Online Business Communication

When thinking of companies to research and observe their online communication, Nike came straight to mind. It has a strong online presence that feels clear and intentional, and has a great balance in its marketing. After looking through its website and social media, it's obvious that the company knows who they are talking to and what message they want to send. In The Rhetorical Act, Campbell, Huxman, and Burkholder explain that communication always has a purpose and is shaped by the audience it's trying to reach (2014). Nike's online platforms show that idea in a real-world way.

At the top of Nike's homepage, you can see simple tabs for navigation like Men, Women, Kids, and Sport. This makes it easy to find what you're looking for right away. The middle of the page features new releases and collections with visuals and short phrases. It's not crowded with text, which keeps it easy to scroll and not get overwhelmed. At the bottom, there are links for customer service, returns, and company information. The layout feels user-friendly, which makes it very effective.

On social media, Nike shares a lot of athlete stories, campaign videos, and motivational content. The brand focuses on performance and determination rather than just pushing products. As Campbell et al. (2014) points out, messages shape how audiences understand a brand. Nike consistently sends the message that stands for hard work and achievement.

If anything, Nike could make its sustainability efforts more visible and interact more directly with followers. Overall though, its online communication is clear, consistent, and purposeful, which is what makes it such a strong brand.

References:

Campbell, K. K., Huxman, S. S., & Burkholder, T. A. (2014). The rhetorical act: Thinking, speaking, and writing critically (5th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Comments

About Me!

Hi everyone! My name is Avery Pleiman, and I am currently a freshman at Oregon State, majoring in BioHealth Sciences on the Pre-PA track. I am from Independence, Kentucky, and currently live on campus in Corvallis, Oregon. This is my first communications course, and I’m excited to learn more about different ways to communicate and improve my skills throughout the term. I use online communication a lot to stay in touch with friends and family, share updates on social media, and keep up with school-related resources. The platforms I use most are iMessages, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok because they are fast, easy, and fun. I like using them not just to connect with people, but also to stay organized and see what’s going on in my family and friends’ lives, especially since I live far from home. A little about me personally: I play on the OSU women’s soccer team, which takes up most of my time and keeps me busy, but I love it. Being part of a team has helped me learn responsibility,...

A Lifelong Friendship Through Knapp’s Relational Model

Interpersonal relationships are always changing, even the ones that have lasted the longest. One of the most important relationships in my life is with one of my best friends, and someone I’ve known since Kindergarten. Although our friendship started when we were young, it has continued to grow and change over time. Using Knapp’s Relational Model, I see our current relationship fitting best into the intensifying stage. Growing up, we spent a lot of time together. In grade school and high school, we had similar routines, classes, and activities, which made it easy to hang out regularly and stay close. As we got older and closer to college, we both chose to pursue sports that took us in different directions. She chose to run track at a school near home, and I chose to play soccer at a school across the country. Distance and demanding schedules meant we no longer saw each other in person as often. Communicating online became very important to keep our friendship and help us stay connected...

Early Start Times: A Questionable Debate

For my blog post, I wanted to choose an argument I could relate to and understand from a personal perspective. For my weekly blog, I chose the argument of school start times because I’ve heard a lot of back and forth from both sides. I also haven’t been on Reddit before, so this was a whole new experience for me, trying to find an argument about this. However, I chose this Reddit thread because the topic is relatable to almost everyone, and they also question why schools start so early if research suggests a later start time. As someone who used to and still struggles to wake up for school, I was interested to see what people thought. This discussion quickly turns into a debate, with commenters sharing strong opinions, personal stories, and frustrations. One concern I noticed is that a lot of comments would say opinions as facts without citing any research. Also, the original post mentions that it’s “proven” to be harmful, but very few responses include credible sources. Another i...

AVERYDAY BLOG

Search This Blog