Marketing Strategy

MARKETING STRATEGY

Adidas, the brand with three stripes, seems to use the elements of high-tension in its ads. Remember the Sachin Tendulkar commercial? How everything is near-frozen, and the shattering glass signifies release. Release of tension. Adidas gives you a chance to but the boundaries – in every sphere. Only now, the setting is not the playground or the track or the court, it is the urban landscape – with its omnipresent traffic jams, crowded streets and so forth. This way, Adidas becomes a part of life. Anyone’s life. You don’t have to be the high-voltage performer to be a part of the Adidas family. And it goes beyond that – Adidas becomes something that makes you better. Not just as an athlete, but as a sports person, and better human being.

MARKETING: ADIDAS

In 1997, Adidas became Adidas-Salomon with its US $1.4 billion purchase of Salomon, a French manufacturer of skis and other sporting goods. The deal put Adidas one step closer to competitor and world market leader Nike, and one step ahead of Reebok. Salomon, aside from its winter sport equipment, also owns golf club brand Taylor Made and cycle brand Mavic. The merger makes Adidas/Salomon the second largest sport marketer in the world, and number one in Europe. Salomon is currently very strong in North America and Japan, and Adidas has the largest market share in Europe. Adidas is, like Nike, very active insuring sponsorships advertising deals with celebrities. Some of the most famous are Martina Hingis(tennis), Kobe Bryant (basketball), Peyton Manning, Paul Palmer (swimmer), jan Ullrich (racing cyclist) and the New York Yankees. David Beckham, Patrick Kluivert and Zidane all wear Adidas boots, the Predator Accelerator.

LEVERAGING ON SACHIN: ONE MAJOR PART OFMARKETING STRATEGY IN INDIA

Continuing its association with trump card Sachin, the local four-ad print campaign tries to connect Adidas’ product attributes with Sachin’s magic. “Instead of presenting just one dimensions: The first ad connects Sachin’s choice of a heavy bat with Adidas’Falcon Dorf light weight shoes. Says the headline: ‘Sachin likes his bat heavy, not his shoe.


Segmenting Targeting and Positioning:

Customers between the age group of 14- 30, having interest in sports, or players of different sports are targeted. Also the geographic, demographic, psycho-graphic and behavioral factors come into play. As products (shoes) are diversified to cater to the needs of different types of audience.
For example in city like Kolkata and other eastern regions where football is very common, more availability of football shoes (spikes) would be there, with diversity in size, type, quality and color to meet the needs of the target customers. Option of specialized shoe is also provided.