Reebok 2012 Annual Report Download - page 119

adidas Group
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2012 Annual Report
Group Management Report – Our Group
97
2012
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02.4
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Other Businesses Strategy
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Rockport Strategy
Communication strategy combines fashion and
benefit messaging
The communication strategy at Rockport centres on metropolitan
professionals in motion, expressing the benefit of “style made
comfortable” in a fashion-relevant context.
To underline the style competence, Rockport started a close cooperation
with celebrity supermodel Erin Wasson in 2012. As a model, actress and
entrepreneur, she resonates with the Rockport metropolitan professional
target consumer and the fashion-driven consumer alike
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PICTURE 10.
10
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Rockport
“Style made comfortable” campaign with Erin Wasson
STYLE MADE
COMFORTABLE
with sport technology
“Fashion shouldn’t be a complicated
equation… we should be able to put on a
pair of shoes that we think look super beautiful...
yet we’re still comfortable.”
– ERIN WASSON
MODEL, ACTRESS, ENTREPRENEUR
To underline the product benefit, a retail-focused lightness campaign
was successfully executed in 2012 to underpin the brand’s positioning
in engineered comfort through lightness. Building on this success,
Rockport will intensify its lightness campaign in 2013.
Capturing the potential of the women’s opportunity
Expanding the product offering and distribution reach of the women’s
business is the biggest growth opportunity for Rockport. The women’s
category represents around 70% of the global footwear market.
Rockport’s brand promise – “style made comfortable” – is ideally suited
to and relevant for women. By infusing adidas athletic shoe technologies
within a broad range of styles (e.g. heels, boots, wedges), Rockport aims
to deliver the “no compromise” combination of style and comfort, which
is a true and largely unfulfilled consumer need.
To ensure long-term success, the brand is making significant
investments in world-class design, development and manufacturing
capabilities. To realise the full potential of the women’s opportunity, a
new Rockport Design Studio is opening in the Veneto region in Italy in
early 2013. With this studio, Rockport will gain direct access to the best
talent and industry knowledge in the field of women’s design, fashion
industry know-how and technical shoe development.
Intensifying customer relationships in domestic market
After successfully establishing the Rockport brand strategy and
positioning over the past few years, Rockport returned to growth in its
largest market, North America, in 2012. The brand recognition in North
America is unparalleled and its positioning appeals to a broad consumer
base, which is the right formula for sustainable growth. In 2013, this
momentum is expected to increase by further intensifying relationships
with existing premium retail accounts.
Globalisation continues to be successful
Leveraging the Group’s infrastructure is one of the key enablers to further
expand the Rockport business globally in the next years. Rockport also
continues to successfully grow its business in many markets outside
North America. Regional offices have successfully been established in
Europe and Asia, and sales outside the home market delivered 43% of
the total Rockport business in 2012.
Expanding the retail footprint
Own-retail stores with a focus on full-price sell-through will be one
of the main growth drivers for the brand over the next years. In 2012,
Rockport opened more than 40 stores in Russia/CIS, Japan, South Korea
and other markets around the world. Rockport will continue to expand
its retail footprint in key markets during 2013, to further strengthen the
brand image of Rockport in the marketplace and to deliver profitable
growth.