Brand Elements, a look at Adidas

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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The 7Eleven connection

In Hong Kong we can see thousands of 7Eleven 24/7 convenience stores. Its a fact that the success of convenience stores and restaurants in Hong Kong come partially through a culture and environment where nobody cooks at home and millions of people have a busy fast paced life. Hence,  convenience is even more demanding here.

7Eleven stores differentiate themselves well from Circle K (direct competitors). Its not only notoriuos due to the higher presence on the streets, but also taking in account other indicators such as 9th place on Asia’s top brands 2008 (from Hong Kong Media magazine/TNS).

There is a multitude of factors that put 7Eleven on top, a management team leading to a healthy growth and increased franchises, intellegent targeted marketing campaigns, amazing logistics system, etc.. Though, I believe the main factors which can explain the sucess of 7Eleven here in Hong Kong and perhaphs around other countries such as in the US, are uncovered through a powerful branding strategy.

- The store design, layout and product disposition are very efficiently implemented. In each store, you see several ‘touchpoints’ – upper colors around the walls, employees uniform, store furniture, price labels, etc.  Very strict brand guidelines are implemented in every store, making an extremely solid communication. Vivant three colors and simple design make easy to catch and memorize within its concept. In a glance, reminds the effective Mac’Donalds brand communication.

- Clear product disposition and continuing item replacing nurtured by the amazing logistics network, makes unbeatable and fullfilling promises, allowing the consumer to go through the cycle of reminding - taking fast decisions - fast product pick-up = value (time) . This combined with competitive prices and dynamic promotions (e.g.: take 2 for reduced price) = value (money).

- The sustained growth based on franchises allowed a high presence in every corner, making it a retail convenience brand next to the people - to the consumer. Plus, a continuous strategical store placement whether at relevant ‘juicy populated’ places, or within a well targeted audience in some cases (e.g.: next to a nightlife place; or in US along the highways). This allowed to create a story with each consumer, building a powerful and strong emotional connection.

Other day when with a friend entering 7Eleven with a Circle K next to it, I asked my friend why we were getting our stuff in one store and not the other, if what we were about to buy is exactly the same product, at the same price?  the response was fast – “because 7Eleven is special, it is my ‘breakfast corner’ sometimes, my afternoon ‘pick up something source’, and my ‘buddy at evening’ to get some drinks. I developed a special affection with this place!”. His story.

Even better, check this NYTimes article.

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Tribal campaigns

Back in my home country at a marketing seminar, we analyzed the benefits of thinking in tribal management. At the time, a mobile phone company was analyzed, later in Hong Kong, Smartone-Vodafone is doing the same.

The campaign on several Media channels is very similar to the one in Portugal. A leader shouting to their newly supporters at the window of their apartments, powerful speech leading to revolution, strength and determination, and to complement, a hand holding a cell phone roughly painted on a wall.

Definitely, marketing managers should build their brands on managing their own tribe, providing true valuable products and services, as well as continuosly interacting with their tribe. Selecting who is your tribe and dedicate your commitment to it is half way through getting loyalty and enthusiasts, just like the way we were discussing back in Portugal about football fans..

Football clubs in Europe and around the World enjoy incredible loyalty and commitment from their fans. A great percentage is extremely committed to their club, and whether the club loses or even goes to the second major league, there is always a mass of fans that doesn’t let them down and will support them in the matches or outside. Well, clubs build up this by having more than 50 years history (at least) with moments shared with their fans, and where relationships evolved through different generations.

It is not enough to try to transmit through advertising the sense of fans and tribes, you can have a terrible service and do it as well.. but the achievement of a excellent level of service, availability, passion, and interaction with your customers, that itself creates your own fans, the ones that admire you because you admire them and listen to them.

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