Marketing: Adidas Case Study

Who is Adidas targeting? Who should they be targeting and why?

Currently, Adidas is looking to target women, 22-35. Adidas should be targeting those that believe sports can change lives. Adidas needs to target those who believe similarly and will support Adidas mission to help athletes make a difference. Someone who falls under this belief would be an individual that supports powerful figures in sport. By this I don’t just mean the best players, but those that are making a difference in the game, in life, and in the world.

What’s a job to be done for this target?

Through research on online, specifically Twitter Advanced Search, I was able to identify that a functional pain point was inequality in Adidas products. Many complaints online included the lack in availability of women’s soccer cleats, shoes, and beyond in comparison to the variety offered to males. Not only were women noticing this, but it was a common theme across my research. This contradicts the belief of the target network that sports should be able to change lives-- by Adidas equipment being more accessible and to some than others. A gap in gender equality in their products is a functional issue they can work to change. If there is a favoritism to a certain gender or socioeconomic background in their products, they’re not “changing the world,” it holds some back in sports.

How might Adidas fulfill this job?

Adidas might fulfill this job by creating a campaign Equipment for Everyone campaign. If equipment is equal and fair to everyone, then Adidas can truly show how sports can change lives, not just some lives, but anyone’s life. I don’t think they truly walk the talk on sports changing lives and the world, if there is a favoritism to a certain gender or socioeconomic background. They could create different lines for all genders and potentially different socioeconomic backgrounds to make their products more accessible to everyone. Having powerful disruptors in sports and more specifically equality in sports can bridge the gap between Adidas’ mission and the specific pain point of consumers of unequal products.

Based on your previous responses, what ‘influencer’ would you recommend Adidas engage for its women’s training efforts and why?

I initially thought of women of USA Hockey and USA Soccer, both of which teams went on strikes against their national organizations for equal pay and benefits in the past few years. I think someone like Kendall Coyne Schofield is someone that aligns with Adidas belief of making a change through sports because of her own Schofield Family Foundation (with her husband, an NFL player). Kendall’s foundation actively supports Adidas belief through her mission in youth sports, that states: “Empowering today’s youth to build active friendships, confidence, core values, and teach life lessons that go beyond the playing field.” Kendall bridges the gap in her own fight for equality, something Adidas should work for, and the shared value with Adidas that sports can change lives. For these reasons I believe Kendall is a great example of an influencer. Others I would suggest would be Alex Morgan, Meghan Duggan, and Megan Rapinoe for similar reasons.