Adidas – rise to the challenge of Facebook
Saskia Bräunlich
Web Application – KH Leuven

Adidas – Rise to the challenge of Facebook
Content of table
1 Adidas Group
2 Social Network - Facebook
3 Facebook – Adidas Original
4 Conclusion
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 2

1 Adidas Group
Company
• Head quarter: Herzogenaurach (Nuremberg/Germany)
• Employees: 31.344
• Sales: 10,299 Billion Euro (2007)
• Products: sport apparel
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 3

1 Adidas Group
Guidelines:
• Design, quality, image of the products
→ reach the desire of the consumer
• Leading in innovation and design
→ best support of athletes
• Social and ecological company with a sense of responsibility
Goal: Arousal of consumer interest
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 4

2 Social Network - Facebook
Social structure made of nodes
Facebook: High user engagement
Fulfillment of two human needs
SHARING FOLLOWING
Sharing of information & feelings Want to see information
↓ about other people
Messages can be exchanged ↓
Pictures can be published „We are all spectators“
↓
Fulfillment of talkativeness
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 5

2 Social Network - Facebook
Companies
Looking at published Supporting of „word of
consumer opinions mouth“ advertising
Become part of the conversation
→ Give the opinion leader something to click
•Arrangements
•Groups
•profiles
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 6

2 Social Network - Facebook
Strong arguments
Amount of users, who are using social networks:
• ¾ of 15 – 24 year old users
• 68 % of 25 – 34 year old users
• Worldwide 140 million active users
• The average user has 100 friends
• Every day more then 2.5 million users become fans of a site
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 7

3 Facebook – Adidas Originals
Starting position - a new campaign:
„Celebrating 60 Years of Soles and
Stripes – be original!“
• Facebook
• YouTube
 Target group uses Facebook & YouTube Adidas Original House Party
 Goal: to create a community of customers
Identification with the brand
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 8

3 Facebook – Adidas Originals
Communication Tools:
• Page / Profile
• Groups
• Events
• Applications
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 9

3 Facebook – Adidas Originals
Structure of profile - wall
• Fan area
 Amount of fans
• News Feed
 All Content, Links, Events …
• Link to “Your Area”
• Links
 posted by fans
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3 Facebook – Adidas Originals
Fans of Adidas Original:
 ”Traffic” at the page of Adidas
 Opportunity to share promotion
across the member networks
Results:
• Fans: 1.935.371
• 13.05.2009: +5,985 (+0.31%)
• 11.05-17.05.09: +21,287 (+1,11%)
3rd largest fan site of Facebook
Source: PageData
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 11

3 Facebook – Adidas Originals
Wall: News feed (Events, Links, Applications, Promotion)
Reactions to announcements:
a) Comment: positive or negative
b) „I like it“: positive
c) Sharing with friends: positive
Support of conversation
about
brand/product/arrangements
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 12

3 Facebook – Adidas Originals
„YOUR AREA“
Appeal to a local audience:
• Local content, events, promo
• Featuring products/people
• Tweeter feed about products
• Links to local stores
Presence of the brand
Local stores can target their specific fans
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 13

3 Facebook – Adidas Originals
Share
• Facebook application
• Let companies promote
events, products, photos,
groups, links…
 News / Comments
 Product description
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 14

3 Facebook – Adidas Originals
Sharing – News/Comments
• Every new post by Adidas from the news feed of Adidas
 Will be at the news feed of the fan site
Fan will be informed without looking at the
page of Adidas
• Every new post of the fan at the news feed of Adidas
Will be a) at his profile
b) at the highlights of his friends (mini-feed)
Visitors or friends of fan will recognize Adidas
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 15

3 Facebook – Adidas Originals
Sharing - Product description:
• Links to the catalogue at website
of Adidas
New function:
• Post products of a new collection at fan
profile
• Share favorite products with friends
• Link at the picture to the website of
Adidas
• Presentation of products
• Opportunity to gain new customer
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 16

4 Conclusion
Advantages
• Boost of branding presence
• Generate consumer insight
• Listen to the audience
• Real dialogue with customer
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 17

4 Conclusion
Disadvantages
• Unknown how many people converting into a sale
• Identity has to be managed and monitored
• Leader in creating groups and event pages
• Negative comments  complaining
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 18

4 Conclusion
Personal Reflection
+ Adidas can strengthen their presence in the target group
 More difficult to preserve a customer
 Local approach
- No proof, that fans of Adidas Original will buy clothes
Facebook is a huge hype, Adidas can not ignore it
Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 19

Adidas – Rise to the challenge of Facebook
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Adidas Social Network Facebook Conclusion 20