Olympic Games Prelude Adidas Starts 360 Degree Marketing

"It may not be a magical day, but we think it is a good time to start marketing activities 9 to 10 months before the start of the Olympic Games."

Bai Wenkang, managing director of Adidas Greater China, said.

In November 30th, Adidas chose to launch the 08 Olympic Games market in front of Yongding gate tower, Beijing.

Yongding gate is located at the southernmost end of Beijing's inner city axis, which goes straight north and directly refers to the National Olympic Park.

Adidas has quoted the data from the market research firm Eisen consulting, saying that among all the 65 official partners of the 5 Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee, Adidas brand has ranked fifth.

Facing the Olympic Games becoming the first brand vision of China, Adidas obviously made careful arrangements for marketing activities.

"This is the largest market activity we have ever invested in single market," Bai Wenkang commented.

At the launching ceremony of the "2008 together", Adidas released a new Olympic theme TV advertising film: athletes were lifted up by countless hands and worked hard at the Olympic games where millions of people gathered.

Different from the image ads which were told by stars before their stories, this group of advertisements emphasizes the concept of "2008 together" and the broad participation of the masses.

"In fact, our advertising concept is consistent, that is, we still emphasize" no impossibility "brand values.

Bai Wenkang said, "this not only shows the enthusiasm for the Olympics itself, but also shows its commitment to the Chinese market."

In the next ten months, Adidas will conduct an all-around 360 degree marketing approach, covering all aspects of television, graphic and public relations, and fully publicize promotional activities.

At the same time, Adidas launched its Olympic theme website www.adidas.2008.com. Through this network platform, consumers can not only get real-time information about Olympic Games and athletes, but also can experience Olympic events online.

In 2002, Adidas became Japan's first sportswear brand by leveraging the world cup of Korea and Japan.

Media reports say that even more important than profit is that Adidas has overturned the habit of Japanese wearing western style clothes and changed into Jersey shorts.

During the world cup, only in Japan, Adidas sold 1 million T-shirts and 600 thousand Japanese Uniforms - only two of these two gave Adidas a profit of 20 million euros.

"As an international brand, Adidas will add strong Chinese color to global positioning in the Chinese market."

Yu Guoqiong, Adidas's senior public relations manager, said.

But at this time, Bai Wen Kang obviously does not want to disclose Adidas's detailed strategy for China's market, but the high-end brand image of the comprehensive sports category is Adidas's consistent consideration.

"In addition to equestrian categories, Adidas has sponsored 27 of the 28 major Olympic Games, including low commercialization and low degree of concern."

Yu Guoqiong said, "we just want to show you through this image that Adidas not only promotes the brand through Olympic exposure, but we serve the market in a long-term, professional and comprehensive manner."

Choosing the star was just the same day when Adidas launched the Olympic Plan. Nike released its flagship store's opening ceremony in Shanghai.

A week ago, Lining, the domestic sports brand, just announced the marketing goal of 2008.

It has been summed up that Nike's usual practice in Olympic marketing is to sign potential gold stars. Two, it is a popular Olympic event sponsoring the characteristics of Nike products, such as basketball and track and field sports.

In contrast, Adidas is better able to make use of its official resources advantage, cooperate with FIFA and IOC, and use official sponsorship power to operate sports marketing.

Of course, sponsorship of sports stars is also one of Adidas's marketing practices.

Adidas's new commercials focus on Sui Feifei from the Chinese women's basketball team, Feng Kun, Zhao Ruirui of the women's volleyball team, Hu Jia of the diving team, and football star Zheng Zhi.

According to Bai Wen Kang, the 2004 China Women's volleyball Olympic gold medal final process is the perfect performance of "no impossible".

And Sui Feifei, Feng Kun, Zhao Ruirui and other injuries and tenacious confrontation process is also "no impossible" another example.

However, the Wall Street journal wrote that Adidas's sponsorship of Chinese football teams with poor performance is not good enough.

In response, Bai Wen Kang retorted, "I do not agree that the Chinese football team is not good, but all teams will get up and down.

We have enough time to wait for Chinese football. "

Compared with Nike's professional star screening mechanism, Bai did not disclose the mechanism of Adidas's choice of stars, but emphasized that the basic criterion is whether it fits the "no impossible" brand idea.

But behind these stars, it is Adidas's key sponsorship campaign in China.

Media reported that Adidas sponsored the Chinese women's volleyball team with 200 million yuan in cash and in kind. This figure is dozens of times that the national volleyball team has received sponsorship in the past. This is also the largest sponsorship of Adidas's volleyball project ever.

Football is the core sponsor of Adidas.

In 2004, Adidas opened a price tag of 500 million yuan, which would cover 6 years of sponsorship contracts.

Nike has been committed to sponsoring the basketball team, and Adidas's choice of women's basketball team Sui Feifei is of course of profound significance.

Another embarrassing sports star is Yao Ming, who signed a lifelong marketing right with Reebok in 2003.

Although in early 2006, Adidas had taken Reebok back, its development of Yao Ming had never been successful.

Surveys also show that most consumers consider Yao Ming to be a sponsoring star of Nike.

In this Olympic Games, although the Chinese basketball team's clothing sponsor is Nike, Yao Ming will wear Reebok sports shoes to participate in the competition.

Bai Wenkang said that although Adidas is the sponsor of this Olympic Games, marketing for Yao Ming is also under consideration.

Channel construction "we are the only Olympic chartered commodity manufacturer on the top of clothing and LOGO 2008LOGO of Beijing.

Our products can be sold at the Olympic licensed stores. "

Yu Guoqiong said, "we can get intangible income and real sales revenue from marketing activities."

Adidas has clear goals for channel expansion.

As early as August 2006, Herbert Heiner, chief executive of Adidas, said that it would strive to increase the number of Adidas single brand stores to 5000 by 2010.

Bai Wenkang said that at present, there are 4000 stores in Adidas, China, which are mainly single brand distributors, not only in the first and second tier cities, but also in the four to six markets.

There are 460 Adidas stores in 650 cities across the country.

In small and medium-sized cities, Adidas is closely related to the so-called "key customers".

Hundreds of key customers who have invested in retailers and accepted Adidas brand management have expanded Adidas's network channels in small and medium-sized cities.

This model is similar to convening partners for franchise chain.

Anta, which is listed in July, now has 4000 sales outlets all over the country.

The Adidas alliance with Anta, based on Anta's 4000 national networks, should achieve 5000 sales targets.

According to media reports, at present, foreign sports brands ranked 40% in China's total revenue, Nike accounted for 30%, Adidas accounted for 30%, Reebok accounted for 10%.

Bai Wenkang refused to confirm this figure. He can confirm that Adidas has not only had no distance from its competitors, but is expanding further in the Chinese market with faster pace than its competitors.