In response to Dan’s blog, titled “World Cup 2010: Stripes vs. Swoosh,” I found it interesting how Nike and Adidas used different marketing approaches to attract the same target segment. Adidas chose the route of directly sponsoring the World Cup, paying a large sum of money to become their official sponsor (gaining them the right to jersey and soccer ball products and sales). On the other hand, Nike chose to use the tactic of Ambush marketing, where they advertised their attire during the World Cup (not paying the large sum Adidas did) with recognizable soccer players and teams. Ambush marketing can be extremely dangerous. Sponsors, like Adidas, will resist sponsorship/partnership for future games due to Nikes tactic of ambush marketing. This causes events such as the World Cup difficulties to obtain the needed sponsorship money to run successful games. For example, this Nike video from their “write the future” campaign, ran during the World Cup, has generated over 1.4 million views and has created more buzz and awareness than their rivals Adidas sponsorship approach:
In the soccer world, it becomes extremely challenging and important for brands to differentiate and position themselves properly apart from their competition. I feel that Nikes approach of using identifiable, world renown players helped position their brand as market leaders in the soccer world. The next time a loyal fan goes to buy a new pair of cleats, they’re going to buy a pair of Nikes because they associate them with success and high performance.
Sponsoring key athletes has become the norm in the sports world. Nike sponsors the ‘elite’ athletes in almost all sports, ranging from Tiger Woods (golf), to Roger Federer (tennis). Adidas has also decided to focus their advertising efforts on sports ‘elite’ athletes. They created their “all in” campaign, which showcases Derrick Rose (basketball), Lionel Messi (soccer), singer Katy Perry and more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A0jVkFs3C4