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Running head: STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN GROUP PROJECT PART 1 & 2

Strategic Marketing Plan Group Project Part 1: Adidas Athletic Shoes

Shareen Cleary, Adeline Delorme, Shanese Francis, and Alexander Grzyb

University of Maryland University College

Professor: Cynthia Mable

Saturday, December 8, 2018

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Executive Summary

Adidas must look forward, not backward. The future holds an opportunity to make their

presence known even more than in recent years. Nike may be the industry leader, but Adidas has

room for improvement and an opportunity for growth. The athletic footwear industry is a

competitive market with voluminous branders. The market leader Nike should not become

complacent because in recent years Adidas is gaining market shares in the athletic footwear

industry.

Adidas has a balanced portfolio and is reaping the benefits of growth in Adidas Originals,

training apparel, and most importantly, core footwear. Adidas needs to embrace what’s recently

been a major source of strength for them. They have already relegated Under Armour to a distant

competitor. Now they encapsulate the status of being a market follower. There’s still more work

that needs to be done. That’s why Adidas is audacious enough to take on the endeavor of giving

of challenging Nike. This explains why Adidas aspires to increase their market share in North

America from 10 to 15 percent in the next 3 years, according to their North American brand

president Mark King (Low, 2018).

This could all be huge for Adidas and considering how opportunistic a company they are

and have been throughout their history. This is a huge opportunity and could behoove the

company. The main reason why is results. Adidas changed their vision and structure for the

company, starting in 2015, and now there are tangible results that speak for themselves. When

the numbers materialized, retail researcher NPD Group divulged that in May of 2017, Nike’s

share of the American footwear market dwindled from 35.9 percent to 34.7 percent. To

exacerbate matters for Nike, their subsidiary the Jordan brand, who mainly specializes in

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basketball shoes, saw their market share drop from 14.8 percent to 11.8 percent over that same

timespan. This is especially impressive for Adidas when you juxtapose it how they fared during

the time period in the late 2000s through early 2010s. In fact, they saw their market share nearly

double from 6.3 percent to 11.3 percent (Roberts, 2017). These are the kinds of results that

Adidas had by undergoing a metamorphosis with their business and marketing model. They need

to perpetuate this ideal to continue to have results like this for the rest of the decade and beyond.

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Table of Contents

Section 1: Company mission/vision/values or other indicators of a market-driven organization....................................................................................................................................1

Section 2: Current marketing situation.......................................................................................2

Section 3: Target Market.............................................................................................................13

Section 4: Strategic Marketing Plan Objectives.......................................................................15

Section 5: Product Strategy........................................................................................................18

Section 6: Pricing Strategy..........................................................................................................23

Section 7: Distribution Strategy.................................................................................................25

Section 8: Marketing Communication Strategy.......................................................................26

Section 9: Marketing Program...................................................................................................30

Section 10: Financial Plan...........................................................................................................31

Section 11: Marketing Metrics...................................................................................................33

Exhibits.........................................................................................................................................36

References.....................................................................................................................................39

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Running head: STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN GROUP PROJECT PART 1 1

Section 1: Company mission/vision/values or other indicators of a market-driven organization

Adidas was founded in 1924 as Dasslers Brothers Shoe Factory. Later they branched out

to Adidas in 1949. Adidas is well-known footwear worldwide. Adidas mission is to be the best

sports company in the world. In a sustainable way, they build and sell one of the best sports

products worldwide, and the best service and experience. Three strategic choices are made:

speed, cities, and open source.

 Speed: how they deliver their products to consumers fast and desirable. Adidas aims to be

the true fastest company.  Cities: where they deliver their products, shapes consumer perception, trends, and buying

decisions. Six cities where Adidas wants to share their trends, mind, and market are

London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Shanghai, and Tokyo.  Open Source: how they create and collaborate and innovate. They aim to invite athletes,

consumers, and partners to co-create the future of sports (Adidas Group, 2018)

Adidas is very competitive in the footwear manufacturing industry. It is known for its

footwear, but also sell clothing and accessories. Adidas is the single biggest growth opportunity

in North America because its total share is 40%, which is the biggest market in the sporting

goods industry (Adidas Group, 2018). This is why Adidas will continue to focus and invest in the

U.S. market. It has annual revenue of $25.42 billion, having their biggest competitor as Nike.

Nike is the largest footwear manufacturer, and Adidas is right behind them as a strong competitor

based on company offerings, financial results, and business relationships.

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Section 2: Current marketing situation

Internal factors

Analysis of the company's current offerings

Adidas is known in the sporting goods industry for having a portfolio of products

containing apparel, sports accessories, and footwear. In the global market, apparel and footwear

make up Adidas Group biggest segment with a shoe production in 2017 of 403 million globally

(Statista, 2017.) Adidas' footwear has a wide range of shoes from athletic, running, casual shoes

and sandals. Athletic and running shoes cater both to the professional athlete, amateur athlete and

fitness enthusiasts. In addition to athletic footwear, Adidas is tapping into the casual athletic

footwear market which offers sporty shoes to consumers to be worn for regular everyday use and

fashion. Additionally, Adidas vies for consumers that are runners by developing technology in its

shoes that improve performance and comfort. The company has introduced a new line of shoes

known as AM4 which stands for "Adidas made for" and are running shoes that designed for the

specific needs of runners in different major cities (Amidst the Retail Apocalypse, 2018.) Whether

it is athletic or casual athletic footwear, the company understands the need for innovation,

performance, and attention to the consumer's needs in all its products.

Analysis of financial results

Adidas footwear sales for 2017 reached $14.09 billion which was up from sales in 2016

of $11.49 billion (Adidas Annual Report, 2017.) See Exhibit 1 of past three years of footwear

sales from Adidas Annual Reports. Note profit financial information has not been able to be

located for the athletic footwear segment. Exhibit 1 contains sales only from past three years.

This growth is in part due to the expansion of sales in the market of North America and China. In

North America’s market, Adidas reported that sales were up 31% following other quarters which

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were in the high-twenties and low-thirties (Green, 2017.) Green contributes positive financial

results in recent quarters to the company's ability to deliver what the consumer wants,

particularly in the running category of athletic shoes (2017.) Additionally, another footwear

category that is driving sales is Adidas casual athletic footwear which makes up 23% of market

shares of casual footwear (Roberts, 2017.) In the US athletic footwear market share, Adidas grew

from 6.3% in 2016 to 11.3% in 2017 (Roberts, 2017.) 2017’s strong financial and operational

performance has kept the company on track to increase profitability in local and global markets

in upcoming quarters.

Analysis of key business relationships

Adidas has achieved strong relationships through its partnership approach. These

partnerships include stakeholder engagement through representation and ongoing engagement;

collaborations with organizations that promote sustainable innovation, environmental conditions

of materials used and proper representation in sporting goods industry; government outreach in

regards to human rights and working conditions; civil society such as engagement with the

Greenpeace Detox Campaign to reduce hazardous chemicals in the supply chain and other

campaigns that impact human rights; and sporting events through a presence in major sports

(Adidas Partnership Approach, n.d.)

Adidas has a large presence in sports through sponsorships deals in the Football World

Cup, Olympic Games, sports teams, leagues, and colleges, and with such sports figures as James

Harden, Paul Pogba, and Aaron Rodgers. The 8-year partnership with USF Athletics and Adidas

formed in December 2017 is just one of the many sports partnerships that provide official athletic

footwear to men and women’s sports teams (Athletics Announces Partnership, 2017.) These

partnerships and sponsorships elevate the brand through reaching a core audience of sports

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enthused consumers by building brand passion, brand awareness, and engagement for Adidas as

it competes in a highly competitive market of the athletic footwear industry.

Adidas’ relationships with third-party retail partners is key to company sales. While

Adidas uses different distribution channels to sell its products, 70% of Adidas' of its products

sold in 2017 were through third-party retail partners (Trentmann, 2018.) These retail partners

include Dick's Sporting Goods Inc., Foot Locker Inc., and Amazon. These business relationships

are an important part of sales growth for the company.

Lastly, another business relationship for the company comes through its supply chain and

sourcing with manufactures. Because Adidas outsources product production globally, the

company seeks long-term partnerships as part of its sourcing model. Managing outsourcing

relationships is critical to the development of the product, overall success, and growth of the

company.

Analysis of core competencies

Adidas has such core competencies as technology, consumer focus, and brand

recognition. Adidas provides products that bring the best footwear technology to its consumers.

The company introduced Boost foam in 2013 in its running shoe that provided runners with

support, durability, and energy return (Charboneau, 2018.) The Boost has been refined over the

years and Adidas continues with developing new designed techniques such as tailored fiber

placement with Solar Boost, an EVA foam Bounce, and an adaptive torsion system to bring about

the best performance for consumers in its products (Charboneau, 2018.) Such technology as

Adidas’ Boost foam started out in its running shoes but can now be found in other sports styles

including basketball and training as the ideal cushioning choice in athletic shoes. The

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development of these technologies is one way that Adidas improves the experience of its

consumers and leads into another core competency upheld which is customer focus.

A large part of Adidas' mission is to be consumer-focused by offering products that meet

needs and expectations of its consumer. The innovation of products not only comes from the best

footwear technology but also through style, comfort, the quality that enables the company to

offer products with the highest value that meet consumer needs.

The last identified core competency of Adidas is brand recognition. Sport sponsorship

deals and championship support have contributed to building brand recognition. Other channels

including social media presence have built strong brand awareness. The company's three-stripe

logo is ranked the number one most social media shared logo with an average of 6,664,170

unique images per month across such social media channels as Twitter and Instagram

(Brandwatch, 2018.) This heightens the company's brand engagement while building brand

recognition.

Analysis of current customers

Adidas strives to make and offer sportswear that is accessible to all consumers. Current

customers include professional sports figures and sports teams, the amateur athlete, and the

consumer with a fitness lifestyle. Adidas athletic footwear customers include children, young

adults, and adults. While Adidas footwear has customers in all age groups, the company targets

an age range of males and females 13-40 years. However, customers in the 15-30 years of age

range have been identified to make up much of the company’s current customers. These

customers consist of upper & upper-middle class social groups. Current customers are influenced

by social acceptance, luxury, fashion and celebrity endorsements, product quality, product

innovation, and the latest trends in athletic footwear.

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Current customers purchase Adidas footwear through a variety of channels including e-

commerce and retail. With more consumers choosing online shopping, Adidas has closed

thousands of retail stores and turned to more online channels (Trentman, 2018.) Additionally,

communication and online interaction through social media channels are becoming a necessity as

this is becoming the customer’s preferred channel of communication.

Competitive Analysis

The athletic shoe industry is highly competitive with Nike leading the competition. Nike

exhibits higher annual footwear sales of $21.1 billion in 2017 (Ritcher, 2018) compared to

Adidas annual footwear sales in the same year of $14.09 billion (Adidas Annual Report, 2017.)

Nike also leads with more employees than Adidas and has a larger US athletic footwear market

share of 34.7% compared to Adidas market share of 11.3%. Even though Adidas has had a solid

performance in the industry it hasn't reached being the leader in the market. But if there is a

company that is going to be a market challenger to Nike, Adidas has the greatest opportunity

when compared to Under Armour. Adidas has a strong lead in annual footwear sales over Under

Armour's $1.0 billion annual sales (Richter, 2018) and its low US athletic footwear market share

of 2.4% (Roberts, 2017.) Adidas has a strong global presence and consistent association with

sports sponsorships which are competitive advantages to the brand in the athletic shoe industry.

See exhibit 2 for competitive analysis worksheet.

External factors

Demographic trends

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One of the demographic trends that affect Adidas the most is the rise of millennials. As of

2016, Millennials in the United States were nearing population numbers of Baby Boomers

(Cilluffo & Cohh, 2018.) This shift in the age demographic population can increase the number

of consumers that the company can reach. Companies need to adapt communication to reach its

consumers effectively and efficiently. Studies have shown that millennials are more engaged and

addicted users of apps than any other age bracket by spending an average of 3.2 hrs. per day on

apps (Soper, 2017.) The latest Adidas app was introduced in 2017 and brings personalization to

the customer through a personalized news feed, customer inquiries, and online shopping (Green,

2017.) The Adidas app is reaching an audience of users through a popular platform for

millennials with engagement features and integration of products and services.

Economic trends

Economic factors are important for growth and success of Adidas. Economic fluctuations

have an impact on a business because low economy results in loss of employment, which in turn

results in lower consumer buying, and effects the sales and growth of companies who sell

premium priced products. Adidas experienced a 97% drop in profits during the economic

downturn in 2009 (Adidas sees profits drop by 97%, 2009.) Economic growth works the

opposite resulting in an increase in employment, consumers spending, and more sales. Global

economic growth has seen its highest since 2011 reaching 3% and prospects of steady growth in

upcoming year (World Economic Situation and Prospects, 2018.) This economic growth has had

a part in Adidas’ sales growth as it markets goods to consumers in a stronger economy.

Environmental trends

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In the American market, 55% of Americans rank environmental protection as a top

priority (Anderson, 2017.) Because Adidas is a global company it has many sites and operational

impacts on the environment. The company is showing responsibility to the environment in

operations by dedication to such environmental issues as water efficiency, sustainable materials,

and reducing absolute energy consumption and CO2 emissions (Adidas Environmental Approach,

n.d.) A commitment to bettering the environment also can come in materials used in products.

An example of this would be the Parley Shoes which is made with Parley Ocean Plastic. The

knitted uppers of these shoes’ features upcycled waste of fishing nets and coastal area debris

converted into yarn fibers (Adidas Product Description, n.d.) Environmental factors and trends

need to be a focus for many global businesses as sustainability and environmental protection is

important to many consumers in this era.

Technological Trends

Technology trends affect many aspects of the business including marketing, operations,

customer service, and products. Technavio identifies three trends that will impact the athletic

footwear market the most. These include the demand for eco-friendly products, sole technology,

and customized products (Business Wire, 2016.) These factors are directed at products and

highly related to Adidas. In efforts to deliver what the consumer needs in products, Adidas must

be on top of the latest trends in technology. Examples include built-in sensors that track, and

sync gathered data to Adidas’ mobile app (Amidst the Retail Apocalypse, 2018.) Additionally,

broadening the channels of communications to stay connected with the consumer requires a

digital focus. Being digitally focused helps Adidas gain consumer attention, gather useful data,

and build consumer connections (Harvard Business Review, 2018.) Technology enables better

performance by Adidas which in turn results in growth for the company.

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Political-Legal/Regulatory Trends Technology doesn’t come without regulations. Being a European based company, Adidas

is impacted by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) enforced in Europe in May 2018.

According to the European Commission, this regulation will regulate a company’s processing of

personal data of individuals in the EU (What Does the GDPR Govern? n.d.) This would include

data processing Adidas may perform on personal data to send promotional communication and

other means of marketing to consumers through digital channels.

Government regulations, taxes, and trade relationships have an impact on businesses.

This is especially applicable for companies like Adidas that sources its products from contract

manufacturers in other countries. Adidas sources 97% of its products to manufacturers in Asia

and various factories globally (Trentmann, 2018.) In the US market, the company faces possible

tariffs on Chinese imports which has the potential to impact Adidas' supply chain and business

operations.

Social-Cultural Trends

Being a global company with a mission to make footwear that directly meets the needs of

the consumer requires attention to social-cultural trends. In the athletic footwear industry,

identifying trends require a look at what consumers are searching for to meet their fitness needs.

The industry has identified trends in the running fitness segment to meet consumer needs

effectively. In some global markets, a trend on the rise is trail running with 72% of runners

preferring to run in nature (Angermeier, 2018.) Identifying this social trend will assist Adidas in

making running shoes that meet the specific needs and specs of trail runners.

SWOT Analysis See exhibit 3 for SWOT chart.

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Strengths 1. Distribution Network-Fast supply chain and faster production times bringing fresh products to

their shelves faster. Distribution centers in China, Germany, and Pennsylvania, US create

seamless consumer experience (Pratap, 2018).

2. Strong financial position-Adidas has 2400 stores globally with an annual revenue of $25.42

billion is a strong financial position.

3. Collaborations and sponsorship- Adidas has partnerships and sponsors major sporting events,

such as the Olympics, FIFA, NBA, athletes, and sports teams. The launch of the Yeezys made

Adidas seem cooler than Nike in the fashion world (Pierson, 2017).

4. Diversified-Strong diversified portfolio, with many athletic shoe offerings.

5. Branding and strong market presence-The brand has a popular image and recognition. Its

strong presence in key markets such as North Americas, China, and Japan.

Weaknesses 1. Premium price range-Adidas shoes are costly due to innovative production and technology

used.

2. Outsourced manufacturing-97% of Adidas products are outsourced in Asia to reduce costs.

This has questioned the quality of their products and they are criticized for the lack of labor laws

and children working in their factories.

3. Limited product line-Adidas can advance their product line to reach a greater target market.

4. Ongoing rivalry meaning customers change over to other big brands-Nike is one of Adidas

biggest rival; it has caused switching costs to be low and customer retention to be challenging.

5. Spur in marketing investment-The company has put a lot of focus on their marketing; due to

this, it has caused marketing expenses to increase (Halwatura, 2017).

Opportunities

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1. Market development-The company can venture into new markets, in order to succeed and

compete in developed economies.

2. Changing Lifestyle-It is known to change taste, preference, and lifestyles with the developing

economies. There is a rise in demand for premium goods.

3. Increase in demand for premium products-Considering new markets in new global areas will

help grow the market size and develop business opportunity.

4. Expand product line- They may want to consider other offerings. Expanding will differentiate

Adidas from other competitors.

5. Product and design innovation- Adidas generates almost 60 new shoe designs per year;

continuous product and design help retain and attract customers. This will help boost sales and

revenue.

Threats 1. Competition-Nike is the biggest threat, and there is other competition such as Under Armour

and Puma.

2. Supplier dependency-Adidas has a high dependence on suppliers and should focus on

backward integration in order to improve efficiency and save on costs.

3. Government Regulations-Outsourcing increases the tax on imported goods from China, which

is over 90% of their products.

4. Replica/fake shoes -Replica Adidas shoes affect the brand image and cut into profits.

5. Economy uncertainty in key markets-Currency fluctuations and when the dollar strengths

threaten profits. Also, there is economic uncertainty in key markets such as Russia, which affects

the financial performance (Hitesh, 2018).

Summary of current situation

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It can be concluded that Adidas has experienced steady sales growth in 2017 and shows

the ability to maintain this growth momentum in the competitive athletic shoe industry. Financial

and operation growth has been achieved through strong core competencies, innovative products

up to date with trends and technology, and expansion into growing markets.

Adidas includes a wide age range of customers from children to adults with varying

sports levels including professional sports athletes, amateur sports athletes, sports and fitness

enthusiasts. Since athletic footwear is seeing a trending popularity, Adidas is also growing in

popularity among consumers as it delivers premium athletic footwear that meets consumer

demands.

The athletic shoe industry is competitive with Nike leading the market by a wide margin.

It is predicted with Adidas ’corporation and financial growth the company holds the ability to be

a market challenger to Nike and a leader above other companies in the shoe industry. As Adidas

competes with Nike for consumer attention and growth, Adidas needs to continue its marketing

strategy of being customer-centric by establishing strong customer retention and effective

customer engagement. To continue developing customer relationships the company must adapt to

changing trends and channels of communication to stay relevant in the market, build customer

engagement, and secure customer retention. Attention to these internal factors as well as

understanding how external factors impact operations is necessary for developing strategic

marketing strategies for continued growth and overall success.

Section 3: Target Market

Adidas is the second largest athletic shoe brand in the world. Therefore, the market

segment is important for a successful brand like Adidas. It divides the market into groups of

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buyers that have different characteristics, behaviors, and needs. Adidas focuses on demographic,

behavioral, and psychographic segmentation.

Demographic segmentation referring to the demographic variables, regarding sex and

age. The different range of male, female, and kids. Adidas targets ages 15-36, customers that love

sports and style.

Behavioral segmentation focuses on attitude, knowledge, and response to product use.

For Adidas, the behavioral segmentation is for: gym lovers, athletes, image seekers, and sports

lovers. The sports lovers play all kind of sports; football, soccer, baseball, basketball,

gymnastics, boxing, cricket, golf, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, skateboarding, tennis, track and field,

and volleyball. Adidas has shoes for all of them. The characteristics of these consumers who play

these sports have a passion for sports and prefer quality sports gear. Due to this, Adidas chooses

admirable athletes for sponsorships. It impacts the brand image and the consumer culture

(Fender, 2016).

Psychographic segmentation divides consumers by the lifestyle, values, and personality.

Adidas focuses on the social class because there is a similarity with the buying traits. This market

is usually, well-experienced, hard workers, and goal achievers.

Because of Adidas’ numerous market segments, it has developed a large portfolio of

products to meet target markets within these segments. In the footwear industry, Adidas attempts

a full market coverage where it offers multiple products to multiple markets so the most coverage

can be achieved. However, in the athletic footwear portion of the company’s products, Adidas

takes a product specialization approach. In this approach, the company will specialize in certain

products, i.e. athletic footwear, and tailor it for the different needs of market segments (NetMBA,

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n.d.) Adidas’ understands the need for product specialization and designs its athletic shoes to

meet the various needs of various target markets. Adidas’ running shoes are an example of how

the company reaches the runners' target market with a wide portfolio of running shoes. The

attention Adidas gives by making a running shoe for a specific group of customers is what brings

a specialized product to the consumer. Adidas has been able to determine markets that have high

potential and then make a product that meets the needs of the target market efficiently.

Runners along with other sports and health enthusiasts are included in the millennial

target audience for athletic footwear. Studies show that millennials identify running to improve

physical, emotional, and mental health (Schneider-Levy, 2016.) Additionally, this age group of

consumers includes fitness as a large part of their social activity and seek shoes that meet all

needs including performance, fashion, and current trends. Since the main target audience of

Adidas is millennial consumers, it gives the company the greatest opportunity to expand and

achieve growth within the company. The market segment selected as part of the marketing plan

will include the demographic segmentation of millennials, as well as, target markets within the

behavioral segmentation which consist of consumers of any sports levels including sports

athletes, non-athletes, and fitness enthusiasts Marketing strategies developed will be based on

these target audiences.

Adidas has high brand recognition in the athletic footwear market and has positioned the

company in the market by the way of product leadership. This has enabled the company to build

market shares and market growth in the industry and position the brand to be a market challenger

against such other athletic footwear companies as Nike. While product innovation and quality

will still be at the forefront of the company, there will be a shift in positioning to become more

consumer-centric in products, services, and communication. With a consumer-centric model,

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Adidas can strive to be the best athletic footwear brand bringing shoes to consumers who have a

passion for sports and a fitness lifestyle all while connecting with the consumer to personalize

communication channels, build relationships, and develop products with the power to change

lives.

Section 4: Strategic Marketing Plan Objectives

Brand reconstruction has been the focus for the leading sports apparel company in the

recent years. Once centered around athletes and technology-based shoe designs Adidas has

revaluated the market. Simon Atkins Brand Director for Adidas North America states the

company saw a shift in their industry placement (Atkins, 2017). This shift ignited Creating the

New which is a global strategic marketing plan for the year of 2020 (Atkins, 2017). In the

attempt to rebrand Adidas based their plan around three concepts: 1) The consumer is in

command. 2) The consumer needs to hear a single voice. 3) The cultural shift this requires is

intense.

Digital media has now put consumers in command and Adidas can no long nurture the

growth of their shoe launches as they once did. Adidas has had to invest in social media and

digital presence. Through Social media platform and apps, Adidas has given the consumer

control to easily maneuver through their inventory. Mass marketing is a thing of the past for the

brand, now though unifying data and content, Adidas can market more clearly.

Specific Objective 1: Reach Millennial Target Market by Growing Adidas mobile app users

by 50% by the year 2020.

One of the biggest markets for Adidas is the millennial demographic, millennials make up

30% of the population. The best way to reach the millennial market is through social media.

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Adidas chief executive Kasper Rorsted explained to NBC "It's clear that the younger consumer

engages with us predominantly over the mobile device. Digital engagement is key for us — you

don't see any TV advertising anymore.” (O’Reily, 2017). The increasing focus on online presence

has made online shopping much more competitive; millennials make up 58% of mobile shopper.

To compete Adidas launched their mobile app in November of 2017; the customer can now make

all Adidas purchase through their mobile app (Alvarez, 2018). Since the fall of 2017 launch, the

app has been downloaded by more than one million users and is contributing to boosting digital

revenue (Hofer, 2018.) Currently the new mobile app is launched in the US and the UK with

more countries to be added in coming years (Green, 2017.) By expanding availability of the app

into more countries this will enable the growth goal of mobile app users by 50%. Additionally,

Adidas can promote and market the mobile app across social media channels to expand reach to

consumers and convert them to mobile app users. Growing mobile app users by 50% (approx.

half a million users) will enable Adidas to expand its consumer reach, build consumer connection

and relationships, and drive e-commerce sales.

Specific objective 2: Adidas plans to achieve 40% of their sales from speed-enabled

products by 2020.

Adidas plans to achieve 40% of their sales to come from their speed-enabled products.

This means how fast they deliver their high-in demand footwear, by replenishing these products

and having them delivered faster. From 2015-2020 Adidas will replenish their seasonal best

sellers quickly (Hobbs, 2016). Their best sellers such as Yeezys, collaboration with rapper Kanye

West are in high-demand but they are not fulfilling this demand. They will put more focus on

their ‘speed’ as a company, and deliver products faster to consumers. This will occur by the

company producing the shoes closer to consumer’s locations. The Adidas Speedfactory has two

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locations; one located in Ansbach, Germany and the other is located in Atlanta. It creates athlete-

data driven designs with accelerated footwear production. Also, the factory has 3D printing and

intelligent robotics for manufacturing products quickly (Fisk, 2018). Adidas marketing efforts

focus on major cities. Up until 2020, Adidas will invest more marketing and retail experiences

within their six cities they focus on New York, Shanghai, Paris, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and

London. Adidas continues to drive their brand image in these global metropolitan cities where

there is an influence on trends and brands. These objectives are to outperform rivals in brand

image and market share (Hobbs, 2016). Lastly, Adidas continues to partner their brand with

athletes, but also celebrities, partners and consumers who can help shape the future of sports.

Another attempt to resonate with the millennial market is through collaboration with other

popular brands and artist. Adidas spends about half of its marketing investments on

collaborations and digital media content (O’Reily, 2017). Adidas has recently collaborated with

artist like Pharrell, Rita Ora, and Kanye West. Stealing musical artist Kanye West from Nike was

a big deal in the millennial market, due to the famous Kanye West shoes YEEZYs (Taras, 2017).

YEEZYs are high-end shoes that retail between $200-$1600, the recent release of the YEEZY

700 Runner is by Adidas and they retail for $300 (Adidas, 2017). Adidas also has taken on

Kendall Jenner as a brand ambassador, she is one of the highest paid models with a high

millennial/generation z following (Taras, 2017).

Section 5: Product Strategy

Adidas’ product strategy focuses on the market and its needs, key product features and

differentiators, and business goals.

Market and Needs

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Adidas’ target market for the athletic footwear consists of millennials and consumers of

varying sports levels including athletes, non-athletes, and fitness enthusiasts. Adidas has

identified the millennial target market as being highly important to achieve growth in the

company. By bringing innovative products to its product portfolio, Adidas can compete in the

marketplace of the millennial generation and sports focused consumer.

Identified market needs:

 The ability to meet high in demand footwear with speed to market.  Innovative, performance-driven footwear that meets consumer expectations of quality

and performance.  Up-to-date footwear with trends and technology.

Adidas has a large athletic footwear product portfolio for sports and sports lifestyle

consumers which consists of running, football, basketball, golf, and athletic casual shoes. This

range of products has enabled the company to become widely known in the footwear industry,

but Adidas wants to stand out among competitors by being known as the fastest sports company

selling innovative and high-quality footwear. This requires a footwear product strategy that is

based on identified market needs and products that will attract consumers, outperform

competitors, grow sales, and capture market share in the athletic footwear industry. The product

strategy includes speed-enabled footwear, custom-designed footwear, and technology advanced

footwear.

Key Product Features and Differentiators

Speed-enabled footwear

Marketing Objective 1 states, “Adidas plans to achieve 40% of their sales from speed-

enabled products by 2020.” As of 2017, speed-enabled product net sales increased to 28%

(Friedman, 2018.) This makes them close to the goal to be achieved by 2020. Speed-enabled

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footwear addresses the high demand for products by being able to develop, replenish, and ship

products quickly to consumers. Speed-enabled footwear ranges from running shoes to Yeezy

fashionable shoes. Adidas has identified speed and how fast products are delivered to consumers

as key to the company’s success in a highly competitive market. When Adidas struggled to

replenish the YEEZY shoe line because of continually selling out, Speedfactories (one

contributor to the growth of speed-enabled products) helped to resolve the issue by quickly

manufacturing and replenishing with speed to the consumer (Hobbs, 2016.)

Speed-enabled footwear reshapes the business model and how products are created,

sourced, managed through the supply-chain, marketed, and sold (Adidas Group Provides Further

Details on Three Strategic Choices, 2016.) Speed-enabled products are made possible through

Speedfactories, digital technologies like 3D printing, and a real-time supply chain (Störk, Kubis,

& Kleiner, 2018) Speedfactories will support the production of speed-enabled products but isn’t

the only contributor to the expansion of speed-enabled products. Speed-enabled products are

supported by digital technology in manufacturing processes. The footwear produced in

Speedfactories will not substitute but complement the company’s main supply source and

production in Asia where digital technologies are also being implemented. Speed-enabled

products will differentiate from others by meeting consumer demand with speed to market. The

speed-enabled product marketing objective enables Adidas to better compete against other

companies in the athletic shoe industry by outperforming rivals with products that are data-

driven to develop the highest performance designed footwear and digitally processed to achieve

distinct features.

Custom-designed Footwear

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Custom-designed athletic shoes are another footwear product category that can enable

Adidas to compete against other brands and capture the attention of the target market of

millennials and athletic consumers. Direct competition from Nike and Under Armour in the

custom-designed shoe category has forced Adidas to improve how it customizes footwear to the

consumer with speed. Custom-designed shoes are available through main supply sources, but it

has been identified that Speedfactories with its automated processes would enable better

customization. If Speedfactories automated engineering processes are used, consumers will be

able to custom design specifications and have footwear that is fully customized with speed

(Green, 2018.)

Adidas has included a product collection that brings a new kind of customization to

consumers to stay competitive. Adidas has used market research from real runners to develop

themed shoes known as the “Adidas Made for” series based on key global city’s terrain and

weather. While this footwear line is manufactured in Speedfactories (Adidas HQ in Germany

and Atlanta, Georgia) and tailored for specific cities (London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris,

Shanghai, and Tokyo) they are sold globally and across all distribution channels. The following

are some of the shoes and features from this product collection:

 Adidas Speed factory AM4LDN is a sneaker inspired by London and made for

city-running or cross-training (Ismael, 2018.)  Adidas Speed factory AM4NYC is inspired by New York City and has support

features for rough street running (Ismael, 2018.)  Adidas Speed factory AM4LA is inspired from Los Angeles’ coastline with it

Parley recycled ocean plastic while the perforated Parley knitted uppers provide

excellent breathability (Ismael, 2018.)

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 Adidas Speed factory AM4SH is inspired by Shanghai and is ideal for running

and cross-training. The shoe is designed with waterproof uppers for rainy weather

typical of Shanghai (Ismael, 2018.)

Technology Advanced Footwear

Adidas has used technology to develop innovative footwear that addresses consumer

needs. There has been specific attention of implementing running shoe innovation so that Adidas

can fight for the attention of consumers that are runners. These product innovations have

consisted of tracking devices and Boost foam technology. Boost technology has revolutionized

running shoes since its development in 2013 with its cushioning and energy return. Adidas

continues to improve Boost technology it is now used in a wide variety of its sneakers making up

97% of all Adidas shoes sold on its site (Woolf, 2018.) This technology developed for running

shoes is now being used in basketball sneakers, football cleats, lifestyle sneakers and even in the

brand classic Superstar and the currently popular Yeezy shoe. Nike has developed foam sole

technology as well with the Nike React Foam. In order to stay competitive Adidas will continue

to keep its attention on Boost and how improvements and additions with the technology can

continue to place it ahead of competition.

Business Goals

Business goals include accelerating footwear sales and capturing market shares from key

athletic footwear competitors. These goals will be met through advancing technology in

products, increasing speed to market, and focusing on key global cities that are influencers in the

market.

Adidas has a business goal to achieve 40% of sales from speed-enabled products. The

purpose of manufacturing speed enabled footwear closer to the consumer in speed factories is to

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bring top-selling products to the shelves more quickly, so consumers can purchase faster than

traditionally manufactured products. Benefits to the company will include not having to make

large amounts of up-front products, less premade up-front products which equal less unsold

products, and sold-products can be replenished quickly. These benefits allow for less waste and

faster sales that can enable higher profit margins for the company.

Another business goal is the focus on 6 key global cities: London, Los Angeles, New

York, Paris, Shanghai, and Tokyo. This goal of targeting these cities can be seen in products,

production, and marketing. The following reason has been identified as to why Adidas is

focusing its efforts on these 6 cities: “With 50% of the global population living in cities and 80%

of global GDP generated in metropolitan areas, these urban centers play a key role in creating

trends, shaping global brands and building brand desirability.” (Adidas Group Provides Further

Details on its Three Strategic Choices, 2016.) This decision develops products and invests

marketing and retail experiences in these cities to outperform competitors, capture market share,

and build brand advocacy (Hobbs, 2016.)

Branding Strategy Issues

The footwear that is specific to Speedfactory production is marketed under the Adidas

brand name, however, product footwear names will include “Speedfactory” to differentiate them

from other sold footwear. As more Adidas footwear is designed through this method, the

company will be able to brand itself as being the fastest sports company. This will reshape the

brand and brand image making it highly competitive with the ability to become a leader in the

athletic footwear industry.

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Section 6: Pricing Strategy

Current pricing strategies across Adidas Footwear includes skimming pricing,

competitive, and premium pricing strategies that vary by product type.

 Competitive pricing: used in normal product launches where competitors are

releasing similar products.  Skimming Pricing: used when products are launched that can’t be compared to

competitor’s offerings. These products will be priced high at first but lowered in

price over time to attract more consumers.  Premium Pricing: used on products with performance technology because the

higher price encourages favorable perceptions by consumers.

Premium product brands are finding that full-price sales are attainable because 52% of

weekly or monthly retail promotions have been offered when the customer would have still paid

full price (Pretro, 2018.) This is especially true of the millennial target market where there is a

willingness to pay higher prices for what they view as a quality product. Speed-enabled and

technology innovative products are designed with an emphasis on the consumer and needs and

therefore positions these products to meet consumer expectations with quality and innovation.

With the goal of 40% of sales coming from speed-enabled products by 2020, it is

expected that a premium pricing strategy that uses full-price sales compared to the regular range

will be achievable due to the appeal of up-to-date products and products that customers want

(Adidas Group Management Report, 2015) Speed design shoes will have a premium price of

20% higher than the regular range (Hobbs, 2016.)

Another business goal of speed-enabled products is to reduce the amount of pre-made

footwear with more up-front footwear. This will cut down inventories, lessen the need to reduce

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pricing because of overstock, and cut shipping and other related expenses. While Adidas is not

100% at a full-price sales strategy, the eventual goal is to reduce the need to skim prices of

speed-enabled footwear by reducing the number of unsold products. This strategy will make it

possible to increase total sales and enable higher profit margins for the company. Speed-enabled

products are made to the highest standards through quality, availability, and delivery that will

increase customer satisfaction and the willingness to pay a premium price. This ability to

increase speed and deliver quality footwear at premium pricing will positively impact Adidas’

profitability in the athletic footwear market.

Adidas is focusing on customer satisfaction in its products and services because there is

an association between overall customer satisfaction and the customer’s willingness to pay

premium prices (Mittal, 2016.) American Marketing Association quotes a study based on the

American Customer Satisfaction Index that showed “A 1% increase in customer satisfaction

should be associated with a 0.60% decrease in price sensitivity.” (Mittal, 2016.) Customer

satisfaction can provide the company with a competitive advantage and lead to profitability.

As more products are designed and converted to become speed enabled the goal of 40%

of sales can be met. In the interim, other products currently sold by Adidas will be making up the

difference. These products will continue to use premium pricing and skimming pricing. It also

requires competitive pricing for products that are run of the mill products that have more

competition due to other athletic brands selling similar products. As new products and product

series are added to Adidas’ product portfolio, it may require an evaluation of older products to

decide which ones need to be removed from the market and which one’s need be improved for

consumer attraction.

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Section 7: Distribution Strategy

Adidas focuses on several things to ensure smooth consumer experience with their

channel strategies:

 Efficient inventory checks for all stores

 Service allowing online purchase that can be picked up in store

 Service that allows customers to buy online and return to stores

 Partnership that allows consumers to purchase products at wholesale stores

 System that allows consumers to have access to a wider range of products

 Adidas app allows a premium shopping experience

Adidas uses a chain of suppliers to deliver their products through 5 categories:

1. Main suppliers: A direct agreement with Adidas for export or domestic market

consumption for supply of products

2. Subcontractors: Manufacture products that the main supplier is unable to do in the

facility

3. Material and other service providers: Do not have direct business with Adidas but

supplies products to the main suppliers

4. Licensees: Independent companies that create designs, produces and distributes

specific products under Adidas

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5. Agents: Independent companies that source and manufacture products, also

finished products to the company (Woolmers, 2016).

As discussed, Adidas is utilizing their mobile app to capture more of their target market;

the millennial. They are doing so by using social media platforms to advertise and gain leads

from mobile users. Adidas also has speed factories that distribute their high in demand products

at a faster time. They replenish their products on the shelves and maintain fresh products to be

shipped to customers quickly. The current channel is sufficient as they recently added a second

speed factory in 2018 in Atlanta, GA. The speed factories were an addition to all their other

manufacturing factories to give a new improved service to consumers.

Section 8: Marketing Communication Strategy

Unique value proposition: is to sell Adidas high performance footwear, to sports lovers

and their target market of millennial.

Marketing communication objectives:

1. Objective 1 to Reach Millennial Target Market: Grow Adidas mobile app users by

50% by the year 2020.

2. Specific objective 2: Adidas plans to achieve 40% of their sales from speed-

enabled products by 2020.

AIDA model for Adidas:

Attention: The color and design of Adidas footwear tends to attract consumer’s eyes.

When athletes are playing sports the design of the footwear needs to appeal to consumers.

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Interest: Adidas boosts consumer’s attention by linking them with famous athletes or

celebrities. Once their attention is gained, the interest in purchasing the footwear is present.

Desire: Consumers who see athletes in the footwear desire to perform just as good in

their sport. For example: Houston Rockets basketball player James Harden launch a campaign

about “Creators never follow,” its importance is to display the best sports brand. Also,

encouraging everyone to define their own path and celebrate every moment while playing sports

(Adidas News Stream, 2015).

Action: After the advertisement the target market is interested in purchasing new

footwear. The speed of the delivery will be displayed to the target market either on the mobile

app or on TV advertisements.

Marketing communication mix consists of the channels Adidas will use to reach the target

market:

 Online advertising on social media

 Offline advertising on print media, TV and billboards in metropolitan cities

 Direct marketing

 Events

 Sponsorships

 Annual sales promotion

Branding elements used:

 Website

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 Mobile app

 Social media platforms

 Direct marketing campaigns

 Advertising campaigns

The Big Idea that captures the unique selling proposition is to increase sales through

speed enabled, custom-designed, and technology advanced footwear and grow consumer

engagement through mobile app platform. The strong message Adidas sends is: "To become the

best and fastest sport company in the world."

The marketing communication objectives will use advertisement to measure the success

of the objectives.

The schedule for first year’s marketing communications for objective 1: The goal is

to increase the reach of the target market by utilizing social media to promote and gain mobile

app users. Metrics that will be measured:

• The number of mobile app downloads

• Website visits from social media shares

• The number of leads or sales from advertisement on social media platforms

(Dragilev, 2018)

• Mobile app purchases

These metrics will determine the success of objective 1, timeline below:

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 Mobile app launch date: App first launched in 2015

 Launch app to: France, China, and Japan by 2019

 Amount of users of 30 million to be reached by June 2020

Therefore, launching the app in France, China, and Japan will enable the mobile growth

goal, as Adidas focuses on Shanghai, Paris, and Tokyo for cities they share their trend, mind, and

market. As it is the first year, 30 million mobile users should be attainable as these countries

make up a lot of their sales.

The schedule for first year’s marketing communications for objective 2: The goal is

for Adidas is to increase the reach of sales of speed-enabled. Metrics that will be measured are:

• Sales from the speed factories

• The amount of footwear being replenished daily

• Which footwear are highest in demand

• How the speed-enabled products were purchased

These metrics will determine the success of objective 2, timeline below:

 Sales increase of 25% in the first year from speed-enabled products by reaching

more mobile app users

 Launching mobile app in France, China, and Japan by 2019

 Replenishing the products that are highest in demand

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Adidas can reach more sales from their speed-enabled footwear by understanding what

products are highest in demand, and how they are being purchased. Reaching more mobile users

will help increase the sales of speed-enabled products as well.

Section 9: Marketing Program

Customer service is more than being courteous and answering product related questions;

customer service is developing long lasting relationships that improve brand awareness.

Advancements in technology has made customer service a 24/7 job, through Twitter, Instagram

comments section, and direct messaging customers have a consistent connection to companies.

Adidas has utilized the advancements in technology and social media to it benefit by implanting

their five-year plan Create the New. The five-year plan objective is to boost brand desirability

though ecommerce and digital content creation (Ismall, 2015). Creating the New is driven be

three major strategic choices: speed, cities, and open source; though these three objectives

Adidas hopes to increase eCommerce business to 2 billion users by 2020 (Ismal, 2015).

Herbert Hainer, CEO of Adidas group, announced: “Our new strategy is built on speed,

focus and openness. As a result, we will accelerate our growth story and deliver superior returns

to our shareholders. I am very much looking forward to ‘creating the new’ together with the

adidas Group’s more than 53,000 employees across the globe.” Adidas’s will be focusing on six

cities: London, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, Paris and Los Angles (Ismal, 2015). Focusing on

these three cities allows for the company to have a keen connection to the changing trends in the

industry. The selected cities have a dynamic platform for enhancing brand recognition and

producing trends. Speed for Adidas is ensuring customers are always offered exactly what they

want, whenever they want it, and however they want it (Friedman, 2018). Changes to ‘speed’

include shifting their production from Asia to closer main markets, this change will hopefully

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minimize delivery time for ecommerce customers. The move will also allow the company to

have a quicker response to fast changing trends helping them stay relevant (Friedman, 2018).

Currently Adidas has created two Speedfactories near their two biggest markets Atlanta, Georgia

and Ansbach, Germany. In 2017 adidas Speedfactories developed a customer driven project

called Adidas Made For a series of individually crafted shoes (Friedman, 2018). As for the Open

Source strategy, Adidas will be collaborating with pop culture, social media, and sports

influencers to increase brand expansion. Some of the influencers include Stella McCartney,

Kanye West, and Real Madrid Soccer club.

Investing in digital presence is Adidas’s objective to increase brand loyalty and customer

engagement. Digital is having a fundamental impact on the way Adidas is transforming into a

technically advanced company. Introducing the Adidas ecommerce app resulted in the fastest

growing distribution channels with 1.7 million downloads and a 57% production growth

(Freidman, 2018). The app includes exclusive deals and product release information that solely

available to Adidas members. The app also includes personalized features that are dictated by

customer input, figure 1 showcases one of the app’s personalized customer features (Freidman,

2018). The Adidas app also includes real-time product suggestions to enhance customer

engagement and brand communication. Internally Adidas has added some changes to ensure their

customer delivery is up to par. In 2017 the company introduced RFID as a solution to improve

stock accuracy and on-floor availability (Binns, 2017). RFID is an information technology that

specialized in inventory organization, inventory accuracy, and timeliness. The IT program has

fixed the basics of stock accuracy and on-floor availability increasing in-store speed of service

(Binns, 2017).

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Section 10: Financial Plan

Adidas’s five-year marketing strategy “Creating the new”, which was presented in March

2015, has elevated brand desirability resulting in strong improvements in sales and profitability.

Adidas has driven all direct sales through the company’s e-commerce platforms. Revenue from

www.adidas.com and www.reebok.com are projected to increase to $4 billion by 2020 (Adidas

Annual Report, 2017). Marketing expenditures is the focal point for driving brand desirability

and growth sustainability, which has inherently made it one of the largest operating expenses for

Adidas. Adidas utilizes a top-down/bottom up approach to capital expenditure, which is an

information processing system where financial management decisions are delegated from top to

bottom, and the finally transported back up top for final decision making (Adidas Annual Report,

2017).

In 2017 Adidas invested in Speedfactories in Atlanta and Germany to provide fast

delivery to consumers, the strategic investment increased net sales by 28% in 2017. By 2020,

Adidas plans to generate 40% of its net sales with “speed-enabled products,” improving the share

of full-price sales across all speed ranges by an estimated 20% over the next five years (Vitone,

2016). Adidas has over-invested in mega cities New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Shanghai, London

and Tokyo; some of the major success to contribute to brand awareness was the 2017 “Green

Light Run in ‘Tokyo and Run’ for ‘The Ocean in New York’ (Adidas Annual Report, 2017).

Through intense social media coverage both events increase brand awareness by making

consumers the focal point of their events. The brand also made investments in remodeling stores,

building new stores, and in-shop presentations, which accounted for 48% of total capital

expenditures. In 2017Adidas invested a total of 2 million in marketing and advertisements

(Pratap, 2018).

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Proposed Marketing Expenditures Budget

This budget is based on previous years marketing expenses. This includes marketing

investment and marketing overhead. The expenditures from marketing speed-enabled products

and increasing app users are included in the budget under marketing investments. Additionally,

no new Speedfactories will be developed by the year 2020 so expenses from this development

are not necessary to include in the marketing budget.

Expenditure for Marketing Investments: 2,141 million Euros ($2,437 million US dollars)

 Promotion

 Communication

o Promotion contracts

o Advertising

o Events

o Communication activities

Expenditure for Marketing Overhead: 748 million Euros ($851 million US dollars)

Total Marketing Budget: 2,889 million Euros ($3,300 million US dollars)

Section 11: Marketing Metrics

For Adidas to reach its goals, there needs to be performance and marketing metrics to

validate the level of success or failure of the marketing plan to be implemented to cut into more

of Nike’s market share and potentially become the market leader within the athletic footwear

industry. Growth in e-commerce sales, cost per lead, social media visits and leads and traffic by

device are good metrics to measure real-time performance and finances. The financial and

performance metrics that can be used are listed below:

Financial metrics:

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E-commerce sales- Measuring the e-commerce sales can help grow the mobile app. This

will help manage how well the mobile app is doing. The numbers, if good can help expand the

mobile app into new countries as it is an objective for Adidas to grow their mobile app users by

50% by year 2020.

Cost per lead- Managers can track the success from the leads being generated and consider what

is working and what is not. The marketing strategies include different campaigns to increase the

sales growth and market share.

Performance metrics:

Social media visits and leads- This metric tracks shows how well social media marketing

is impacting the number of visits or sales being driven to Adidas site. Managers can consider

how many social media campaigns is created based on the success, and a new allocated budget

can be determined. This can help meet the marketing objective of growing speed-enabled sales

by 40%, by advertisement on social media for most of the target market to view.

Traffic by device- This metric increases the chances of customers going mobile (Mindful

Metrics, 2017). The marketing strategy here is to monitor the customer’s preference. This can

give an overview, and help create a specific web design, products, and campaigns. This can help

increase the mobile users up to 50% also.

These financial and performance metrics will help to evaluate the performance and

success of the marketing plan. The overall success of the plan will reflect in the company’s

revenues, net sales, market share, and growth gross margin.

Total revenue helps to determine the overall level of sales worldwide for Adidas. Net

sales of the product category of footwear will be the focus and this will measure the sales growth

yearly. Market share is important to determine how much of total sales within the athletic

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footwear belong to Adidas, measured in percentage terms. It’s also an effective measuring tool

when comparing from year to year against its closest competitors Nike and Under Armour. It can

help determine whether the gap is closing between Adidas and Nike or the gap is widening

between Adidas and Under Armour and other market followers, including Puma, Fila, and New

Balance.

Gross Margin will also show how successful Adidas has been when it comes to

undertaking its marketing effort. Gross margin is measured in percentage terms and is

determined by the following formula: total revenue subtracted by costs of goods sold, all of

which is divided by total revenue. Adidas determined that a marketing plan contingent upon

three strategic choices that included speed, cities, and open source would make the brand more

enthralling, enticing new customers so they’ll find the brand and its products more desirable. As

a result, they should be able to experience gross profit expansion, along with top line/market

share growth, and operating leverage (Adidas Group, 2018).

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Exhibits

Exhibit 1: Adidas’ Footwear Sales Past Three Years

2017.0

2016.0

2015.0

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

14.09

11.49

9.48

Adidas Footwear Sales 2015-2017

Global Netsales U.S. Dollars (Billions)

Year

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Exhibit 2: Competitive Analysis Worksheet

Company/Product  Name

Criteria 1 Annual Sales 

Criteria 2 Number of Employees

Criteria 3 Market Share

Adidas/ Athletic  Footwear

$14.09 billion 56,888 11.3%

Nike/ Athletic Footwear $21.1 billion 74,400 34.7%

Under Armour/ Athletic  Footwear

$1.0 billion 11,787 2.4%

Competitive Positions* Company/Product Basis for Position 

Market Leader Nike/ Footwear Innovation

Market Challenger/Follower Adidas/Footwear Product Leadership

Market Follower Under Armour/Footwear Size of the company

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Exhibit 3: Adidas SWOT Analysis

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  • Section 1: Company mission/vision/values or other indicators of a market-driven organization
    • SWOT Analysis
  • Section 3: Target Market
  • Section 4: Strategic Marketing Plan Objectives
  • Section 5: Product Strategy
  • Section 6: Pricing Strategy
  • Section 7: Distribution Strategy
  • Section 8: Marketing Communication Strategy
  • Section 9: Marketing Program
  • Section 10: Financial Plan
  • Section 11: Marketing Metrics
  • Exhibits
  • References