Throughout all communication points where the consumer can experience the Adidas brand, we can see that a well-implemented integrated strategy is undertaken. Below, are the main brand elements that contribute to the perceptions consumers today have on Adidas.
1. Leveraging brand image through athletes
Adidas initiated its path representing winning teams, equipping several athletes in the 1928 Olympics and later the German national football team. Since then, endorsements on athletes represent the best way to leverage the brand. Adidas smartly identified individuals with high potential of winning and which could represent the brand core values, partnering with famous football players, Olympic winners, tennis athletes, cycling champions, swimming competitors, and many others who could also score high in celebrity quotient, such as David Beckham (Football), Kobe Bryant (Basketball) or Anna Kournikova (Tennis).
2. Actively sponsor major teams and sporting events
Later on, Adidas became solidly present on numerous national, club and local sports teams, providing all kinds of sports equipment to these teams and creating high levels of awareness together with powerful connections with winning teams – endorsement of successful teams. Active sponsorship of major global sporting events is another key brand sway. The Olympics, World Cup, and recently the Super Bowl, are major events where Adidas is involved, making the integrated strategy of event endorsement together with teams and athletes endorsement, raise awareness on its key brand values of authenticity, inspiration and achievement.
3. Channels: Retail partners, Adidas stores, and Adidas innovative superstores
Retail partners – Specialized sports stores
Since early Adidas is strong at the POS, incorporating its own merchandising into retail stores and partnering with retailers to effectively develop a consistent marketing next to the consumer. An effective strategy in leveraging the brand at the POS is made, creating a strong position at the most important consumer experience point – when ‘feeling’ the product, and fighting directly against its competitors. In determined retailers, Adidas involves its products not only with inside merchandising, but also with powerful outside banners.
Adidas stores
In its own stores, Adidas pulls out its best in the branding experience consumer can go through at the POS. A close look at some evident store brand elements tell us the use of colours, employee clothes, lightning, images, labels and other elements, make a special combination of its core brand elements displayed intelligently into a single store.
Adidas innovative superstores
Creating a unique and stimulating Adidas experience, the Adidas Sport Performance store is designed to be more than a normal sports store. It demonstrates Adidas commitment to innovation by launching the first ‘Mi Innovation Center’, featuring a high-tech customization process that gives consumers the same treatment as elite level athletes, providing them foot scanning analysis, an “experienced personal partner” recommendation based on their feet, performance needs, and customization options which allow designing and personalizing footwear according with users’ personal style.
4. Details: Making Adidas brand experience in each detail
Examples of packaging, labels, staff members (as mentioned before) along with other details, complement the whole brand experience of Adidas. Branding is about working on each detail to deliver a 360′ experience. In the case of packaging, an after purchase example of brand experience integrates brand communications in the best way, as shown below – Adidas Originals packaging on a street marketing campaign and its website.
5. Into Digital: Websites
Adidas Performance Website
A well-integrated communication is shown in Adidas performance website, by the use of the brand color palette and remaining brand elements. An opening video ad transmits a warm welcoming to Adidas history, making a strong connection with the consumer by telling a story – the founder and foundation of Adidas involved in passion and respectfulness. The remaining layout is well designed with easy and simple menus, making the whole experience user-friendly and emotional driven.
Adidas Originals Website
Again all the classical look and logo are well characterized to excel the Adidas feeling of the classics over modern glances. The colour palette changes, and the blue and white take over giving a fresh look. Similar to the previous website, it s highly interactive and dynamic with flash inputs. Content is easy to find.
Adidas Y-3 Website
In Adidas Y-3 Website, a different approach takes place to a more modern conceptualization of the brand; a strong futuristic layout is implemented and a video makes a small presentation. Interactivity and dynamism is the key here.
6. Advertising: Creativity, Innovation and Passion in Adidas ads
Adidas is well known for the advertising campaigns it has created along with its agencies of trust. Recently, the “Impossible is nothing” campaign, featured football stars such as David Beckham, Messi or Ballack, drawing raw creative sketches along with a discourse about achievement in life, ending with the campaign slogan. This campaign is an example that fits perfectly on brand core values (achievement), being well executed in that sense. Other advertising tactics lead to an exceptional implementation effort, such as the example (on the right) of creating giant billboards, well regarded within the innovation and authenticity Adidas wants to transmit. In this case, the billboard represents a 65-meters-wide Adidas placed on a bridge scaffolding over the road to Munich airport, featuring the German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn catching the newly-designed ‘Teamgeist ball’ during Germany’s World Cup 2006.
7. Strategic partnerships: Leveraging brand positioning to premium
To conclude, partnerships with Porsche, in which special designs on footwear are created; Stella McCartney partnership with its apparel design; and the Y-3 brand implementation with Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto – all constitute a bright strategic decision in leveraging the brand into premium categories. (but does it work?)
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