Nowadays, the brands have to
analyze and take advantage on the different perceived needs of consumers in any
sectors. The main issue is to anticipate the perceived needs even before the
consumers can be aware.In our case, we identify several
needs of consumers in the sportswear market.
Firstly, the brands clearly
identify the need of identity. The process is the same for everyone: we are all
looking for find our right place in the society. This complex need combines
both the need to belong to a group and the need of the individual
distinctiveness of each person about it.
In the sportswear market, this
phenomenon has resulted in not only a cultural influence since the 90’s where
the rap became a cool and rebel way but also a new lifestyle where people paid
more attention to health. This trend keeps being of significance today to the
sportswear brands because it was emphasized by a fashion and sustainable dress
code.
For instance, Adidas has launched
many Fall/Winter collections in order to cover the demand. At the same time,
Nike has launched several collections with the help of famous designer as Mark
Miner, Ben Shaffer to create or to adapt to current tastes some products.
Secondly, Adidas and Nike have
also launched a concept of customization. The aim tends to give the opportunity
to any consumers to express their creativity toward personalized products. The
customization offers the possibility to insert not only words, names, pictures,
symbols or logos but also it permits to choose the raw material or the colors
of each part. Adidas took more this concept further than Nike with a special
application called mi zx flux.
Thirdly, The last need that we identify is
the need of comfort. People are more and more concerned about their well-being
and comfort. That is why they pay more attention to what they wear every day or
to do sport in the best conditions. Nike’s Pro Bra collection in India
illustrates a successful example in order to anticipate the demand. Indeed,
concerning studies, 80% of women wear the wrong sport bra. So, Nike developed
its new Pro Bra collection and introduced a bra fitting service that helps
women to find their right size for their fitness level.
To sum up, all these needs
represent main advantage for brands. However, they do not always share the
values of consumers.
What are values ? Values are anthropological structures
resulting from your moral. Values are individual but result from collectiv
process. Values are different from populations to another but as said descartes
« le bon sens est la valeur la mieux partagée au monde » :
Reason is the best shared value in the world. All populations act in a certain way but with
reason .We saw that Adidas and Nike adapt to local situations and specific
problems to best adress their consummers. Nevertheless do they share the values
of the people whom they sell clothes ?
Adidad and Nike do not do politics, they do not position
them on ideological questions because they are sellers. Politics or ideology
are not their business.Thus these are international companies with international
coworkers. The values are even different inside the firms. Coworkers will tend
to share personnaly the values the country they come from or where they work. For
example a german executive in the headquarters of Adidas will not think as a
brazilian seller for Adidas. The same for Nike.
If we have a glance at targets : Teenagers are targets
for these two brands ? Do they share the value of teenagers ? As
explain above values are anthropological so they are beyond gender, age so it
is a mistake to think teenagers have their own values or women have values
different from men. Unfortunately Nike has been at the heart of scandals where
they was accused of abusing workers in the third world and of child labor in
the manufacture of footballs. Adidas is not exempt of these accusations. This
way of treating their workers or to take opportunities of countries where the
law do not protect children and workers show that they do not share the value
of reason of Descartes and a lots about their conception of mankind…
In a nutshell, if Nike and Adidas feel concerned about their
consumers need because they know how to make benefit , they absolutely do not
care of sharing their values.
Marie-Caroline Lassagne & Edouard Lévêque
Sources :
-
"Clash
of the Fashion Titans: Adidas vs Nike", articles by Vivian Hendriksz,
09/2014.
-
“La logique émotionnelle”, book
by Cayherine Aimelet-Perissol,.
-
“Child Labor scandal hits UK”,
article by Jason Burke, 11/9/2000 http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/nov/19/jasonburke.theobserver
-
“Les statégies commerciales qui
ont terni l’image de Nike”, Blogspot
byhttp://nike-strategies-commerciales.blogspot.fr/2011/03/ales-scandales-qui-ont-ternis-limage-de_22.html
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