CASE STUDY: Empowered Consumer Data Leads Adidas to Business Growth

Empowered Consumer Data Leads Adidas to Business Growth

A business’ primary focus should be connecting with consumers. Why? Because through connecting with customers, learning about who they are, how they operate, their likes and dislikes, will help you determine what they need now, or in the future. Adidas understands this concept all too well and are, in fact, beating the competition because of their focus on fostering relationships with consumers. Through the power of merging Salesforce products such as the Marketing Cloud, Data Management Platform (DMP), and Commerce Cloud, Adidas has transformed their strategy to be digital-first and to meet the demands “...for today's mobile, more empowered consumer.” 

Digital-First Strategy is an Advantage

Adidas digital-first strategy gives them an advantage in the marketplace. With over 40% of internet users time on mobile devices and lots of distractions, consumers expect their site to not only be compatible with their devices, but beautifully designed, usable, and interactive. With adidas.com being their primary store, selling over 1.2 million shoes per day, tracking analytics of consumer behavior allows for a customized digital marketing mix that’s tailored to every individual consumer preference.

For example, through the power of DMP, which learns a consumer’s online behaviours (even outside of Adidas mobile app or site), when a consumer visits adidas.com and gets distracted by a text or another website, the consumer is served a personalized ad based off of what they’re viewing. If they click on the ad, it will generate a mobile or desktop view of the website that is tailored to the data collected about the customer. This is not only for mobile, the ads are “unifying for the consumer across all their devices” including desktop and tablets.

Adidas Customer-Focused Approach Sets Them Apart

Adidas is only as good as how well they know their customers. Tracking analytics is the key to Adidas digital-first strategy because they rely on data-driven insights from consumers to make business decisions and drive results. Adidas’ customer-centric approach sets them apart in meeting bottomline expectations. One example of this is the launch of their mobile app in 2017. Adidas used deep consumer testing throughout the process of developing the app. “We wanted to get it in the hands of the consumers and use their feedback to prioritize what we did next. They were very powerful in what they shared back, and it greatly shaped how we’ve evolved the app experience since then,” said Joseph Godsey, Global Head of Digital Brand Commerce at Adidas.

Analytics Shaped Business and Brand Alignment 

Ultimately, data analytics not only improved their connection to customers through relevant storytelling and fostering better digital experiences, it also informed how they designed their product. In 2018, Adidas teamed up with tech Carbon to design the first mass produced 3D-print running shoes. “With Digital Light Synthesis, we venture beyond limitations of the past, unlocking a new era in design and manufacturing. One driven by athlete data and agile manufacturing processes...transforming not just what we make, but how we make it,” said Eric Liedtke, Adidas Group Executive Board Member. Many sneaker companies claim to be the best, to be innovative, and to be leaders but Adidas is showing us, not just telling us.