Reebok 2014 Annual Report Download - page 83

adidas Group
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2014 Annual Report
Group Management Report – Our Group
79
2014
Research and Development
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02.6
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Reebok introduces new technology platforms
In 2014, Reebok’s latest products continued to generate the majority of Reebok’s sales, with an
estimated 73% of footwear sales coming from products launched in 2014 (2013: 59%). Only 15% of
footwear product sales relate to products introduced three or more years ago (2013: 12%).
In 2014, Reebok presented several key product introductions. Some of the highlights included:
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The Reebok ZQuick was brought to market in 2014 and was designed to mimic technology found
in Z-rated tyres. ZQuick is engineered with a softer compound and cut-groove geometry to
maximise ground contact area. The ZSeries of footwear will continue in 2015, especially with the
highly anticipated launch of the ZPump Fusion.
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In training, Reebok continued to expand its CrossFit Nano technology platform with a new
version, the 4.0. The shoe contains an all-new based mesh for enhanced breathability as well as
re-engineered multi-density Duracage for lightweight upper protection.
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Reebok also introduced Checklight, a groundbreaking impact indicator for use in contact sports
and activities. It has flexible electronics and motion sensors to accurately measure direct
accelerations in real time and provide actionable objective measurement of impact force.
More information on these and other products can be found in the Global Brands Strategy section.
Innovation a key success factor for TaylorMade-adidas Golf
At TaylorMade-adidas Golf, current products (i.e. products launched in the last 18 months, which is
the typical product life cycle in golf) represented 66% of total hardware sales in 2014 (2013: 81%).
Products that had been brought to market three or more years ago accounted for 7% of sales in
2014 (2013: 5%).
Despite a challenging market environment in the golf industry, TaylorMade-adidas Golf retained its
status as the world’s leading golf company in 2014, with market leadership in key categories such as
metalwoods. However, in light of the Group’s efforts to clean retail inventories and the shift to longer
product launch cycles, TaylorMade-adidas Golf made a strategic decision to reduce the number of
new product introductions compared to previous years. Among the highlight product launches in
2014 were:
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Supplementing the SLDR driver introduced in the summer of 2013, in 2014 TaylorMade added
SLDR-S woods and the SLDR irons. With extremely low and forward weight distribution, the
SLDR–S woods are able to deliver less spin and a higher launch angle when lofted up, producing
significant distance gain for all players. The SLDR irons are designed for better players using the
new sole slot technology.
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Launched at the end of 2014, the RSi1 and RSi2 irons feature new face slots in addition to sole
slots and are filled with a soft polymer, resulting in more distance consistency, while keeping
the noticeably higher trajectory with a steeper angle of descent for soft landing of a slotted iron.
More information on these and other products can be found in the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Strategy
section.
see Global Brands Strategy, p. 53
see TaylorMade-adidas Golf Strategy, p. 60