Nike | Bauer: How long will Nike be able to keep its cobra intact?

A long, long time ago, Nike, the all sports apparel and equipment junkie, acquired the parent company of Bauer, a long-time supplier of hockey equipment. Nike has worked their name into hockey since the mid-nineties, but are now refering to the Bauer brand as Nike Bauer. Sounds hokey, but the Swoosh's global status lines up nicely next to the traditional, respected hockey brand Bauer. The cobra works because it leverages the names toward the buyer's two most important buying criteria: style and tradition.

Sure it can't be too hard for any manufacturer to figure out the optimal design for a hockey helmet. But the hard core hockey players know a thing or two about the NHL since they started requiring helmets. And one thing they do know is that Bauer has been around a block that Nike hasn't. It's called the first skate with a blade attached to a boot. They also did something else that may have pioneered a path Nike has since paved. They sponsored Bobby Hull to wear the Bauer skate. Who doesn't Nike pay to wear their stuff?

For your cobra to work, the brand you bring into the fold needs to answer the brand attribute the market may suspect your brand lacks. This example is served up because Nike owns both brands, but the thing to keep in mind is that they're doing the right thing by playing to both brand's strengths.