Earlier this year, Adidas decided to expand their NEO sub-brand by targeting “teenage girls more influenced by music and fashion than sports.” They stated that they would be doing this through their social media platforms on Facebook and Twitter. The past few months has already seen NEO busy in action with campaigns like their love song digital promotion for Valentine’s Day, and convincing David Beckham to endorse a special shoe line within the sub-brand.

Today, Adidas brought along a new celebrity for the ride, I think you might recognise him…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8idGF7SgzcU&feature=player_embedded

Adidas has “Bieber Fever”

Yes, Adidas has just signed off on a two-year partnership with Justin Bieber to be the new face of their NEO “Live Your Style” campaigns. This includes a “Find My Gold Shoes” contest via Facebook, in addition to sharing his favorite seasonal outfit combinations, which his fans will be able to purchase. Adidas believes Bieber’s strong influence over a global fan base is something they can capitalize on.

“He possesses an undeniable young, carefree, bold spirit and energy that is identical to the Adidas NEO Label. He lives his style in the everyday, but most certainly when he is performing through music and fashion.”

What better way to attract a target market than by getting a main influencer within the category, Justin Bieber in this case, to endorse their brand? As I learned in class, influencers can play a huge role as customers reach the stage of researching and evaluating their options. When influencers endorse a product, they make customers narrow down their consideration set, which is full of your competitors. In addition, by focusing on a specific target market like this, they are further narrowing down the funnel by concentrating on a niche group of customers who are more likely to convert.  This will surely help to increase the chances of turning awareness into consideration, followed by intention and subsequently into purchases.