This blog post is in response to my friend Samantha Yam’s Adidas Badminton: The Next Yonex?
Since I have played the sport competitively, I think it is appropriate for me to jump in and give my expert opinion along with Sam’s in the matter.
She is blogging about ADIDAS’s decision to enter the badminton market ( Adidas article ) . Her assessment does have merit; currently, Victor and Yonex are the widely recognized frontrunner brands of badminton. I have never used a racquet that isn’t Yonex and that speaks for itself, since I’ve been playing from age 13- 19 (competitively from 15-17). Ironically, in high school at the same time, Adidas was my favorite brand, and I wore Adidas EVERYTHING . Yet, i never questioned the absence of Adidas in badminton, having just accepted that Yonex = badminton, period. I did, however, wear Victor badminton shoes for the longest time, and found the performance satisfactory.
I have used carbon graphite racquets for a long time(for they are durable), the performance of the racquet (unfortunately, not the player) improves dramatically once you introduce Nano technology (and to show you far along Yonex is)… here is the science behind Yonex’s innovation and reason for their sustainable competitive advantage:
Yonex has expanded over the years to fill every niche of the badminton racquet market, from Asia to Europe and North America. Their ability to cater towards recreational beginners and international competitors is nothing short of admiration; they have racquets at every price range and skill level possible!
The blog Sam wrote on does not specify where ADIDAS is manufacturing their racquets, and I agree with her ; JP(Japanese) versions are priced the highest . Singapore made racquets are nearly just as good. The success of ADIDAS would depend on the location of their production… That being said, I have NEVER owned a racquet that is made from Japan; in fact, when I was playing competitively, I always took pride in using the cheapest ($60 carbonex from SportChek) racquets to conquer my opponents using $200 + Arcsabers and Armortec racquets.
If ADIDAS can sign BETTER sponsors from the badminton world as opposed to these young guns, they would stand a better chance operating against Yonex.
Should ADIDAS enter badminton? Why not? With the rise of the middle class in South East Asia (China) where badminton is most popular, players will be looking to recognizable international brands like ADIDAS to fill their badminton needs. Yonex may be dominant in badminton, but ADIDAS has products in various sports; they can do well to capitalize on their brand.