Chris Davis’ Post

How Sponsors Decide What Athletes Wear 👟Ever wondered who chooses the gear athletes wear? It’s not just about logos—sponsors play a huge role in shaping athletic equipment. Here’s how: Brand Power: Major brands like Nike and Adidas set trends with exclusive gear deals, like Nike’s iconic Air Jordans. Custom Creations: Sponsors craft gear to fit athletes’ needs. Think Rafael Nadal’s custom Babolat racquet or Usain Bolt’s Puma spikes. Market Impact: Athletes drive sales. Tiger Woods’s Nike gear boosted sales and set global trends in golf apparel. Exclusive Deals: Athletes often have to stick with one brand, like LeBron James with Nike, ensuring brand consistency. Performance Focus: Sponsors monitor and influence gear performance, making sure it’s up to the mark in competitions. The right sponsorship not only enhances an athlete's performance but also shapes market trends. Want to elevate your brand’s sponsorship game? Reach out to Parkdalle Intelligence today! #SportsGear #AthleteSponsorship #BrandPower #ParkdalleIntelligence #SportsMarketing

If you want to look at how Nike is attempting to reposition itself as an innovator, look no further than its approach to the brand-new Olympic sport of breaking. Fast Company’s magazine cover features Sunny Choi, a Team USA breaker and the first woman to qualify for the inaugural U.S. Olympic team. Nike’s sponsorship of athletes like Choi come alongside its efforts to make a new breaking shoe called the Nike Jam that, releasing this summer. Since breakers are used to dancing in flat-bottomed skater shoes, the Jam doesn’t contain any Air inserts or a thick foam midsole. And the sides of the sole are slightly curved to—gasp—allow the ankle to roll. To enable breakers, Nike literally had to learn to be more flexible. But Nike’s race to success has already hit some hurdles. In April, when the company debuted its Olympic running kits, the men’s kits were shown with spandex-style shorts; one of the featured women’s kits was a high-cut leotard that seemed to prioritize appearance over performance. The moment represents a stumble for Nike in Paris, before any of its athletes even hit the track. Read more about Nike’s complicated efforts to win at the Olympics: https://bit.ly/3wEoSGQ

Hey Nike, I know it's easy to armchair quarterback what's going wrong at the Swoosh right now. Everyone has a take and as with all takes there's some truth and some convenient oversight. I don't post this lightly but it was at Nike that I learned to take risks so here we go. There is a lot of talk about the product, the lack of innovation. Other brands have certainly had some exciting product launches but I don't necessarily see this as the main culprit. Instead, I see something more foundational amiss. It feels like Nike lost the voice of the athlete. Nike has always been at its best when it combines its rebel spirit while speaking the language of the athlete. Of course there was 'Just Do It,' but there was also 'Find Your Greatness,' 'Risk Everything,' 'Dream Crazy.' There was aspiration, an appeal to what we all want to be. I'm not sure what 'Win On Air,' the current Olympic campaign, is going to do. I worked on Air for a long time and have a fondness for it! I think I know the logic: Air is Nike only. Nike athletes (hopefully) dominate the Olympics. Consumers clamor for Air aka Nike. I'm just afraid that's not how it works. Where is the voice of the athlete? What is the aspiration? Where is the rebel? The last eight years have been a lot for everybody and unfortunately it looks like relief is not anywhere on the horizon. But we humans are resilient. We always get back up. That's in part why we're seeing a running boom right now. We are still searching for goals. We still want to be proud. We want to work hard. We are looking for something we can control - and if nothing else we can control our own two legs. The message coming into this Olympic games could have instead been: Bet On Yourself. You could tell the story of Sha'carri Richardson. She missed the 2021 (nee 2020) Olympics for entirely human reasons only to enter the 2024 Olympics as the defending World Champion. Bet On Yourself. You could tell the story of Jayson Tatum whose Celtics lost the 2022 NBA title and has had to endure countless questions about whether the team needed to be broken up or if he could be the best player on a championship squad only to lead the Celtics to the 2024 title. Bet On Yourself. You could tell the story of the US Women's National Team. Crashed out of the 2023 World Cup in a historically bad result only to come back pursuing gold at the Olympics one year later. Bet On Yourself. You could tell the story of Caitlin Clark. All-time collegiate scorer whose had to face endless questions about how her game will translate to the WNBA only to get off to an historic start as a rookie. Bet On Yourself. And perhaps you could tell this story to yourself. All the headlines are down on you right now, but I know you know you'll come back. Show the world. Bet On Yourself. --- Edit: Looks like "Win On Air" is not the Olympic campaign. Instead, it is "Winning Isn't For Everyone," unveiled today: https://lnkd.in/gf9vz8bM

Big news in the world of sports apparel! The German Football Association (DFB) recently announced a significant shake-up in their long-standing partnership with Adidas, opting to team up with Nike starting from 2027 🇩🇪⚽ After over 70 years of collaboration, the decision to part ways with adidas, a partnership steeped in history and tradition, in favor of Nike, speaks volumes about the evolving dynamics in the industry️. The DFB's choice underscores the critical intersection of economics, vision, and brand alignment in sports partnerships. While financial considerations undoubtedly played a role, it's clear that Nike's commitment to amateur and grassroots sports, as well as the sustainable development of women’s soccer in Germany resonated deeply with the DFB's strategic objectives 🎯 We at Above Sports are excited to witness the impact of this decision on the global sports marketing landscape. It's a testament to the ever-evolving nature of the industry and the importance of forging partnerships that align with values, vision, and ambition 🥇 #Sportsmarketing #Partnerships #AboveSports

adidas eyeing "old strategy" ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics. The global sportswear giant have announced a shift in strategic focus ahead of the 2024 edition of the Olympic games, taking place in France. CEO, Bjorn Gulden, and Head of Specialist Sports, Kerryn Foster, have all recently highlighted the importance of Adidas' focussed, brand building presence at the Olympic games. "For whatever reason the old strategy here was to focus more deeply on fewer sports, and I'm the opposite, I want Adidas again to be in the smaller sports and to be visible," said Bjorn Gulden. He added: "Focusing only on the four or five biggest sports is, first of all too easy, and it's stupid to be honest,". Shares in Adidas are up more than 50% so far this year, outpacing rivals Nike and Puma, and with one of the largest sporting events on the planet fast approaching, 2024 looks to be filled with opportunity for the brand. #Adidas #Sportswear #Olympics #Paris2024 #Sponsorship #Marketing #Brand #Lifestyle

The time is right.

On, the Swiss sportswear brand backed by Roger Federer, is making significant strides against industry giants like Nike and Adidas. The company reported strong quarterly sales, driven by impressive growth in Asia and its apparel line. Despite supply chain challenges impacting earnings, On's stock is soaring as it capitalizes on competitors' struggles. With a growing roster of sponsored athletes and strategic partnerships, On is positioning itself as a leading sportswear brand, challenging the status quo and capturing a growing market share. On Front Office Sports Nike adidas #running #marathon #runningshoe Roger Federer Marc Maurer Martin Hoffmann David Allemann #paris Paris 2024 - Comité d'organisation des Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de 2024

MUST READ: Aston Villa signs kit agreement with Adidas for 2024-25 season: Aston Villa have signed a lucrative new kit agreement with Adidas, taking over from Castore next season. Villa are now in their second season with British company Castore, having signed a multi-year contract in 2022, but will switch to the heavyweight German manufacturer in 2024/25 after reaching a long-term agreement. Adidas will provide uniforms for Villa's men's and women's teams, as well as academy sides, under the terms of the agreement. Villa, whose Egyptian co-owner Nassef Sawiris controls around 7% of Adidas, has been considering ending their relationship with Castore since early in the 2023-24 season. The manufacture swap, arranged by the club's head of commercial operations, Chris Heck, follows reservations from the players over this season's 'wet-look' Castore jersey. Members of Villa's men's and women's teams complained that the jerseys had gotten too heavy during matches, weighting them down and potentially affecting performance. The shirt controversy began in pre-season, when players complained that the jersey, which was comprised of 90% polyester and 10% elastane, was "saturated" and incapable of absorbing perspiration effectively. Last month, Villa took delivery of new shirts from Castore which the manufacturer hoped would not have the same saturation issue. It has been less prevalent as the weather has grown colder. It is unclear whether the contract was originally supposed to expire at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, or if Villa used a get-out option in the contract, as rival Premier League side Newcastle United did earlier this season. Newcastle have said they will return to Adidas for the 2024-25 season, having previously collaborated with Castore since the start of the 2021-22 season. Aston Villa currently sit third in the Premier League with two points behind leaders Liverpool, their next game will be a home game against Newcastle and will wear the Castore kits for the remainder of the season. The post Aston Villa signs kit agreement with Adidas for 2024-25 season appeared first on Soccerscene. #Football #Soccer #FootballNews

Can anyone guarantee brand loyalty? Consider the German national football team. Sportswear company adidas, which has partnered with the team since the 1954 FIFA World Cup, was an ingrained part of German football culture. Entire generations of proud Germans grew up recognising the three-stripe logo decorating their team jerseys. But the German Football Association’s (DFB) recent announcement declaring an end to the 70-year sponsorship came as a blow to adidas and German sports fans. After the 2026 World Cup, the German national football team will no longer wear the three stripes that marked their uniform for decades. Now, Nike has stepped up to take its place. At the end of the day, it is a business transaction. While the facts are not known to the public, we do know that Nike offered the team a larger sum of money than adidas. Naturally, this makes sense to go for the better offer. But this decision is about more than money. Over the years, adidas has developed an understanding, not only with the German football team, but their fans, and the German people at large. To what extent should such choices be affected by their cultural implications? Do organisations have a duty to stand by their long-term branding partners, even if it is not the most profitable decision? I’m eager to hear your thoughts. Source: https://lnkd.in/gu6P7x5y #DFB #GermanNationalFootballTeam #adidas #Partnerships

How important are the logos and symbols on football shirts and what role does patriotism play in branding and sponsorship? We look at two Adidas and Nike stories that made the headlines recently to try and figure out what it all means. Have a read: https://lnkd.in/ebPjJcEW   #brand #branding #sponsorship #football