Category: blog

Analyzing the Marketing Strategies of Nike, Adidas, Puma, Reebok and Fila

Here we go again with one of your favorite blogs on our website. This one is directed more to B2C brands, but I can guarantee that the competitive insights included in this blog can be used across industries. Keep reading, whether you are B2B or B2C in healthcare, tech, or e-commerce.

In this blog, we monitored competitors in the athleisure market. Here is a breakdown of the process we followed

Step 1: Identify the biggest competitors in the market.

We used our AI Competitor Finder tool to identify the top competitors in the market. By adding nike.com (because we all love some Nike), we found that its biggest competitors were adidas.com, reebok.com, fila.com, and puma.com.

We then found their most competitive keywords and analyzed their SERP rankings.

Step 2: Break down the data based on the Customer Journey

To simplify the process this time, we decided to go a step further. We broke down the channels we monitored for each competitor by funnel stage. For each channel, we’ve also added a few useful insights that could give you a competitive edge if you identify similar gaps in your competitive landscape.
More specifically, here is a breakdown of what we did:

Top of the Funnel:

• Social Media Competitor Analysis
• PPC Competitor Analysis
• Social Media Ads Competitor Analysis
• Brand Mentions Analysis
• SERP Competitor Analysis
• Backlink Competitor Analysis

Middle of the Funnel:

• Website Changes Monitoring
• New Pages Monitoring

Bottom of the Funnel:

• Customer Reviews
• Competitor Email Monitoring

Here is what our competitive analysis showed:

If you want to run a similar competitive analysis, you can get inspiration from our competitive analysis templates.

Top of the funnel (Acquisition Channels)

Social Media 

Top Posts

The top 3 posts are brand collaborations. Nike with Lebron James, Puma with One Piece, Nike with the singer Drake. 

What other posts work well?

Posts that grab people’s attention. 

For example, weird photo shoots:

Insights for your brand:

• The number of times you post is not so important. Quality over quantity. 
• Create partnerships with influencers. It looks like the top posts of brands like Nike, Adidas etc. is being generated by partnerships. Especially those with humans (not brands). Focus on getting more of this for your brand as well. Start small and scale over time.
• Take photos that grab people’s attention. Don’t settle for the classic product photos. They won’t cut it. Innovate and find ways to take creative pictures to gain people’s attention. That’s true both for B2C and B2B brands. If you are a B2B brand look at this video from Keap from our previous blog about marketing software marketing tactics.

Ads

Looking at the count filter on ads on Competitors App we can see that the most popular channel for advertising is Google Ads with second best instagram. It looks like big brands have found that advertising on Facebook doesn’t work as well. As their demographics have moved away from the platform. Who is though advertising the most and on which platforms?

To answer this question we generated a competitive benchmarking graph that focuses on the PPC and Social Media Ads analysis of each competitors. We didn’t show any linkedin ads as you can see that there is no linkedin ads for competitors to track.

Middle of the funnel (Website)

We analyzed our competitors’ new pages and website changes over the past month. What we actually did is that we went into ChatGPT. We downloaded all the insights into a PDF file and imported them with this prompt.

Here is what we found for Nike, Adidas and Puma:

Nike:

• Introduction of new products focusing on the Jordan series and the Air Force 1 lineup. Notable releases include the Dunk Low Retro Herrenschuh, Air Max Plus III Herrenschuh, and special editions of the Air Force 1 07.
• Emphasis on Jordan Brand with updates spanning several models such as the Jordan 1, Jordan 12, Jordan 13, as well as new apparel under the Jordan Air category.
• Launch of running and training gear, including the Mercurial Superfly 9 Academy High-Top Fussballschuh, demonstrating a broad focus across both performance and lifestyle segments.

Puma:

• Collaborations and special collections stand out, with partnerships including Rick and Morty, Lemlem, and Cheetos, indicating a strong focus on unique, themed collections that could attract niche markets.
• Significant updates in the running shoes category with the introduction of the Nitro series, highlighting Puma’s focus on performance running gear.
• Expanded offerings in casual and lifestyle footwear, including the Palermo Special Sneakers and various lifestyle collections like the Dare To and White Sneaker collections, showcasing Puma’s emphasis on trendy and comfortable lifestyle options.
• Launch of sports and training wear, indicating a comprehensive approach to both performance gear and casual wear.

Adidas:

• A focus on running and outdoor activities is evident with the launch of the Terrex Trail Mentorship Program and a celebration of classic silhouettes in the Originals category. This shows Adidas’ strategy to blend heritage with modern performance demands.

General Observations:

• Nike appears to be leveraging its strong brand heritage, especially with the Jordan brand, and expanding its lifestyle and performance offerings.
• Puma is focusing on unique collaborations to appeal to diverse consumer interests, alongside strengthening its performance running gear lineup.
• Adidas is seen emphasizing its running segment and paying homage to its classic designs, possibly to tap into the nostalgia trend while promoting outdoor activities.

These updates indicate a strategic emphasis on broadening product ranges to cater to diverse consumer preferences, from performance athletic wear to lifestyle and casual options, with a notable trend towards leveraging brand heritage and unique collaborations.

Easy right? In just 10′ we were able to understand where our competitors are focusing on.

Bottom of the funnel (Email, Reviews)

Last but not least, we asked ourselves what reviews say about these brands. Are customers and employees satisfied? Our new AI Review Analysis Feature helped significantly here. Wondering what it was saying?

Here is where it gets interesting:

Insights about the market:
– Poor quality and customer service have been big issues for most brands. That’s not the case for Adidas and Nike.
– Puma is being highlighted as a brand with the best culture and highest employee satisfactions score.
– Shoes are the apparel that gets the most complaints among these brands. Durability is the very first issue that is highlighted.

We then asked chatgpt to analyze our reviews. Here is what we found out:

Based on the emails, here are some of the most important competitor updates:

1. FILA is promoting their Spring Collection with free shipping on all orders. This includes new sportswear styles in classic silhouettes and colors. They’ve also added new markdowns to their tracksuits, highlighting discounts on items like the Mansur Velour Jacket.
2. Reebok has launched several collaborations and collections:
   • A luxury loungewear collection with ANINE BING.
   • The return of the Nano UNKNWN, back by popular demand, and the introduction of the FloatZig 1 for runners.
   • Collaborations including Reebok x Cam Hicks and Reebok x Sports Illustrated, the latter featuring the Lift As You Rise Collection.
   • A mid-season sale offering 30-50% off and a spring sale with up to 50% off storewide.
3. PUMA is focusing on sales and exclusive collections:
   • A private sale with up to 60% off, and a promotion highlighting their golf season gear.
   • An announcement about their head-turning partnerships and exclusive collections.
   • Promotions for their app, encouraging users to enjoy a personalized shopping experience, including virtual try-ons.

Nice and easy, right?

For more insights on how to monitor competitors visit our blog.