held five percent of the market share. In 2001 their revenue

had dropped to $185 million. Nike bought Converse out in 2003 for $305 million and put more

than four million dollars into advertising. Today, Converse has over 1,000 different types of

Chucks, a men’s clothing line and a women’s clothing line. Converse is continuing to bring in

some revenue for Nike, and below is a SWOT analysis showing Converse’s strengths,

weaknesses, opportunities in where they could grow and the threats to the company.  

Company Background

Converse, Inc. is a designer, distributor and marketer of high-performance and casual athletic

footwear and apparel for men, women and children. The Company's products primarily include

athletic footwear distinguished by its sports classics, sports performance and sports lifestyle

product categories, comprising approximately 37%, 27% and 36%, respectively, of the

Company's sales. The sports classics footwear category includes the Chuck Taylor All Star, the

Jack Purcell tennis shoe, the One Star court shoe and other authentic heritage products. The

sports performance footwear category focuses on basketball footwear, while the sports lifestyle

products are designed to appeal to trend-conscious consumers seeking casual footwear. The

Company's products are sold in over 12,000 athletic specialty, sporting goods, department and

national chain stores across the United States and Canada, and also through Converse's 43

licensees in over 100 countries.

2

The Company’s History .

The Beginning

Sometime in 1908, Marquis Mills Converse decided to start a rubber shoe company, bypassing a

rubber trust that prevented most companies from doing business directly with their retailers.

Early catalogs bragged about how many trucks left the Converse factory in Malden,

Massachusetts, delivering product directly to stores in Boston. Mr. Converse’s idea worked. But

more importantly, it survived.

1908-1918

In 1913, Converse produced a catalog with the following words: “Our company was organized in

1908 fully believing that there was an earnest demand from the retail shoe dealer for a rubber

shoe company that would be independent enough not to follow every other company in every

thing they do.” Those words would prove prophetic. Always a brand for those independent

enough not to follow, the young company would take up with a young sport: Basketball. Also,

Converse made tires. But the basketball shoes gained more traction.

1918-1928

Chuck Taylor joins the Converse Rubber Company. How it happened remains lost to history, but

the reason isn’t: Chuck Taylor loved basketball and desired nothing so much as to spread of the

word of the new game and sell the sneakers it required.

1928-1938

By the time he lent his name to his signature badminton shoe in 1935, Jack Purcell had won five

consecutive Canadian championships and been declared the world badminton champion. The

Jack Purcell sneaker retains the legacy of its namesake and the feel of his sport.

1938-1948

World War II provided Converse with a singular opportunity. Many products destined for

servicemen overseas now became a focus of Converse manufacturing. The product range

included footwear, apparel, boots for pilots and army servicemen, parkas, and rubber protective

suits and ponchos.

3

1948-1958

The invention of Rock & Roll. It was loud, lewd, filthy and everything everyone who feared it

said it was. It was also a movement in search of a uniform: It found the leather jacket, the blue

jean and the high-top sneaker. Interestingly enough, right about this time, the high-top sneaker

was around for the birth of something else: The National Basketball Association.

1958-1968

A decade of change — for everybody. Rock & Roll and pro basketball grew up (in Chucks), and

All Stars finally came in colors. In tumultuous times, legends are born — and from a green and

white basketball team to a British invasion, from rooftops to alfalfa fields, Converse was along

for the ride.

1968-1978

Somewhere right around 1974, the All Star sneaker got a little bit of a makeover. Remade in

colorful suede with a big, bold star on the side, it was built for basketball—but there was

something about its brashness and brightness that would make it irresistible to a generation of

rockers, skaters and rebellious souls. Then around ’76 came the Pro Leather, an instant favorite

in a time when the game needed a vibe.

1978-1988

An immediate on-court favorite, the Weapon sneaker became almost universally favored by

professional, college and high school teams throughout the 1980s and ’90s. In 1986, Converse

launched the “Choose Your Weapon” ad campaign, featuring two of the game’s biggest rivals

wearing one of the game’s biggest shoes. Over 20 years later, the legacy of Weapon — and its

place in sport and culture — continues to challenge the competition.

1988-1998

First came Grandmama. That was a big deal. Then, in 1996, Converse had a hit on its hands with

a basketball shoe called the All Star 2000. It was the first attempt at replicating the Chuck Taylor

All Star sneaker for contemporary competition, and there was something about its ankle patch,

red midsole stripe and no-nonsense approach to the game that at least 1 million people couldn’t

resist.

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1998-2008

The brand enters its second century by honoring its heritage of seeing things a little differently,

loving people who want to change the world for the better, and basically celebrating the spirit of

rebellion and originality in basketball, Rock & Roll and anywhere else you find it.

2008-2010

 In July 2003, Nike paid US$305 million to acquire Converse Inc., makers of the iconic Chuck

Taylor All Stars.It officialy make converse inc became a subsidiary of NIKE .

Situation Analysis  

SWOT Analysis Converse, Inc.

Strengths.

Converse is a very competitive organization. Marquis Mills (Founder and CEO) is often quoted

as saying that 'Business is war without bullets.' Converse has a healthy dislike of is competitors.

At the X-games, Vans went to the expense of sponsoring the games. Converse did not. However

Converse sponsored the top athletes and gained valuable coverage.

Converse has an oldest factories ever build than other. This makes a very lean organization.

Converse is strong at research and development, as is evidenced by its evolving and innovative

product range. They then manufacture wherever they can produce high quality product at the

lowest possible price. If prices rise, and products can be made more cheaply elsewhere (to the

same or better specification), Converse will move production.

Converse is a global brand. It is the number seventeen sports brand in the World. Its famous

'Swoosh' is instantly recognizable.

Weaknesses.

The organization does have a diversified range of sports products. However, the income of the

business is still heavily dependent upon its share of the footwear market. This may leave it

vulnerable if for any reason its market share erodes.

The retail sector is very price sensitive. Converse does have its own retailer in Converse Town.

However, most of its income is derived from selling into retailers. Retailers tend to offer a very

similar experience to the consumer. Can you tell one sports retailer from another? So margins

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tend to get squeezed as retailers try to pass some of the low price competition pressure onto

Converse.

Opportunities.

Product development offers Converse many opportunities. The brand is fiercely defended by its

owners whom truly believe that Converse is a fashion brand. However, like it or not, consumers

that wear Converse product do always buy it to get fit in fashion. Some would argue that in

youth culture especially, Converse is a sport brand.

There is also the opportunity to develop products such as bag, and shirt . Such high value items

do tend to have associated with them, high profits.

The business could also be developed internationally, building upon its strong global brand

recognition. There are many markets that have the disposable income to spend on high value

sports goods. For example, emerging markets such as China and India have a new richer

generation of consumers.

Threats.

Coverse is exposed to the international nature of trade. It buys and sells in different currencies

and so costs and margins are not stable over long periods of time. Such an exposure could mean

that Converse may be manufacturing and/or selling at a loss. This is an issue that faces all global

brands.

As discussed above in weaknesses, the retail sector is becoming price competitive. This

ultimately means that consumers are shopping around for a better deal. So if one store charges a

price for a pair of sports shoes, the consumer could go to the store along the street to compare

prices for the exactly the same item, and buy the cheaper of the two. Such consumer price

sensitivity is a potential external threat to Converse.

6

SAP(System Application Product)

The SAP Apparel and Footwear Solution is the foundation system for the Converse Supply

Chain (CSC) project. The CSC project ultimately will consolidate a wide variety of legacy

application subsystems into approximately five core systems. SAP AFS provides Nike with a

complete enterprise management system, including capabilities for financials, order fulfillment,

and logistics. The solution’s data structure, designed specifically to meet the unique requirements

of the apparel and footwear industry, will allow Converse to more effectively manage its

inventory. “Converse’s successful execution of a deployment of this size and scope clearly

positions the company among the vanguard of the industry’s most effective users of technology,”

said Henning Kagermann, co-chairman and CEO, SAP AG. “SAP is committed to providing the

world’s leading companies with unparalleled vertical industry solutions and a clear path to e-

business excellence with mySAP.com.”Converse is extending the roll out of the SAP solution to

its European operations later in 2002. The Converse-led implementation effort was supported by

a multi-disciplinary team of consulting resources from SAP’s Professional Services Organization

and companies such as Bristlecone Inc. and HP.SAP AFS is an integrated and comprehensive

solution to address the particular needs of the apparel and footwear industry. It puts apparel and

footwear companies in complete control of their supply chain, from procuring raw materials to

delivering finished styles. The solution integrates global sourcing, in-house and offshore

manufacturing, subcontracting, and direct shipment processes so that global strategies can be

implemented and a consistent quality ensured.

7

Converse Operation

The Company also announced that Michael Lewis, co-founder and former president of Apex

One, has been named Converse Senior Vice President of Product and Design for both footwear

and apparel, effective immediately. 

Converse Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gib Ford stated that the integration of Apex

into the Converse operation is well underway. "The transition teams are in place to ensure the

scheduled delivery of Apex One's 1995 back-to-school orders, as well as beginning the extensive

logistical arrangements involved in the integration of the two companies into one operation. The

Apex headquarters and distribution center in Piscataway, N.J. will cease operations in early

1996, incorporating the apparel distribution into the existing Converse distribution center." 

Mr. Ford added that, "Converse will integrate approximately 45 Apex employees into its

corporate operation, as well as 35 employees from the Apex international offices in Germany

and Hong Kong, over the next few months. We will also launch the first head-to-toe Converse

footwear and apparel programs during the 1995 holiday selling season, where the consumer will

see the first results of our acquisition of Apex. The fully integrated footwear and apparel

programs will be delivered in spring 1996 with the Apex acquisition expected to contribute to

earnings in 1996." 

During the next six months, the Company will merge several Apex operational functions

including customer service, finance, MIS, credit and distribution, into existing Converse

departments. Other Converse functions, such as sports marketing, will be expanded due to the

addition of Apex One's licensing agreements with various professional sports teams and leagues

under licenses granted by the National Football League (NFL), the United States Olympic

Committee and numerous North American colleges and universities, which will be added to the

extensive list of Converse endorsement contracts with several NBAR athletes, coaches and

college teams. 

"As a result of the Apex acquisition, Converse has more than doubled the number of professional

players, teams, colleges and universities it will be working with," Mr. Ford stated. "Combined

with our existing position as the official shoe of the NBA and the Women's Basketball Coaches

Association, plus the addition of the strong Apex licensing affiliations, Converse will have a

comprehensive head-to-toe presence on the court and playing field beginning this holiday

season." 

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The details of the Apex acquisition under the terms of the purchase agreement involve Converse

issuing $11 million of subordinated notes to Apex investors and 1.75 million warrants for five

years to purchase shares of Converse Inc. stock at an exercise price of $11.40. In the purchase

agreement, Converse agreed to discharge certain liabilities, including approximately $21 million

of existing Apex bank debt. On May 18, 1995 as a wholly-owned Converse subsidiary, Apex

entered into a $50 million credit facility with Banker's Trust Commercial Corporation for the

Company's working capital requirements and to retire the existing Apex bank debt. 

Converse Inc., the largest U.S. manufacturer of athletic shoes, is a leading designer,

manufacturer and marketer of high quality athletic and leisure footwear and is a licensor of

sports apparel and accessories that are distributed worldwide through over 9,000 athletic

specialty, sporting goods, department and shoe stores. 

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Converse Financial

  2010 2009 2008 2007 2006

Period End Date 12/31/2010 12/31/2009 12/31/2008 12/31/2007 12/31/2006

Period Length 12 Months 12 Months 12 Months 12 Months 12 Months

Stmt Source ARS ARS ARS ARS ARS

Stmt Source Date 03/02/2011 03/03/2010 03/04/2009 03/05/2008 03/07/2007

Stmt Update Type Updated Updated Updated Updated Updated

           

Revenue 11,990.0 10,381.0 10,799.0 10,299.0 10,084.0

Total Revenue 11,990.0 10,381.0 10,799.0 10,299.0 10,084.0

           

Cost of Revenue, Total 6,260.0 5,669.0 5,543.0 5,417.0 5,589.0

Gross Profit 5,730.0 4,712.0 5,256.0 4,882.0 4,495.0

           

Selling/General/Administrative

Expenses, Total

0.0 0.0 4,069.0 3,827.0 3,413.0

Research & Development 0.0 0.0 81.0 84.0 98.0

Depreciation/Amortization 260.0 294.0 228.0 204.0 193.0

Interest Expense (Income), Net

Operating

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Unusual Expense (Income) -23.0 -3.0 -10.0 -21.0 0.0

Other Operating Expenses, Total 4,599.0 3,913.0 -182.0 -161.0 -90.0

Operating Income 894.0 508.0 1,070.0 949.0 881.0

           

Interest Income (Expense), Net Non-

Operating

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Gain (Loss) on Sale of Assets 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Other, Net 1.0 -28.0 -25.0 5.0 -11.0

Income Before Tax 806.0 358.0 904.0 815.0 723.0

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Income Tax - Total 238.0 113.0 260.0 260.0 227.0

Income After Tax 568.0 245.0 644.0 555.0 496.0

           

Minority Interest -1.0 0.0 -2.0 -4.0 -13.0

Equity In Affiliates 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

U.S. GAAP Adjustment 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Net Income Before Extra. Items 567.0 245.0 642.0 551.0 483.0

           

Total Extraordinary Items 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Net Income 567.0 245.0 642.0 551.0 483.0

           

           

Total Adjustments to Net Income 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

           

Basic Weighted Average Shares 209.22 196.22 197.56 203.59 203.39

Basic EPS Excluding Extraordinary

Items

2.71 1.25 3.25 2.71 2.37

Basic EPS Including Extraordinary

Items

2.71 1.25 3.25 2.71 2.37

           

Diluted Weighted Average Shares 209.22 209.24 213.33 219.47 219.4

Diluted EPS Excluding Extrordinary

Items

2.71 1.22 3.07 2.57 2.26

Diluted EPS Including Extraordinary

Items

2.71 1.22 3.07 2.57 2.26

           

Dividends per Share - Common Stock

Primary Issue

0.8 0.35 0.5 0.5 0.42

Gross Dividends - Common Stock 167.0 73.0 97.0 99.0 85.0

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Interest Expense, Supplemental 112.0 138.0 178.0 166.0 184.0

Depreciation, Supplemental 194.0 198.0 165.0 145.0 129.0

           

Normalized EBITDA 1,120.0 769.0 1,286.0 1,137.0 1,079.0

Normalized EBIT 871.0 505.0 1,060.0 928.0 881.0

Normalized Income Before Tax 783.0 355.0 894.0 794.0 723.0

Normalized Income After Taxes 551.79 242.95 636.88 540.7 496.0

Normalized Income Available to

Common

550.79 242.95 634.88 536.7 483.0

           

Basic Normalized EPS 2.63 1.24 3.21 2.64 2.37

Diluted Normalized EPS 2.63 1.21 3.04 2.5 2.26

Amortization of Intangibles 55.0 66.0 61.0 64.0 69.0

Table of Key Financial Ratios

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RATIO: Formula: Calculation :

(in millions)

NIKE: Industry :

Liquidity Current Current

assets/current

liabilities

3264.9

1446.9

=2.26 times =2.28

times

Quick/acid

test

Current assets-

Inv./current

liabilities

3264.9-

1199.3

1446.9

=1.43 times =1.17

times

Activity Inventory

turnover

Sales/inventory 8776.9

1199.3

=7.32 times =4.34

times

Collection

period

Accounts

Rec./Average

sales per day

1540.1

8776.9/360

=63.17 days =7.71 days

Total assets

turnover

Sales/total

assets

8776.9

5247.7

=1.67 times =1.69

times

           

Leverage Debt to total

assets

Total debt/total

assets

806.2

5247.7

=15.36% =40.69%

Times

interest

earned

Net operating

income/Interest

expense

856.8

44.1

=19.43 times =21.88

times

Profitability Profit

margin

Net income/net

sales

451.4

8776.9

=5.14% = 5.69%

Return on

Equity

Net income/net

worth

451.4

3334.9

=13.54% =18.77 %

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Profile Of The Competitor

Vans, in terms of their products, is not entirely different from Converse. Vans is involved in the

design and marketing of both athletic and non-athletic footwear and apparel, as well as other

various fitness projects. vans’s market share is a distant third in the footwear industry at 11.2%

(compared to 30.4% and 15.5% for Converse and Adidas respectively). Converse’s financial

position has been gradually slipping for a number of years. This is evident in their declining

stock price, which has fallen by over 80 percent in the last four years. Vans’s financial woes are

illustrated in their declining net sales. Vans’s net sales declined 9% during the first three-quarters

of fiscal year 1999. During that same period, net income declined 17%. Taking these and other

factors into account leaves Vans’s current financial position, as a whole, looking bleak.

Summary

When Marquis Mills Converse started his shoe manufacturing business called the Converse

Rubber Shoe Company in 1908, little did he know that the company would see such astounding

success. Continuing success over the decades since the company was formed has catapulted

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Converse Shoes into a major brand in the footwear industry. Thanks to its endorsement by to

basketball players in the country, they have become synonymous with this sport.But Converse

Shoes' road to accomplishment has hardly been easy. Situated in Malden, Massachusetts, the

Converse Rubber Shoe Company was doing lukewarm business till basketball player Chuck

Taylor came along. The NBA star Chuck Taylor often complained of pain in his feet while

playing basketball. Converse Rubber Shoe Company, in the year 1917, introduced its most

famous brand, the Converse All Star Basketball Shoe. This footwear invention became a rage in

the world, and it continues to be one of the most sought-after sports shoes in the world even

today.The USP of the Converse All Star shoe is its amazing comfort combined with great style.

In fact, Converse All Star shoes continue to rank number one for most celebrities. This however,

does not mean that the brand did not have to contend with heavy competition, but its durability

has led the Converse Shoes to emerge at the top of it. During the 1980s, the company Converse

Rubber Shoe Company was bought by Nike, but the brand Converse All Star continued to live.In

the present times, Converse shoes are worn not just by sports persons, but are also a huge

favorite of the common man. Kids often wear them to school. While these shoes were available

only in black and white color initially, but later the color swatch of Converse All Star Shoes was

expanded to include seven additional colors.

Recommendations(Nike inc acquire Converse inc )

Arising from our work and the "Findings" and "Observations" previously stated, we submit here

for NIKE's consideration a number of recommendations. In some instances, these suggestions

are "directional" and indicate general areas or topics for additional work or focus. In others -

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where we are comfortable doing so - we offer specific ways in which these recommendations

might be effectively implemented.

     1. Recommendation: NIKE should continue its efforts to support and implement the

provisions of the Apparel Industry Partnership which resulted in the first major agreement -

across industry lines - to set voluntary, global standards and goals for international labor

practices.

     While it was probably considered an imperfect result, particularly by the parties who

participated in it, the Apparel Industry Partnership represents a significant collaboration among

the apparel industry and the NGOs on a critical global issue. It is our strong recommendation that

NIKE continue to play a leadership role in this important effort.

     2. Recommendation: NIKE should take more aggressive steps to explain and enforce the

Code Of Conduct.

     I am aware of some of the efforts already underway to increase both awareness and

enforcement of the Code Of Conduct, but NIKE can do more.

     During my trip to Asia, I had the opportunity to meet and talk with the NIKE Labor Practices

staff who worked in the countries visited.  I found that Director of Labor Practices Dusty Kidd

already had some ambitious plans to enhance training and education and was very open to our

specific suggestions as to what might be done to improve the overall relationship between the

management and workers. I made a number of suggestions to him related to the Code Of

Conduct and repeat them here:

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     A. NIKE should do a better job of explaining to new and current employees the importance of

the NIKE "Code" which is a covenant between NIKE, the factory operators and employees.

     B. The NIKE "Code Of Conduct" should be displayed more prominently in the factories

where NIKE goods are produced.

     C. Each worker should be given a card suitable for a billfold or pocketbook which contains

the "Code Of Conduct" written in the local language and signed by the plant manager.

     D. Hold regular sessions with expatriate managers, new and current employees, explaining

the Code Of Conduct and the workers' rights under that Code.

     3. Recommendation: NIKE should take pro-active steps to promote the development of

"worker representatives" in the factories who can effectively represent the workers' individual

and cumulative interests.

     A common problem in some factories is that the "worker representatives" are full-time

employees and do not have time to understand problems and communicate grievances to the

factory management. NIKE should take specific steps to insure that in each factory which

produces its goods there are qualified people who have the time and ability to forge relationships

with the workers and can be the workers' voice and advocate with factory management.

     It makes little sense to have an elaborate procedure for a worker to air a grievance if the

worker is not aware of the procedure and/or does not know how to utilize it. Effective worker

representation is needed.

     4. Recommendation: NIKE should insist that the factories which manufacture its products

create and enforce a better grievance system within the factory that allows a worker to report a

complaint or abuse without the fear of retribution or reprisal.

     A worker in any factory should have a way to register a complaint that can be seriously

considered by factory management. That same worker - if he or she fails to get satisfaction from

factory management and/or fears personal reprisal - should have some practical and confidential

way to communicate with NIKE. (A specific suggestion is offered in #6 which follows.)

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     5. Recommendation: NIKE should expand its dialogue and relationship with the human rights

community and the labor groups within the countries where they produce goods and with their

international counterparts.

     I come from the larger NGO and human rights community and understand their purpose.

These groups - created on high principles and universal values - demand perfection of all us and

are not easily satisfied. They play a special and important role in our world today.

     I believe that NIKE will accomplish more for themselves and for those in the factories by

working directly with the NGOs and the human rights community on these problems, whenever

possible. The direct dialogue with the human rights and NGO community which grew out of the

Apparel Industry Partnership should be continued and is in the best interests of the workers.

     I have seen harsh criticisms of NIKE by some of these groups that have no basis in fact. This

type of exaggerated rhetoric only makes NIKE less inclined to work with these very groups who

have the ability to help them to understand and deal with many of these problems. It is asking a

lot of NIKE to trust groups who have made irresponsible statements about them.

     6. Recommendation: NIKE should consider some type of "external monitoring" on an

ongoing basis as a way to demonstrate its commitment to the Code Of Conduct and to insure its

effective application.

     First, it is very important that the ongoing "spot audits"- conducted by Ernst and Young and

by Price Waterhouse - be continued. While these audits may not have much credibility with the

NGOs, I know from having examined them they are professionally done, rigorous in their

examination of these issues and very useful for NIKE's in-country management.

     But NIKE should do more, and I have several suggestions.

     Many have called for NIKE to submit to "independent monitoring" which has different

meanings to different people.

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     To some, this means turning over monitoring factory compliance with NIKE's Code Of

Conduct to NIKE's critics, and giving these organizations free access to the plants which produce

NIKE goods so that they can monitor and publicize worker conditions and problems.

     This is - in my opinion - neither a practical nor fair solution. I am not aware of a single

Western institution, public or private, profit or non-profit - whether it be a business, a law or

accounting firm, a newspaper, a hospital, a church or a labor union - which permits its critics to

be the final arbiter in evaluating its performance.

     The Southern Christian Leadership Conference was a major force in the passage of the Voting

Rights Bill, but we were never asked to be official "election monitors" in areas of the South

where this new and controversial law was enforced. The AFL-CIO would never invite the

Chamber of Commerce to "audit" their work. The American Bar Association would never allow

the American Medical Association to "monitor" its professional standards.

     As a practical matter people, and groups on the opposite sides of a hotly debated issue are not

considered objective, independent monitors of that same issue.

     However, I do have two suggestions for accomplishing the same objectives.

First, I believe a more relevant and useful model is the "ombudsman" model used by some large

news organizations. I would recommend that NIKE consider establishing an "ombudsman"

inside each major country that manufactures its products and have a practical way - by mail, by

phone or by after hours office - for workers to report abuses, violations of the Code Of Conduct

or national law after the worker has exhausted his or her remedies within the plant. It would

undermine the responsibility that the individual factory has, to comply with the Code of Conduct

and national laws, if a mechanism is established that encourages all complaints and grievances to

be presented externally.

Secondly, I believe that a small panel of distinguished international citizens could be assembled

to monitor these factories on a regular basis. As I have personally discovered, the "learning

curve" on these issues is steep. If the same group of people developed a familiarity with these

issues and monitored these factories over a two or three year period, it would provide the public

and NIKE a broader perspective and continuity not possible in my six-month assignment.

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References.

http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Converse-Company-Background/176983

http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Converse-We-Love-You-Chucks-Marketing/452235

http://www.marketingteacher.com/swot/nike-swot.html(convert nike to converse)

http://www.converse.com/About/Index.aspx

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