Adidas Brand Audit

Bryanna Robbins
Elizabeth Yanak
Elle McGlocklin
Hannah Ricker
Jachen DeVol

Table of Contents
1.0
2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0
6.0

7.0
8.0
9.0

Executive Summary.2
Brand Identity.3-7
2.1
Brand Portfolio.4-5
2.2
Product and Positioning Matrix..5
2.3
Brand Hierarchy..6
2.4
Competitive Positioning Matrix......7
Visual Identity Analysis .8-12
3.1
Brand Logo...8
3.2
Brand Symbol..9
3.3
Brand Word Mark9
3.4
Brand Slogan.10
3.5
Brand Colors..11
3.6
Brand Discussion...12
Brand Exploratory.13-19
4.1
Individual Brand Interviews..14-19
4.1.1
Sierra Dawson....14
4.1.2
Colton Miller...15
4.1.3
Laurissa Baer..16
4.1.4
Kiley Brown..17
4.1.5
Christopher Messerer...18
4.1.6
Amanda Porter & Matthew Dray.19
Brand Descriptive.20-24
5.1
Knowledge Structure.23-24
Strategic Recommendations25-31
6.1
Adidas Associations.25
6.1.1
Desired Associations..25-27
6.1.2
Unwanted Associations..27
6.2
Implementation Strategy.28-31
6.2.1
Product28
6.2.2
Price..28
6.2.3
Distribution..29
6.2.4
Promotion..30-31
Conclusion...32
References.33-34
Appendix35-66
9.1
Individual Brand Interviews...35
9.1.1
Sierra Dawson..35-36
9.1.2
Colton Miller.....36-37
9.1.3
Laurissa Baer.37-38
9.1.4
Kiley Brown..38
9.1.5
Christopher Messerer.38-39
9.1.6
Amanda Porter & Matthew Dray...39-40
9.1.7
Interview Questions..41
9.2
Brand Descriptive Survey Data..42-60
9.3
Adidas Survey Questions..61-66

1.0

Executive Summary

Viking Consulting Group has conducted an exhaustive Brand Audit of Adidas corporate
brands and the follow report entails our findings and strategic recommendations to
improve brand equity. This audit has allowed us to investigate Adidas brand and
product lines, marketing strategy, as well as segmenting, targeting, and positioning
strategy in an effort to expose areas of brand inconsistency and weaknesses.
Adidas was founded in 1949 by Adolf Dassler, and gained notice by placing the three
stripes brand logo on Olympians apparel and shoes. Adidas has three modifier brands:
Stella McCartney, Adidas NEO, and Adidas Originals that are profiled in this report.
Each has a separate, specific target profile and appeal to either lifestyle or Athletic
usage targeting consumers 13 to 54 years of age. Adidas has high brand awareness in
the United States and Europe with an emerging presence in Russia and China. Its
competitive strategy is one of differentiation through value added by producing high
quality, apparel which stems from their Olympic roots. Adidas has seized market share
through providing a strong product as well as successful celebrity endorsement and
associations, namely David Beckham, Katy Perry, Derrick Rose, and most recently
Kanye West.
The Brand Inventory revealed the Adidas Modifiers offered a very diverse and wide
product lines and by doing so fail to provide one value proposition to consumers. Its
modifiers aim to please tennis players to hipster teens, which created a flighty brand
image. Through a Brand Exploratory conducted by the Viking Consulting Group, it was
found that Adidas apparel and shoes are closely associated with European-style,
soccer, and are seen as inferior to Nike products. These association were expected,
while other associations such as sporty, affordable and high quality also emerged. Our
research included 64 respondents of differing ages and socioeconomic status, but
mainly those between the ages of 18-25. This provided a rich set of data to intake and
interpret moving forward into our audit.
Based on our extensive research it is recommended that Adidas streamline its product
lines, and add focus to its brand strategy. Though research it was found that Adidas
does not hold strong associations beyond particular sports and items. It is
recommended that Adidas decrease the overall number of SKUs available in the
marketplace and decrease breath and focus on depth. VCG also encourages Adidas to
focus primarily on Soccer, Basketball, and Tennis related sports apparel and shoes
because we believe these sports have the capacity for market penetration. Additionally,
we recommend that Adidas work to integrate strength, durability, and superior technical
performance into their integrated marketing communications with a long-term aspiration
to build brand resonance with Adidas.

2.0

Brand Identity

Adolf Dassler, Adidas founder, grew up with shoes because his father was an employee
at a small shoe factory in Herzogenaurach, Germany. In 1924 Dassler developed his
first athletic shoe in his mothers kitchen (Adidas Group, 2015). In 1949, Adolf Dassler
founded Adidas, based off a family nickname Adi and first two letters of his last name
as forming Adidas. By 1951, Adidas acquired the signature three diagonal stripes from
Karhu Sports, a Finnish sports company, and became known as the three stripes
company (Douglas, 2010).
Originating as a sportswear company, Adidas crafts attire for soccer, football, tennis and
running. These categories primarily fall under its flagship collection, Adidas Orignials.
In recent years, Adidas has attempted a more fashionable approach to workout attire
under the designer Stella McCartneys collection. A lifestyle brand extension of Adidas
called Neo focuses on youth urbanites and features celebrities such as Selena Gomez,
Rita Ora, and Justin Bieber.

2.1 Brand Portfolio

Product

Originals
812 Products

Neo
119 Products

Stella McCartney
109 Products

Apparel: Tops, jackets,

graphic tees, pants,
shorts, warm ups,
leggings, dresses, skirts
and swimwear

Apparel: Tops,
jackets, pants, tees,
dresses, skirts,
leggings

Apparel: Leggings,
tops, pants,
swimwear, jackets,
shorts and vests

Shoes: LifeStyle
(BBtis9 and Selena
Gomez)

Accessories:
Bags, hardware
(yoga mats) and
wallets

Accessories: Socks,
tech accessories,
watches, hats, bags,
sunglasses, headphones,
hardware (phone cases)
and wallets

Price

Shoes: Training,
running and tennis

Shoes: Original (Stan

Smith) Lifestyle, Skate,
Swim, and Soccer
Apparel: $10-$340

Apparel: $10-$100

Apparel: $40-$500

Accessories: $8-$250

Accessories: $5-$35

Accessories: $50$250

Shoes: $20-$250
(Majority: $75-110)
Distribution Adidas.com
Amazon.com
Urban Outfitters
Footlocker
Department Stores
(Macys, Nordstrom,
Neiman Marcus)

Shoes: $40-$80

Promotion

Selena Gomez
Website promotion
Tumblr
Twitter
#nowoseverything
As Boys and girls
not men and women
Fresh, young, active

Pharrell (Pop culture)

Gonz (Skate)
Rita Ora
Damian Lillard
David Beckham
Nigo (Art, Vintage)
Reclaim Superstar
#takethestage used in
YouTube promotion and
social media

Adidas.com
Amazon.com
Department Stores
(Macys, Nordstrom,
Neiman Marcus)

Shoes: $100-$250
Adidas.com
Amazon.com
Department Stores
(Macys,
Nordstrom, Neiman
Marcus)
Stella McCartney
Fashion bloggers
Editorial focus
Edgy designs
Caroline Wozniacki
(US Open)

Olympics sponsorship
People

Young Adults
Hipsters
Urban sporty

Developed with a
fashion focus
Tennis, running,
yoga and cycling
oriented
Only womens
apparel

2.2 Product and Positioning Matrix

Primary Target

Originals
Men 18-34
HHI: $60-150K
Heavy Internet +
Magazine Usage
Watch On-Demand
in last 12 months
US-European

Secondary Target
Market

Men 35-54
China/Russia

Usage/Occasion

Fashion
Street wear
Everyday
Sportswear

Neo
Younger
Hipster
Urban Sporty
14-19 Gender
Neutral
HHI: $60-150K
Germany
US-European
25-34 Gender
Neutral
US +Europe
China/Russia/India

Stella McCartney
Females
18-24

Everyday
Sportswear
Street wear
Outerwear
Teen Fashion

Tennis
Yoga
Sporty chic (gym to
the city street)
Womens fashion
Athleisure
(Athletic leisure
clothing)

HHI: $60-150K
US-European

Females 25-54
China/Russia

2.3 Brand Hierarchy

Parent
Company

Corporate
Brands

Individual
Brands

Modifier
Brands

2.4 Competitive Positioning Matrix

Puma, Nike and Under Armour are currently Adidas main competitors. Puma has similar
roots to Adidas, created in Germany by Adolf Dasslers brother Rudolf as a form of
revenge from miscommunication during World War II. Under Armour poses as a threat
to Adidas because its athletic attire is commonly worn as lifestyle clothing, without
adding another brand extension. Nike currently holds the most market share in the
athletic apparel division with very strong brand equity (Kell, 2014).
Product
Brands
Corporate
Brands
Points of Parity

Puma

Nike

Under Armour

Kering

Nike, Inc.

Under Armour, Inc.

German/European
sportswear,
fashionable
sportswear, gear for
both lifestyle and a
variety of sports

Fashionable sportswear,
gear for both lifestyle and
a variety of sports

Points of
Difference

Lower price point,

less focused on
lifestyle and more
so on the quality of
their gear for actual
athletes

Target Market
(Gender/Age)

Athletic men and

women ages 18-24
(Moses, 2014)

Fashionable
sportswear,
lifestyle brand,
globally
recognized, gear
for both lifestyle
and a variety of
sports
Innovation in
technology and
design, NikeID
(custom design),
strong relationship
with brands such
as Apple (Nike +
iPod), one of the
biggest global
brands, #1
sportswear brand
in the world
Men and women
(with a growing
emphasis on
women) between
18- 35 (Soni, 2014)

Markets highly technical

gear, including SPF
technology and Heat
Gear, focuses on a
larger variety of nontraditional sports
including dance and
martial arts in many of its
campaigns
(Comissioncontent,
2015)
Men and women (from a
large variety of athletic
lifestyles) ages 18-35
(Wikinvest, 2015)

3.0 Visual Identity Analysis

3.1 Brand Logo
In 1949, Adolf Dassler founded Adidas; by 1951, Dassler acquired the three diagonal
stripes from Karhu Sports, a Finnish sports company, and became known as the three
stripes company. (Douglas, 2010) The three stripes began appearing on Olympians
and athletes shoes. It wasnt until 1971 that Adidas had their first official logo they
called the trefoil; the three parallel lines that intersected three leaves, which we
recognize today. The leaves represented Olympic spirit, diversity, and the three main
landmasses: the Americas, Europe/Asia, and Africa (Evans & Stewart, 2014). The
parallel lines that crossed through the leaves were an ode to the companys origin. This
logo is no longer Adidas primary logo; however it is the main logo on the Adidas Original
collection. In 1997, Adidas rolled out with the Adidas Equipment collection, which
brought them the mountain logo. The mountain represented the challenges athletes
faced in order to achieve their goals and dreams (Douglas, 2010), while keeping the
three stripes, an ode to their origins. Adidas purposefully put this logo on the finest
equipment they created to show the challenge mentality. Their latest logo shift was in
2005, when they created the Word Mark (Evans & Stewart, 2014). This logo
represented the companys goal of going back to the basics. Just three parallel lines
next to their name spoke to this ideal. Today, the mountain logo is used on all of their
products, but the Word Mark logo signifies the next chapter in Adidass life.
A Timeline of Adidas Logos

3.2 Brand Symbol

The symbol of Adidas has always been three simple stripes. After purchasing the
symbol from Karhu in 1951, the stripes appeared on their shoes more frequently
(Wikipedia, 2014). By 1971, the trefoil, with its characteristic three intersecting parallel
lines was the brands symbol. With the release of Adidas Equipment in 1997, the brand
climbed upward from the trefoil to a tri-striped mountain.

The creation of the Adidas Equipment Symbol

By Creative Director Peter Moore in 1990 (Douglas, 2010)

3.3 Brand Word Mark

The Adidas brand word mark was created with the font ITC Avant Garde Medium in
black ink. The font was recreated to feature lower case letters in the 1970s, in
correlation with the creation of the trefoil (Identifont, 2000).

3.4 Brand Slogan

Adidas first brand slogan came in 1974, when the company endorsed boxer
Muhammad Ali. In one of his famous speeches Ali ended with, impossible is nothing.
Smart positioning and marketing allowed the Impossible is Nothing campaign to come
to life. Short videos featuring Ali and his daughter Laila were pivotal to the campaign,
as well as other shorts of athletes ranging from soccer players to basketball players
(Waiz, 2013). Almost 40 years later, in March of 2011, Adidas changed their slogan to
All In. The All In campaign encompassed the sports world, the catwalk, and the music
industry in just two words. The advertisements featured athletes like David Beckham,
and musical artists like Katy Perry (Adidas Group, 2013).
Adidas Impossible is Nothing Advertisement

Adidas All In Advertisement

10

3.5 Brand Colors

Adidas brand colors have been white and black throughout most of the brands life.
When the trefoil logo became part of the mix in 1971, variations of the trefoil in iris blue
became another color association. The Adidas Equipment logo has several color
changes, green being the predominate color of change.

Adidas Trefoil Logo in Iris Blue

Image Portfolio

Adidas advertisements from1980-2014

11

3.6 Brand Discussion

Adidas attempts to show integration and uniformity between internal and external
representations. Throughout the history of Adidas, they have stuck with the idea of three
strips, whether that representation is overt or subtlety disguised in a scene. Adidas has
also retained the same celebrity endorsements, which shows consistency in their
strategy. Soccer player David Beckham, one of the most well known soccer players,
signed a lifetime contract with Adidas in 2003 for $160 million dollars plus a percentage
off all his Adidas branded products (Wikipedia, 2015). Besides sports, Adidas has
continued to seek endorsements through the art and music industry. Adidas partnered
with Run-D.M.C. in the 80s, Missy Elliot in the 90s, Katy Perry in the 2000s, and now
Pharrell and Rita Ora (Green, 2014).
Adidas central images all relate to their shoe lines. Before adding sportswear lines,
Adidas branded and represented athletic shoes, and has continued to lean on this
brand equity. Throughout the years, many images of shoes have been manipulated to
represent Adidas. Promotions range from simply displaying a shoe, use of advanced
Photoshop effects, athletes wearing the shoes, or everyday people wearing the product.
The addition of sports wear and street-clothing lines has increased the amount of
celebrities and athletes employed as brand ambassadors. One notable promotion
included Pharrell with the text, My Adidas make me happy, which aligns with his hit
single Happy (Rivera, 2014). Promotions are moving towards expanding the brand
associations beyond sports and across everyday life. Adidas has a recognizable logo
that is known around the world, but the struggle come in shifting or expanding the brand
in the minds of consumers.
Singer Pharrell Williams Adidas Advertisement

12

4.0 Brand Exploratory

In order to better understand where Adidas fits into the minds of consumers, the main
primary research was conducted by employing in-depth interviews. The rational of
choosing this method was because VCG aimed the primary research at receiving
candid, personal opinions of Adidas, and it was assumed that a focus group might
cause some participants to dominate over others. One-on-one interviews were an
integral part to the collection information that individuals might not feel comfortable
sharing in front of a larger group. The limitation of such interviews was the inability to
source a truly diverse respondent set, and therefore findings must be taken with a
degree of understanding that all components are exposed to subjective interpretation.
Other possible implications could be bias created through interviewer interviewee
relationships. However, thoughtful consideration was taken when choosing questions
and respondents to decrease biases and prevent leading questions. In the following
section, we will explore the opinions of seven interviewees.
Viking Consulting Group conducted in-depth interviews with seven people in order to
gauge brand awareness and associations with the Adidas brand. A key component of
the interview process included asking the interviewees to fill out a perceptual map
consisting of two axes, making four quadrants. On each axis they would choose two
characteristics that were important to them when selecting athletic wear, such as price
and quality. At each end of the axis one side would represent high and the other low. In
the responses we found that Adidas was placed in the middle or on the lower side of the
chosen attributes. An interesting commonality throughout the interviews was that Nike
was consistently communicated as the best, and to varying degrees commanded the
most loyalty. One interviewee expressed that she often finds herself showing off her
loyalty to Nike with public displays of brand affection, and feels instantly connected or
disconnected to other individuals when she sees which brand they are wearing. Another
person pointed out that Nike has established a universal presence in all areas. If
Adidas were to directly compete with another brand in all arenas, it would be detrimental
to the health of a brand, and has been Adidas strategy in recent years. When a brand is
considered mediocre or average it runs the risk of being forgotten, and has the potential
for continued loss of market share. The biggest take away from the interviewees was
the ease of brand switching available, with six out of seven interviewees indicating they
would likely switch brands. Of these respondents, all said that they were open to
switching brands or trying a new brand, which indicates openness, an opportunity for
Adidas to capture some market share and move its brand back to the top.

13

4.1 Individual Brand Interviews

4.1.1 Sierra Dawson: Female, 22, White, Student
This young female considers herself athletic, and strongly associates herself with Nike
clothing. She often finds herself showing off her loyalty to Nike with public displays of
brand affection, and feels instantly connected or disconnected to other individuals when
she sees which brand they are wearing. For this interviewee, the conversation was
focused around her love and loyalty to Nike, and everything seems to circle back to how
much affection she has for the brand. Sierra felt pretty neutral about Adidas, but did like
that the Adidas name is an acronym for All Day I Dream About Sports. When probed
about why she chooses Nike over other brands, she expressed an interest in feeling
connection to others and looking cool, something she believes only Nike can give her.
Although she has never owned or worn a pair of athletic shoes other than Nike, she
says feels as though she can trust the brand from personal experience, and
observations of others. The idea of working-out is closely tied to Nike, and for Sierra,
she would never consider switching to another brand unless her peers were doing so.
Brand Equity (High)
Nike
Forever21

Champion
Adidas
Reebok

Price (Low)

Price (High)

Ascics

Brand Equity (Low)

14

4.1.2 Colton Miller: Male, 22, White, Student, Income below 15K
Colton offered several insights into why Adidas may not be able to capture the millennial
generation, however three of are the utmost importance. Firstly, Adidas was not
associated with versatility as they applied to sports. My interviewee saw Nike as offering
a versatile product line for a wide range of activities, whereas Adidas primarily offered
Soccer-related products. Notably, he was able to recall a specific Celebrity
Endorsement (Masse), which suggests Adidas is able to gain brand awareness in its
product line associated with Soccer. Secondly, Adidas has a connotation with being
basic, unoriginal, and clich in the mind of this interviewee. He offered a story about
how an old man, who he considered to have no style to wear Adidas, and therefore he
thought of the brand as something old men wear, not something stylish and trendy as
Nike does. However, he was able to clearly recall the tracksuits, and Adidas designs,
which suggest his brand and product recognition was strong. Finally, when asked about
purchasing behavior he offered he could be easily persuaded to buy another brand,
should this other brand have comparable product attributes (wicking, light-weight, quick
drying), which offers an opportunity to gain market share through the promotion of
features and benefits of the Adidas products.
Price (High)
Puma

Quality (Low)

Nike

Adidas

Asics

TNF
Quality (High)

Reebok
Fila
Under Armour
Price Equity (Low)

15

4.1.3 Laurissa Baer: Female, 21, White/Hispanic, Student, Income below 10K
Laurissa considers herself athletic, and enjoys running on a regular basis, which stems
from her involvement with the cross-country team in high school. She loves being
outside and keeping active, but is also concerned with fashion and comfort. Day-to-day,
Laurissa tends to alternate between fashionable and athletic. When it comes to athletic
clothing specifically, her consumption varies depending of the fit and feel. For her,
athletic wear is relatively similar, unless she is considering shoes. Overall, Laurissa is
not brand loyal, but she religiously uses Asics athletic shoes. Her perception of the
Asics brand is strong due to personal experience with the product. She is open to
buying elsewhere, even ones that are new, such as Old Navy. When probed about
Adidas, she inferred that she has little knowledge of the brand, and from her point-ofview, it does not have much brand equity that would give them an advantage over the
other competing brands. One connection she made between the Adidas name was that
it is strongly associated with soccer, and other ball sports as opposed to running. As the
interview progressed, she offered that Adidas is seen as a brand that is connected to
fashion, and also saw this relationship with Nike. Her perception of price differentiated
Adidas from the main cluster of brands, and could be a possible area of growth and
differentiation.
Quality (High)
Under Armour
Asics
Brooks Solomon
Nike

Adidas
Price (Low)

New Balance
Price (High)

Reebok
Champion
Sketchers
Old Navy
Quality (Low)

16

4.1.4 Kiley Brown: Female, 20, White, Student

Kiley is highly active and works out at the student recreation center four to five times a
week to relieve stress, and stay in shape. Growing up, Kiley played soccer, and her
amassed athletic wardrobe was entirely purchased by her parents, mainly consisting of
Under Armour spandex, Nike shoes, and Nike sweatshirts. Currently, the only Adidas
sportswear Kiley owns is indoor soccer shoes, and does not seem to be brand loyal.
This came as a surprise, considering that most of the association between Adidas can
be traced to soccer. When asked, Kiley does not express knowledge or association to
the Adidas brand. However, Kiley is able to easily recall brand images of other brands,
such as the Nike swoosh, but overall does not feel very connected to one in particular.
When further investigating Kileys knowledge of Adidas, she recalled the association
between the brand and major league soccer teams, the Seattle Sounders in particular.
Fashion (High)

Under Armour
Nike

Price (Low)

Price (High)

Adidas

Fashion (Low)

17

4.1.5 Christopher Messerer: Male, 24, White, Student

Comfort is the main priority of this young male student, but versatility also plays into the
consideration of athletic wear for Christopher. From tennis matches, to jogging, or just
everyday life, sportswear needs to serve multiple purposes in his mind. Shopping is
infrequent, but the majority of his athletic wardrobe is Nike, with Under Armour and
Adidas taking a small percentage. Although Chris buys majority Nike, when asked how
he would feel if Nike went out of business, he admitted he would be a little sad, but
seemed neutral overall. A similar sentiment was noted when Christopher mentioned he
only speaks of these brands when others ask, proving he does little to show brand
affection towards any one in particular. Specifically Adidas, Christopher knew very little,
but mentioned wanting to know more. This young male shows the potential for
switching brands because of low loyalty levels, and did mention he would like to see
Adidas branch out from its relationship to soccer.
Fashion (High)

Nike
Under Armour
Adidas
Durability (Low)

Puma
Durability (High)

Fashion (Low)

18

4.1.6 Amanda Porter: Female, 22, Student

& Matthew Dray: Male, 26, White, Canadian, Electrician
Amanda is a highly athletic individual and has a strong brand loyalty to Nike it is
almost the only athletic brand she wears when she works out. Matt is less athletic and
more sports-oriented, and much of the sportswear he purchases is based off price and
convenience. Neither of them feels too connected to people who also wear their favorite
brand (Nike), but Amanda enjoys the aesthetic of Nike immensely. She prefers stylish
workout clothing, which is something she believes Nike provides, and enjoys seeing it
on other stylish women. Neither had much brand recognition nor recall when it came to
Adidas, and Matt was more knowledgeable about the brand than Amanda, and would
be willing to switch to it. Amanda would feel devastated if Nike were to cease to exist,
and would not consider brand switching, Matt wouldnt mind and would absolutely
switch if he found the same quality at a lower price point or was given a discount of
some sort.
Fashion (High)
Nike
Lululemon

Zella

Fit (Low)

Fit (High)
Adidas
Champion

Under Armour

Asics
New Balance

Paran
Fashion (Low)

19

5.0 Brand Descriptive

After conducting an 18 question quantitative survey with 64 respondents the following
are important insights into consumer perceptions, opinions, and attitudes towards
Adidas:

On 29.09% of Respondents Purchased Adidas Sportswear in the Last Year

Respondents purchased Athletic Clothing on the following attributes in order of

importance: Styling (Fit and Sizing) (75%), Brand Familiarity (68.75%), Price
(68.75%), Quality (62.5%), Fashion (62.5%), and Durability (37.5%).

73.3% described Adidas Product Pricing as Comparable to similar products and

23.3% described it as Price=Quality

On average our Respondents somewhat agreement with I purchase different

brands of Athletic Clothing as 5.19, which provides Adidas an opportunity to
encourage brand switching.

Adidas was most closely associated with sports such as Soccer (89.9%), basketball
(29.9%), Running (45.45%), and Tennis (32.73%).

Adidas was most closely associated with Shoes (62.9%) over apparel, Accessories
or Professional Sports Team Attire.

Respondents were Satisfied (Mean =3) with Adidas Product Quality, Durability, and
Style (See Graph Below).

20

Respondents agreed (Mean=2) with the following statements Adidas makes me

think of Soccer, Adidas is a European, not an American Brand, Adidas Products
are equal in Quality you Nike Products, however they were neutral about An
Advertisement with a famous spokesperson from Adidas attracts me to buy more of
their product (Mean =3). This suggests we have an opportunity to capture market
share away from Nike, as well as not emphasize Celebrity endorsements as much
because they do not appear to impact sales from our research (See Table below).

Adidas was most frequently described by adjectives such as Sport (79.6%) and
Old-School (38.9%) both of which are associations we can work to strengthen
brand equity.

21

When Comparing the 5 top Athletic Brands, Nike was ranked number one for 36/53
respondents, whereas 11 respondents ranked Adidas as first. This suggests that our
main competitor is Nike, and therefore we will need to create strong points of
differentiation from Nike products to capture market share.

The findings of the primary quantitative survey distributed must be considered, but
again are limited due to a limited sample size in demographic, geographic, and
socioeconomic factors.

22

5.1 Knowledge Structure

Through the quantitative research described above we were able to construct a
depiction of consumers knowledge around the Adidas brand. The visual knowledge
structure below summarizes the information by emphasizing connections with the
brand, and illustrates closely held connections and the related strength.
The five large boxes surrounding Adidas that contain soccer, fashion styling,
satisfaction, products, and price are areas of strong association with customers. The
darker lines represent the strongest associations in those categories and lighter lines
represent weaker associations. When analyzing this map we realized a few key areas
where Adidas excelled.
The European soccer relationship is very strong with the brand and has be utilized will
in current and past marketing strategies. As a result of the strength in this area VCG
suggests that Adidas should move some efforts away from marketing Soccer, and
distribute efforts along to other sport such as Basketball, where it already has a foothold
that can be capitalize on.
People find Adidas styling appealing and sporty. These adjectives need to be kept at
the forefront of the brand and in order to achieve this, technical innovations and high
performance technologies must be incorporated into new and existing lines.
The strongest connection to satisfaction was quality for respondents. On one hand,
quality is very important, and can be a hard to association to achieve; therefore, Adidas
must put more work into building loyal customers that are greatly satisfied with the style
of its products.
Shoes are the strongest associated product to the Adidas name. With strong
competition such as Nike, Adidas must keep its shoe lines up to date and competitive
with Nike and other competitors found in the Brand Exploratory.
Even though people associate Adidas with comparable prices in relation to competitors,
in order to move forward, Adidas must either provide a value to customers. Adidas
could create value if efforts were made to introduce new products that are more stylish
and desirable to lure customers away from competitors.
The knowledge structure map below depicts strong and weak areas for Adidas
associations. In particular, VCG is interested in areas that the brand is lacking, and
areas that could be strengthened to create a more cohesive brand proposition. The
associations below will guide the brand to a specific focused area where market share
can grow and customers can be swayed to buy Adidas over its competitors.

23

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6.0 Strategic Recommendations

6.1 Adidas Associations
To better compete in the sportswear market, Adidas should transfer the following
associations that emphasize the more technical and seriously athletic aspects of the
brand and remove associations related to casual clothing and a lack of brand loyalty.
Adidas should work to better create a brand that resonates with serious athletes in the
fields of soccer, tennis and basketball and stay true to their biggest brand association of
authenticity.

6.1.1 Desired Associations

Many of the following positive associations VCG wishes to increase can be seen in the
brand knowledge structure and survey results (page 24). Salience already exists in
these areas, and therefore Adidas should continue to transfer these associations. This
will be achieved through the way it designs its products, additional brand sponsors that
are strictly athletes, especially tennis and basketball players, and increased interactive
strategy within its advertising. Current associations are limited to soccer, and in order to
appeal to serious athletes Adidas should transfer associations to tennis and basketball,
while maintaining current positive associations.

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In order to achieve brand awareness and move towards loyalty, VCG will focus Adidas
on a few key areas in an attempt to differentiate from competitors. Competitors, namely
Nike, have been increasingly focusing on penetrating every market possible that athletic
wear has to offer. For Adidas, it is important that the brand is not spread too thin, and
therefore, moving forward Adidas will focus on depth and refrain from product line
extensions. Specifically, VCG will work on adapting and strengthening coherence,
relevance, and participation to shorted the required though processes customers
undergo before choosing athletic wear.
Coherence: of Adidass closely held association to soccer, basketball and tennis.
Repeat this until Adidas and soccer, tennis, and basketball become synonymous.
Eventually, a hedonic shortcut will allow purchase decisions from Adidas to happen with
little thought; it will be the right decision to make without pain felt by the customer.
Relevance: will be made because Adidas represents the best fit for the customer. By
showing the brand as sporty, technical and high-quality active wear for serious athletes.
Specifically, for those who are serious, or aspire to be serious athletes, its product
quality and overall offerings with clearly reflect this. For example, technical gear specific
to soccer, basketball, and tennis will be heavily advertised in comparison to everyday
athletic wear to further associate Adidas with committed athletes.
Participation: will be created by opening up the brand and allowing the target market to
engage on a deeper level with the brand. This should be done through various platforms
such as social media, and can include sponsored posts by both professional and
everyday athletes, contests and branded hashtags, and taking consumer inputs into
consideration. Social media is an excellent platform to drive customer loyalty and
emphasize the following key brand associations (see graph below).

Authenticity of the Adidas brand: Authenticity is a core brand value, and

provides a unique point of difference for Adidas. This association in particular
should be transferred the most frequently through campaigns on different
platforms
Adidas for serious athletes: Appeal to target markets aspirational self and
create brand resonance with athletes passionate about their sport
Quality and durability: Both are current associations for Adidas, and should
continue to be transferred by the brand because these aspects of a product are
important for our target beachhead
Sporty: Additional focus will be made on specific sports to gain a narrow focus
Technical: Adidas will move this feature to a point-of-parity with its competitorsfor the brand to appeal to serious athletes, the more technical aspects of the
sportswear line needs to be emphasized
Soccer, tennis, and basketball: Adidas will represent these sports and take
ownership of the games and the athletes they will have an opportunity to serve

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6.1.2 Unwanted Associations

The following associations can be seen in the brand knowledge structure and go
against our recommended strategy of authenticity and athleticism for the Adidas brand.
Adidas should strive for brand-loyal customers by shedding some of its many lines and
multitude of social media accounts, many of which are on the same platform, to create a
more streamlined and cohesive brand targeted towards serious athletes.
Specifically, with VCG Adidas will take measures employing social media and
sponsorships to show the loyalty Adidas has to soccer, tennis, and basketball. Instead
of spreading the Adidas name thin and adding brand extensions, it will reduce and focus
to gain a tribe of Adidas followers who are unapologetically loyal to the name.

Unloyal: A lack of brand loyalty conflicts with the Adidas core brand value of
authenticity. In order for its customers to remain faithful to the brand, Adidas
needs to remain authentic and narrow its focus to sportier clothing and athletes.
Casual: Adidas should distance its athletic wear from its casual lines to appeal to
serious athletes. Advertising the casual lines as different from the sportswear
lines would allow Adidas to create multiple brands and resonate with more
athletic individuals.

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6.2 Implementation Strategy

It is vital for Adidas to cease strategy that is aimed being all things for all people and
take a more hostile approach to branding. Overall, the implementation strategy will
encourage participation in brand shaping from individuals who identify or aspire to be
serious athletes. In the minds of the customer Adidas will be synonymous with
authenticity, quality, technical gear, and sports. A clear and consistent brand message
will align with the genuine promise of the Adidas brand until resonance is achieved for
basketball, tennis and soccer players, and supporters.

6.2.1 Product
By decreasing Adidas brand portfolio, and creating clear separation between Adidas
lifestyle brands and its athletic apparel, the unwanted associations of Adidas as a
casual brand will decrease. In order for Adidas to gain resonance with serious athletes,
it must develop new technologies in athletic apparel for soccer, basketball, and tennis
players. These products will first be distributed to professional athletes, for trial and
sponsorship. If an athlete is seen wearing the product and using the new technologies,
Adidas will likely gain the respect of other aspiring professionals. From there, word of
product performance and quality will trickle down and proliferate these specific
industries and their associated tribes. True to its sports: soccer, tennis and basketball,
Adidas will decrease the creation of workout gear unassociated to sports. By doing so, it
will essentially discourage the Adidas sportswear name from being tarnished by
individuals wearing Adidas apparel in everyday situations. This will be achieved by the
technicality of the product and general quality. Increasing the complexity and specificity
of the product has the potential to lessen inclusion of some individuals all together,
which could be seen negatively for Adidas initial overall market share. However, this
unapologetic branding is consistent with Adidas mission to be authentic and will help to
increase positive associations of quality, sports and technicality, while decreasing
negative associations of un-loyal individuals and casual wear. Eventually, this strategy
will allow Adidas to gain nearly the entire market share for soccer, basketball, and
tennis.

6.2.2 Price
Everything communicates, and price has the ability to tell a story and allow individuals
to identify the product and place it on a perceptual map in the minds of the consumer.
Gathered from our primary data, individuals saw Adidas as having a comparable price
(Page 41, Appendix 9.2). In individual interviews respondents placed the price of
Adidas sportswear near, or just below competitors offerings (Page 14-16,17) indicating
that Adidas has some room to grow before meeting the consumers willingness to pay.
With that being said, Adidas should proceed with caution and continue providing
transactional value in comparison to the customers reference price.

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6.2.3 Distribution
Vital to the success of implementation is the location in which Adidas promotions,
apparel and shoes, and support will be located. It was found in the quantitative primary
research that Adidas is seen as a European brand. This association is not inherently
negative, and while it exists, Adidas can employ some breakaway positioning from AllAmerican brands into global markets. For example, soccer is one of the most popular
international sports, and one of the main associations VCG will employ in the rebranding of Adidas. Currently, Adidas has high brand awareness in the United States
and Europe with an emerging presence in Russia and China (graphic below), an
advantage that will be pivotal in capturing Adidas beachhead of serious athletes.

Soccer games, basketball games, tennis matches, and respective athletes will be
sponsored by Adidas to further associations. Technical and quality apparel will be sold
in sports specific locations to ensure that an educated sales team can inform customers
of the benefits of Adidas sportswear. For a product of its quality and price it is pivotal
that a helpful, education, and on-brand sales force be present to further strengthen the
brand and provide context for the product. Place provides non-verbal cues to customers
and communicated who the target customer is and why the product is at the set price
point. Customers committed to their sport will enjoy the exclusivity of the Adidas
shopping experience.

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6.2.4 Promotion
The focus on Adidas promotion will be in achieving resonance. Specifically, intensity
factors such as attitudinal attachment and sense of community will lead to activity
resonance like behavior loyalty and active engagement. This will be achieved by
promotions relying heavily on social listening in various online communities where
serious athletes reside. For example, Adidas will engage Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
and Snapchat users by employing relevant hashtags and competitions for apparel.
Currently, Adidas has a wide range of social media accounts. In order to communicate
consistency, these accounts will be narrowed down for each specific sport. This will
provide a community where its respective tribe members can feel a sense of
community, understanding, and belonging. From this, brand evangelists will appear,
which will be employed to increase active engagement. More often, individuals enjoy
seeing others unique content and will likely be encouraged to join if they feel this sense
of community, rather than strictly outbound marketing efforts.
In addition to social media engagement, Adidas will promote specifically within soccer,
basketball, and tennis professional and semi-professional teams. By gaining the loyalty
of these players, Adidas will appeal to the aspirational self of those who identify as
serious athletes and seek to be in those shoes. Promotions will be sport specific and
authentic. Specifically, sports professional in these areas will be used in images, with
strong poses and imply commitment and loyalty to the sport and Adidas.

The tagline Adidas is all in, with classic authentic Adidas black and white with athletes.

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Sport specific images with All in tag line, while others encourage individuals to identify
with the Adidas tribe. This unified group of people will be referred to as the Adidas
Society.

Learning advantage through consistent brand message and allow for purchase
motivation and heuristic. Reverse-position brand of Adidas defies the augmented trend
and strips down brand extensions and adds richness simultaneously

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7.0 Conclusion
Our research has brought Viking Consulting Group to recommend that Adidas
condense its product lines and focus on three particular sports and their related apparel:
soccer, basketball, and tennis. As demonstrated in the Brand Inventory and
Exploratory, Adidas offers a diverse selection of sportswear to fit a wide variety of
lifestyles, which has created conflicting associations for the brand and a lack of one
overarching value proposition to create resonance with its target market.
By reducing its product selection and narrowing its focus on serious athletes, the Adidas
brand will be able to better position itself to consumers and become the most accessible
brand in the minds of the target market. By re-focusing on the authenticity of the brand
and its core values, and positioning itself for serious athletes, Adidas can create key
points of difference to better compete in the sportswear industry while turning its
competitors points of difference into points of parity.

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8.0 References
Adidas Group. History. (2015). Retrieved April 16, 2015, from http://www.adidasgroup.com/en/group/history/
David Beckham. (2015, April 17). Retrieved April 19, 2015, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Beckham
Douglas, S. (2010, May 4). Logo oddities. The strange story of Adidas. Retrieved
April 16, 2015, from http://www.thelogofactory.com/logo_blog/index.php/logooddities-the-strange-story-of-adidas/
Evans, G., & Stewart, C. (2014, February 3). How the Adidas logo earned its stripes.
Retrieved April 15, 2015, from http://www.creativebloq.com/logo-design/howadidas-logo-earned-its-stripes-11135390
Green, T. (2014, April 22). Adidas' Music Gamble: Why They're Betting on Pharrell
Williams and Kanye West. Retrieved April 19, 2015, from
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-hook/6062768/adidas-musicgamble-why-theyre-betting-on-pharrell-williams-and
Inside Puma's branded content strategy - Digiday. (2014, December 15). Retrieved
April 19, 2015, from http://digiday.com/brands/nielsenes-puma-branded-content/
ITC Avant Garde Medium. (2000). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from
http://www.identifont.com/show?N6
Moses, L. (2014, December 15). Inside Puma's branded content strategy - Digiday.
Retrieved April 19, 2015, from http://digiday.com/brands/nielsenes-pumabranded-content/
Rivera, J. (2014, January 1). Happy Adidas. Retrieved April 19, 2015, from
http://riverajoseph.com/projects/happy-adidas-advertisment/
Soni, P. (2014, December 2). Traditionally innovative: A must-know investor's guide
to NIKE. Retrieved April 19, 2015, from http://marketrealist.com/2014/12/nikesgrowth-drivers-in-the-us-and-overseas/
Under Armour (UA). (2015, April 17). Retrieved April 19, 2015, from
http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Under_Armour_(UA)
Under Armour Broadens its Target Audience. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2015, from
http://comissioncontent.com/under-armour-broadens-its-target-audience/

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Waiz, S. (2013, June 8). The Adidas Slogan: All You Need To Know. Retrieved April
16, 2015, from http://www.advergize.com/advertising/adidas-slogan/

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9.0 Appendix
9.1 Individual Brand Interviews
9.1.1 Sierra Dawson: Female, 22, White, Student

Once a month
Purchases 60% Nike, 30% Forever21, 10% other
Loves Nike
o Because of quality, strong marketing, cool thing to have
o If seeing a girl at the gym not wearing Nikes, she judges them
Very shocked if Nike went out of business, but there might be clearance that she
could stock up on
Feels connected to other Nike wearers, sometimes in a jealous way, be like
sup, you get me, we have this in common
Adidas makes her feel neutral, sometime she questions why they got Adidas and
not Nike
Doesnt talk about athletic clothing but does express her appreciation for the
company
Launches sales pitch to people who dont own Nike
Athletic clothing, swoosh (usually white on a black background)
Adidas: logo, the font they use, other than that, she doesnt know what the logo
looks like on clothing and doesnt picture anything and All day I dream about
sports
Nike means being fit and being in shape, encourages people to work out more
because its expensive and if you buy Nike, you should use it or it would be a
waste of money, clothing is comfortable and motivates and encourages her to
workout
o Only wears Nike shoes because of comfort/look/popularity/variety
o Nike is a fashion statement
o Lots of styles of Nike for what activity you want to do
Workout gear becoming popular is cultural shift to lose fashion and dont get
ready as much
o Clean and cool because you dont have to be fancy to be cool
o Nike appeals to many people because they can be worn with anything
Adidas: Neutral towards Adidas, but likes the name and name acronym
o Doesnt find Adidas as slick or as ascetically pleasing as Nike
Adidas is worn by people who cant afford Nike
Doesnt know what Adidas shoes look like
Never had a running shoe that wasnt a Nike
Very brand loyal to Nike and couldnt see switching
o Everybody knows that Nike has the most comfortable shoes and she
might wear them because everyone else does
Purchases at Outlets, Sports Authority, Famous Footwear
Buys lots online, Nike.com
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o When you know your size, its more comfortable to buy them online

9.1.2 Colton Miller: Male, 22, White, Student, Income below 15K

Frequently. Once a month or every 2 months.

Something that I can be active in, and be free and flexible. Be able to push
myself in all ways. Hot and cold. Free up your body so you can run/bike faster.
70-80% of category purchases are a particular brand
Adidas, Nike, Eddie Bauer, Under Armour, Jordan, Specialized, North Face
I love Nike, because it fits me perfectly. Appeals to everything I want to do it
works for it. Every single sport.
o Shoes, Socks, Shorts, Shirts
How sad would you be if Nike went out of business?
o I wouldnt be that sad, because I could find it in another company. After
Nike, I would say Id choose Adidas.
Do you feel a connection to others?
o Not particularly, unless it is an item that really intrigues me because I
havent seen it before. I recently noticed a Nike running coat on a friend.
More so in HS, but not so much anymore. I was always on a sports team, and
received the magazines that show you all the products available. Id look to see
what new cleats were coming out, and the pros/cons of those. I never got the
newest version, but a year old version. I picked Adidas cleats because they
worked with my playing style. I was a defender. I wore Adidas when I was 11. I
changed brands because the shoe that I loved Adidas Predators, and they
made a new style so I could not get the ones I liked anymore.
Being a business major there is no pride in Nike because of the whole sweatshop
scene, but the company itself is pretty much running the world. Offers everything
I could want. They are a top brand in the world. Id be 9/10 people have a Nike
product on them.
Athletic Clothing: Running, Something Active, Moving, being outside, being
active, healthy,
Adidas: Reminds me of my friends Dad. Adidas was the only brand he would
wear. He wore Adidas head to toe. The only thing he and his son wore was track
suits. It was bad. The style seemed so outdated. The striped lines are very
clich, how basic is 3 straight lines, not creative. I think of RUN DMC and My
Adidas phrases.
Adidas: The 2nd tear of the sporting industry, and is one step down from Nike.
That wont change until Nike folds as a company or a new sporting company
comes out.
Nike: The top competitor. Nike is always winning, and a strong worldwide
company.
I think Adidas is pretty humble. For example if you see the people they sign to
sponsor those people are also humble. Least: I really dont know. Maybe their
pricing or design. They are not like a main competitor in the industry. I look for an
example from people who wear the product, for example Masse.

36

Nike is bold, and strong like Lebron James. I least like their ego. For example
how Oregon Football always has 50 different Jerseys, and free advertisement
constantly.
These brands run the industry, no little guys or startups. They only focus on the
main sports, and not smaller ones. They are the top of the top, no middle tier of
companies. Adidas and Puma are bigger in Europe.
Adidas: Soccer Player. Playing soccer, running, weight lifting. They get
compression, climate-control, and dryness from the product.
Nike: I think of more aggressive athletes in bigger sports(Football, basketball,
running, and football gloves).
Id say I am usually looking for something specific. You know what you need, and
look specifically for that when shopping.
What is the hardest thing about shopping for sports athletic wear?
o I'd say the prices. This is because sporting items are high prices, because
there is a large demand, therefore they raise prices.
Are you brand loyal for a specific athletic wear company?
o I dont think I am because price affects me highly in terms of what I buy. I
can be convinced to purchase another brand easily. As long as the
credentials: light-weigh and wicking are the same.
Online at discount prices. Why? Who doesnt love a discount? I will never buy
something full price, unless I am in dire need. Online has a better selection, and
better price options, and I can compare sites.

9.1.3 Laurissa Baer: Female, 21, White/Hispanic, Student, Income below 10K

Shops for sportswear when needed, not in excess

Nike: 25% Asics: 50% Reebok: 10% Old Navy sportswear: 10% Salomon: 5%
Strong love for Asics running shoes
o Sad if brand went out of business because she couldnt run comfortably
o Do you talk about this brand? Yes, when people ask what shoes I wear for
everyday running
Doesnt feel a connection to Nike because they dont make a running shoe that
fits comfortably
What comes to mind when I say (athletic clothing/Adidas/workout)?
o Soccer gear
o Quality workout gear
What do you like best/least about these brands?
o Like best: promotes physical health and fitness
o Like least: might not be affordable for people with lower income who want
quality workout gear
Two kinds of people wear Nike/Adidas: people who are actually fit and have been
wearing them for years, or people who think they are fashionable and wear them
for the sake of being stylish
People use Adidas mainly for sport and get comfortable gear
They wear it for either working out or everyday leisure activities (walking to class)

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What is the easiest thing about shopping for athletic wear?

o Knowing which brand youre looking for depending on what you need
o Hardest: Knowing what you want and sales people get in the way
Would you ever consider switching brands? What would it take for you to switch?
o It would take a really great recommendation from a coach or really close
friend who I trust, especially with switching running shoe brands
Brand loyalty: only Asics
Which stores do you shop at for athletic clothing?
o Fleet Feet, Dicks, Fred Meyer, REI, Target, Sports Authority
o Would rather purchase in-store because she cannot purchase clothing
without trying it on

9.1.4 Kiley Brown: Female, 20, White, Student

How often do you purchase Sportswear?

o Once or twice a year, I dont buy it myself
Nike: 10%, Adidas: 1%, Under Armour: 15%, Other: 74%
o No love for any of these brands
o Would be impartial if Nike went out of business
o Would not care if Adidas or Under Armour went out of business
Feels no connection to others that use these brands
Does not talk about them, and seems neutral to most questions of loyalty
What comes to mind when I say (athletic clothing/Adidas/workout)?
o Comfortable, sweating, swoosh, feels nothing for Adidas, and thinks of the
spandex material for Under Armour
o Has no meaningful association to Nike/Adidas
Likes best: Nike sweatshirts, Under Armour spandex, and Adidas indoor soccer
shoes
Least: Nothing about Nike, but doesnt like Adidas soccer sweats that open at the
bottom because they are annoying
What is unique about these brands?
o Nike swoosh, Adidas sponsors the Seattle Sounders, and Under Armour
sponsored some challenge on MTV
The person that uses Nike is athletic, and they use them at the gym
Does not shop for her own athletic clothing
Prefers to shop for athletic clothing in-store to try things on

9.1.5 Christopher Messerer: Male, 24, White, Student

How often do you purchase Sportswear?

o A couple times a year
Nike: 75%, Under Armour: 20% and Adidas 5%
Do you love this brand?
o Nike: commercials, but love is a strong word
o Not familiar with Adidas or Under Armour
38

Would you be sad if they went out of business?

o Nike: a little sad, but not heart broken because I dont love them
Does not talk about brands unless someone mentions it to him
Does not care if others use it/ does not feel pride in using a particular brand
What comes to mind when I say (athletic clothing/Adidas/workout)?
o Nike, Adidas clothing, gym, Nike clothing, Under Armour shirts and Puma
shoes
o Nike, Under Armour and Adidas all have no meaning to him
What do you like best?
o Nike: Its products seem to be good quality, look nice and fit his tastes
o Adidas: no favorite thing
o Under Armour: nice shirts, military wears them
What do you like least?
o Nike: price
o Adidas: none
o Under Armour: also kind of expensive
Cannot identify anything unique about Adidas
What kind of person wears this brand?
o Nike: Someone running, comfy basketball shorts, athletically built clothing
o Adidas: Europeans and soccer players
o Under Armour: someone that likes shirts
Most important thing is fit, but it is not hard to find something that doesnt fit
Would consider switching brands
o If they made something he liked
Most brand loyal to Nike
Buys at retail stores such as Sports Authority, Nike Outlet Store, etc.
Prefers in-store shopping because he wants to know how they look in person and
feel the material to determine the quality

9.1.6 Amanda Porter: Female, 22, Student

& Matthew Dray: Male, 26, White, Canadian, Electrician

How often do you purchase Sportswear (to work out in or otherwise)?

o Amanda: Every other month.
o Matt: Hardly ever.
What sportswear or clothing brands do you purchase most frequently and identify
with most?
o Both: Nike
How sad would you be if these brands went out of business?
o Amanda: Super pissed, I love my Nike stuff.
o Matt: I wouldnt care.
Would you feel a connection with others that use your favorite brands?
o Amanda: Not particularly.
o Matt: Not at all.
Do you ever talk about your favorite sportswear brands to others? When?

39

o Amanda: Only when other people ask me for recommendations or

compliment me.
o Matt: Never.
Are you proud for others to know you use it?
o Both: No.
What comes to mind when I say athletic clothing?
o Amanda: Stuff people work out in.
o Matt: Nike.
What does Adidas mean to you?
o Amanda: A clothing line? (phrased as a question)
o Matt: German running shoes.
What do you like best about your favorite sportswear line? Least?
o Amanda: I like Nike's overall durability. I feel like it holds up well and
you're getting your moneys worth. I don't like how it's kind of expensive,
even though I think its worth it.
o Matt: It's (Nike) comfy clothes and it's worth the extra money. The least
thing I like about it is that it's mainly made from sweatshops.
What kind of person uses Adidas? When and where do they use it? What about
Nike?
o Amanda: an active person who enjoys being comfortable while working
out. Same goes for Nike, but the person is willing to pay more.
o Matt: An athletic person on the go.
Why do people use Adidas? What do they get from using it?
o Amanda: Adidas makes good quality clothes for a reasonable price with
products that last long and can make it through daily wear and tear.
o Matt: Comfort while being active.
What is the easiest thing about shopping for sports athletic wear?
o A: Sizes and fit don't really change so you go in to the store kind of
knowing what you will get.
o M: The stores have everything organized so you know where to look for
what you need.
What is the hardest thing about shopping for sports athletic wear?
o Amanda: Finding things that fit your body type.
o Matt: there are too many options for shoes.
Would you ever consider switching brands? What would it take for you to switch?
o Amanda: No. Nike for life. I would only switch if I found a new product that
fit me better and felt it would last longer.
o Matt: Yes, Id switch if I got a discount or a coupon.
What stores do you purchase your sports clothes & shoes at?
o Amanda: Nike store.
o Matt: Sport Chek (Canadian active and sporting goods store)
Would you rather purchase your clothes online or in-store and why?
o Amanda: In-store so I could feel it and have it right then and there.
o Matt: In-store so I know everything fits.

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9.1.7 Interview Questions

1. How often do you purchase Sportswear (to work out in or otherwise)?
2. What sportswear or clothing brands do you purchase most frequently and identify
with most?
3. How sad would you be if these brands went out of business?
4. Would you feel a connection with others that use your favorite brands?
5. Do you ever talk about your favorite sportswear brands to others? When?
6. Are you proud for others to know you use it?
7. What comes to mind when I say athletic clothing?
8. What does Adidas mean to you?
9. What do you like best about your favorite sportswear line? Least?
10. What kind of person uses Adidas? When and where do they use it? What about
Nike?
11. Why do people use Adidas? What do they get from using it?
12. What is the easiest thing about shopping for sports athletic wear?
13. What is the hardest thing about shopping for sports athletic wear?
14. Would you ever consider switching brands? What would it take for you to switch?
15. What stores do you purchase your sports clothes & shoes at?
16. Would you rather purchase your clothes online or in-store and why?
Brand Positioning Chart Directions: Have your interviewee think about 2 items they think
about when shopping for athletic clothing, and then have them list as many brands as
possible and arrange them on their brand positioning chart. Examples: quality, price, brand
image, style, durability

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9.2 Brand Descriptive Survey Data

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9.3 Adidas Survey Questions

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