Adidas Group President Stamminger Talks Shoes, Shirts and Why 'Innovation Is in Our DNA'

By Barry Janoff, executive editor, NYSportsJournalism.com -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/27/2013 1:33:31 PM

This has been a busy time for Adidas. The NBA All-Star Weekend took place recently in Houston, the company is testing new NBA short-sleeve jerseys with the Golden State Warriors and Adidas is trying to turn the running and training world upside down with the unveiling of its new Energy Boost running shoes.

The shoe features Boost, described by Adidas as a "revolutionary cushioning technology which provides the highest energy return in the running industry." It hits the retail market with a multimedia campaign, including traditional and online, with a heavy dose of social media and experiential marketing. The company plans to expand the technology to its basketball, soccer and other key lines in 2013-14, and will follow up Energy Boost with another innovation for running and training-SpringBlade-which will be a shoe line featuring a series of rubber tentacle-like springs that run along the sole of the shoe. Adidas said this technology would hit retail in August.

"We are here to open a new chapter in Adidas innovation," said Erich Stamminger, Adidas group president of brands, at a recent New York City event introducing Energy Boost shoes.

After the event, Stamminger talked about the company's global sports activations and partnerships and how the company stands out in the competitive market.

What response have you gotten from consumers regarding your products and the marketing support behind these products?
Innovation and Adidas belong together. Innovation is in our DNA. And I believe that consumers and athletes are responding very well to what we are and how we are presenting our products. Our focus over the past couple of years has been to be younger and more relevant. And we are seeing the benefits of that. Kids today are looking at our brand in the right light, both on the field of play and also in the hallways of their schools. We have two ways to talk to consumers: performance and originals. We are seeing success in both areas.

What is the state of Adidas in 2013?
We are at a super high. We have had three consecutive years of growth in the U.S. marketplace. We are staying true to the Adidas values of bringing innovation to the market, to having athletes perform better. What we are doing now, launching Boost and also looking ahead to SpringBlades, working with the Golden State Warriors to bring innovation to basketball and working with the NBA as a strong partner, all are good examples of what we are doing now and how we are looking to the future.

Although each Olympic Games is unique, what did you learn from the 2012 London Games-where Adidas was an official sponsor-that you will be taking forward to upcoming Olympics in working with national teams and individual athletes?
London was unique. But we are working with athletes all the time. Not just at the Olympic level. NCAA. FIFA. NBA. Helping them to get to the next level through our product innovations. The Olympics is the showcase, every two years and every four years for the Summer Games. That is where you can really showcase your innovations. But for Adidas, that is going on every day. We are working with athletes at every level, helping them to get better.

Adidas is able to put its 'three-stripe' logo on NBA uniforms, and you see it on jerseys in soccer and other teams in which you are officially aligned. But what do you see in the future as far as the NBA, MLB and other sports leagues putting brand names and logos on their uniforms and jerseys, as they do in MLS and soccer teams around the world?
You have it in MLS and the WNBA. I think it will come in other leagues and sports in the U.S., as well. It's a matter of timing. The financial upside is there [for teams and leagues] to do it. Sports fans in the U.S. might not be used to it, certainly not as much as fans of the English Premiere League and other sports on an international level are used to seeing it. Those teams and leagues know the advantage of such deals, and fans are able to see the benefits of it. So you will see it more in the U.S.

How would you describe your relationship with the NBA?
We are very happy with our partnership with the NBA. It's been very beneficial for the league and for Adidas. During the All-Star Weekend, we got to showcase new uniforms and new basketball shoes, so it was a great time for us. I was in Houston, as were other Adidas executives, and it was a very good time for us to not only talk business but relax and have fun talking about Adidas.

Adidas and the NBA are experimenting with new jerseys for the Golden State Warriors. Where do you see that going?
I believe that fans and players will like it. It is not just for style, but also for better performance for the athletes. It is 26% lighter than the current uniforms and it uses the Adidas ClimaCool technology, which helps keep the players comfortable and dry during games. And it has another benefit in that it is made with 60% recycled materials. The look is not that much different from players who wear T-shirts under their jerseys. But it also has the benefit of fitted sleeves, so unlike wearing a T-shirt, the sleeve does not get in the way of shots.

Have you received any player or consumer feedback yet?
We just introduced it. We are an official [retail] partner with the Warriors, which is one of the important reasons we are working with them to help introduce this innovation. The players who have tested it said they like it; they want to wear it during games.

Is the plan to go league-wide with these new jerseys?
That would be the ultimate goal. We see this as being something that all players and consumers will have a positive response to and that has a good opportunity to go to other teams. When you look at basketball, there have been several very important innovations that may at first have seemed radical. Shorts are now longer. Shoes are lighter. For a long time all basketball shoes looked the same. Now players can have a different style for every game. So in the future, when other teams are wearing this new jersey, you could look back and not even remember when players were not wearing them.

Derrick Rose is a very visible Adidas spokesman, but he has been sidelined while rehabilitating from knee surgery and may miss the entire 2012-13 NBA season. Will he continue to be an important person for the company moving forward?
Most certainly. We are continuing to release new products with Derrick Rose. But, most important, we are supporting his efforts to get back on the court in the way he feels is best for his health and his future. Do we want to see him back on the court with the Chicago Bulls? Yes. But not until he feels his rehabilitation is 100% complete. For us, it is about looking forward and continuing to work with him, but putting all our energies into supporting his return to being healthy.

This Q&A was reprinted with permission of NYSportsJournalism.com.