Nike expands Chinese footprint with new Shanghai creative studio

SHANGHAI, CHINA: Nike Inc. is launching a new creative studio, Icon Studios, in Shanghai as the leading sportswear company increases its investment in one of its most vital markets.

This in-house production division will focus on creating content such as digital videos, product photography, and various projects aimed at e-commerce, social media, and live streaming, according to recently posted job openings.

Over the past few years, Nike has been expanding its presence in China, establishing a technology centre in Shenzhen and a sports research lab in Shanghai. The company aims to connect more closely with Chinese consumers and regain its footing in a market that generated $7.5 billion in annual revenue in fiscal 2024, representing 15 percent of global sales.

This figure has decreased from fiscal 2021, when revenues reached nearly $18.3 billion, accounting for 19 percent of total sales.

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New CEO Elliott Hill recently returned from retirement and visited China in late 2022. Despite Nike’s shares having fallen 27 percent this year due to concerns regarding the effects of US tariffs from the Trump administration, Hill expressed optimism about the long-term potential of the Chinese market.

“We continue to be excited about China long-term,” he told investors in December, emphasizing the company’s strategy of “making product for China, by China” in reference to the product-development lab based in the country.

In March, Hill noted that Shanghai is among Nike’s five key cities, alongside Beijing, New York, Los Angeles, and London. The company also operates another Icon department in Los Angeles, responsible for producing marketing imagery and videos for its products. Former Apple Inc. marketing executive Jason King will lead the new Icon team in Shanghai, which plans to hire approximately 20 new employees for roles in production, video editing, business planning, operations, and logistics.