How adidas Hopes to Reimagine Basketball With A "Polarizing" Vision
“We want to be a brand that is talked about. We know that won’t always be good.”
The Portland Business Journal spoke to the global head of adidas basketball Chris Grancio on how the division is going. Eight months after the sports giant dropped its bid to outfit the NBA, Grancio has been working overtime to reset adidas’ basketball footprint. Apparently, it’s paying off — thanks to a slew of new hires, increased focus on consumer feedback, a focus on design and a shift in how the company uses endorsers. Click here to read the entire article.
What’s the change in basketball strategy?
The last time we spoke, we talked about our decision to divest of the NBA and what we had planned to do. It’s been a fantastic six months. We recruited a new head of basketball product. We brought in a new director for basketball footwear. We reimagined the way we’re talking about our footwear business through the lens of the consumer. We’re going to be more focused than ever on building the best performance product in the world and building a much more polarizing brand. We’re excited about that. We’re starting to see the new product direction and new design efforts come together to create some fantastic work.
What do you mean “polarizing” product? How do you use that term?
When we spoke last I described our footwear aesthetic as too safe. We use the word polarizing through the lens of an ambition to kill indifference. There are a lot of people who don’t think about us as a basketball brand. We’re intentionally pushing the envelope to look different. We want to be a brand that is talked about. We know that won’t always be good.
How does James Harden fit into the picture?
He’s been like a lightning bolt for us inside basketball. It’s been energizing for us from the very beginning. It’s very clear that he’s somebody that wants to join our fight and take the challenge. He’s somebody that wants to stand out. He’s the kind of guy that will sit down with us and say, “This is awesome, I love where we’re going, but we have a lot of work to do.” We’ll show him 100 pages of apparel designs and 24 hours later we’ll get a fax or scanned copy back with all of his handwritten notes. He’s super engaged. We’re excited because it’s going to lead to fantastic product as we start to work on his signature sneaker.
What’s new with the grassroots program?
We had a fantastic summer. We brought all of our events under one umbrella called the Adidas Uprising. We interacted with more than 20,000 kids across the U.S. and China. We’re leading with brand, trying to create better experiences. We’re going to continue to invest, not only in summertime, but our high school and college business.
What’s different about the grassroots program, in terms of consumer feedback?
In the past, we’d go for a campus visit and talk about the product with players and incorporate that into the process. Now we’re using online and social tools to have a more consistent and ongoing conversation. We’re doing that today at Texas A&M with the men’s basketball program with a specific footwear project. The players are able to give us ongoing feedback. We can check in with them every few days or every week. It’s much more frequent.
