Reebok 2015 Annual Report Download - page 16

TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS
Letter from the CEO
12
1
In this regard, we also started to redefine the future of production by building our pilot Speedfactory
in Germany. Using automated manufacturing to bring production to where the consumer is,
Speedfactories will make high-performance sporting goods available faster than ever before. The
first concept shoes for running footwear are currently being made and I am proud that the adidas
Group is at the forefront of this trend, as it will enable us to be closer to the consumer than any
other brand.
Another prime example of our consumer-obsessed mindset is our football category: 2015 saw a
full reset of our football footwear business with the launch of Ace and X. These new football silos
successfully replaced our iconic franchises f50, Predator, 11Pro and Nitrocharge. Focusing on the
specific needs of two different types of football consumers was a bold decision that came with some
risk. But it proved to be right, as evidenced by the double-digit increase in football footwear revenues
last year. In addition, we saw a strong presence of our new cleats in the world’s top five football
leagues, with almost 40% of players wearing 3-Stripes. All of this drove significant market share
gains during the course of the year, particularly in Western Europe. This alone is great news. But
even more importantly, it also confirms that Creating the New helps us win in this tough battlefield.
In 2015, we also made a bold statement in another major performance category, running, where
we launched UltraBOOST, which delivers unrivalled energy return, superior support and adaptive
comfort to consumers. As we were so convinced of the performance attributes of this shoe, we
called UltraBOOST ‘the greatest running shoe ever’ even before it hit the market at the beginning
of 2015. Now, a year after its official launch, there is no better description for UltraBOOST than
just that. Both the feedback we get from consumers as well as the sell-through rates we achieve
leave no doubt that UltraBOOST was the ‘Best Sneaker of 2015’, as awarded by both running and
lifestyle magazines several times throughout the year.
Speaking about the fusion of lifestyle and sport: The tremendous success of our Originals business
lies in our unique ability to recreate iconic sports moments and bring them to the street. This is
exactly what made our iconic footwear franchises Stan Smith and Superstar driving forces of
sneaker culture in 2015. In addition, our newly introduced NMD, a fusion of well-proven adidas
DNA with breakthrough technology from today, has once again demonstrated the trendsetting
capabilities and influence adidas Originals has on the streets. And not to forget the unprecedented
demand around Yeezy Boost 350, which received the prestigious Footwear News ‘Shoe of the Year’
award. It is product launches like these that helped adidas Originals to become the world’s most
relevant and best sneaker brand and deliver strong double-digit growth in every quarter of 2015.
2015 saw the complete reset of our Women’s business. As a result, we are now more focused on
the female athlete than ever before. We are excited about our collaboration with former lululemon
CEO Christine Day, who has been acting as a strategic adviser to our Women’s business for almost a
year now. As an expert in building an athletic brand for women, Christine has been instrumental in
sharpening our game plan, asking the right questions and helping us develop this important part of
our business in the right way. As a result, we have made significant changes to our global product
and marketing approach to enable us to create products and consumer experiences that address the
very needs of women. As part of these efforts, adidas recently launched its first-ever women’s-only
running shoe, PureBOOST X. In addition, our new Sport 16 campaign, ‘I’m Here to Create’, is told
exclusively through the lens of some of the world’s finest female athletes, including tennis icon
Caroline Wozniacki, supermodel Karlie Kloss as well as a large number of local influencers such
as US rock climbing star Sasha DiGiulian and inspirational yogi Adriene Mishler.