International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention

ISSN (Online): 2319 7722, ISSN (Print): 2319 7714

www.ijhssi.org ||Volume 6 Issue 1||January. 2017 || PP.17-25

Comparative Analysis of Brand Performance and Financial Gains

a Case Study of Nike, Adidas and Puma
1

Muhammad Ali,2Noreen M. Din,3Mehwish Jamil and4Palwisha Ilyas

1

MS Scholar National Collage of Business Administration & Economics, Lahore, Pakistan

MS Scholar National Collage of Business Administration & Economics, Lahore, Pakistan
3
MS Scholar National Collage of Business Administration & Economics, Lahore, Pakistan
4
M.Com Student University of South Asia, Lahore, Pakistan
2

ABSTRACT: Digital marketing is a term for interactive marketing using digital techniques. The main
objective is to create brand awareness and to raise sales. This paper finds the effects of mobile marketing of
sportswear companies (Nike, Adidas and Puma) by the comparison of their fans/followers on internet and
financial gains. In this study, it is found that mobile marketing helps to create awareness and to raise sales of
company. Nike spends more on mobile marketing as compared to its both rivals and is also getting more profit
and brand value than Adidas and Puma. Nike leads in digital market; the company has more fans and followers
on internet(Facebook, Twitter and Youtube). Adidas also made strategies for mobile marketing that helped them
to raise brand value and profit in recent years. Statistics shows that Puma is relatively far behind in this race.
The company should develop strategies better than its rivals to raise its enterprise value and to compete in the
world market.
Keywords:Financial Analysis, Brand Performance, Brand Value.

I. INTRODUCTION
Marketing is a pillar of any business; it creates demand and fulfills it. Digital marketing performs this
function with the help of internet in innovative ways. Internet allows exchange of value. Going online can help a
business togain value in form of time and attention. It also adds value for the user in different form like
entertainment, utility and enlightenment. Internet has changed our selling world. It is not just a marketing
channel but it has created a new paradigm in which the consumers and brands are connected together. Products
and services can be promoted, serviced, purchased and distributed on internet (Katharine et.al. 2012). Now days,
the competition is high, so only those companies will be succeeded which develop the products that may better
satisfy the consumer needs than their competitors. So the companies should fully research the consumer needs
and generate solutions that may satisfy them (Gupta et.al 1986).
The groups of different knowledge, abilities, competences, cultures and resources are included in new
product development (NPD) multifunctional process. A good NPD process should fulfill market needs and
demands in an appropriate way. Marketing helps to know the requirements of customers and on the other side,
research and development uses companys capabilities and assets to create differential products (Nusa
et.al,2011).Lack of alignment between customer characteristics, brand and mobile proposition can harm the
brand. Mobile communication must be consistent along with companys strategy (Friedrich et.al, 2009).
Company should respect the peoples privacy and free time and should not keep messaging during weekends
(Karjaluoto, 2007, p16). While a study tells that communication messages most of the timewere being sent to
the people when they were having free time and were relaxing. This study also revealed that three industries,
food and beverage, shoe and accessories and automotive and apparel industry most use mobile marketing
techniques in their strategies. The most common purposes of mobile marketing are creating brand awareness,
changing brand image, to gather useful information about customers and producing purchase
intention(Mirbargheri, 2010). Mobile marketing is a key term of digital marketing. Mobile marketing is the use
of the mobile medium as a means of marketing communications (Leppniemi et.al. 2006, p.38). Mobile
marketing also has another important expression and that is mobile commerce. In general, it signifies the
transactions that have monetary values and are executed through mobile communication networks. It can be
stated as a business model that allows customer to complete all the steps of the commercial transaction using
mobile devices (Barutcu, 2007).
Objective of the study
Following are the objectives of this study.
i. To find what is mobile marketing in marketing disciplines.
ii. To find out how Nike, Adidas and Puma implement mobile marketing strategies and tools.
iii. To find the effects of mobile marketing on brand value.

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Comparative analysis of brand performance and financial gains A case study of Nike, Adidas and ..
iv. To compare financial gains of Nike, Adidas and Puma.

II. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study is explorative in nature. The wellsprings of the speculations covers scholastic articles,
research papers, and articles from industry-based sites, assessment articles, books that emphasis on the subject,
and also references from business related word references. It is critical to call attention to that the research
endeavors to structure and arrange portable advertising standards, joining the scholarly studies with the
experiences and suggestions by specialists, however not to hunt down the one genuine definition or hypothesis.
The contextual analysis of Nike, Adidas and Puma's mobile marketing effort will be done to inspect brand value
by these organizations. The experimental part won't sum up the outcomes, yet will be tended to and broke down
based on the specific case and the inspected speculations. Hence, it should be indicated that the outcomes are
time and area bound, by and by, serving enough the target to answer research's exploration question.

III. BRANDING
The brand equity entails brand identity and promotion with the help of marketing communications. The
brand identity is a unique set of brand associations that the brand strategist aspires to create or maintain
(Aaker, 2002). It also consists of core as well as extended identity, credibility factor and value
propositions.Brand communication can be better understood by investigating the idea of integrated marketing.
The conclusion can be that the brand identity inferred both, the company efforts for promotion of brand by
communication and customers connection with the brand. So, it is of significance to explore how companies
utilize particular marketing approaches and then how connections of such activities produce brand identity. In
subsequent section, mobile marketing is discussed. Mobile marketing has impact of brand management; it is
because of change in consumers lifestyles. It is The age of participation and collaborative marketing that
belongs to brand efforts and two way communications (Kotler, 2010).

IV. MOBILE MARKETING

3.1. Mobile marketing
Mobile marketing is a systematic planning, implementing and control of a mix of business activities
intended to bring together buyers and sellers for the mutually advantageous exchange or transfer of products
where the primary point of contact with the consumer is via their mobile device (Carter, 2008, p.62).The
Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has also proposed a concept of mobile marketing in 2006 as the use of
wireless media (primarily cellular phones and PDAs) as an integrated content delivery and direct response
vehicle within a cross-media marketing communication program (Karjaluoto, 2007, p.11). It included strategies
like push and pulls for the marketing communication but did not have the affirmation of customer involvement
and active participation in communication between organization and its customers. To fill this gap, MMA
introduced a new definition which described mobile marketing as a set of practices that enables organizations
to communicate and engage with their audience in an interactive and relevant manner through any mobile
device or network (MMA, 2009). Set of practices means relationship management, media, industry standards
and various activities (MMA, 2009). This new explanation as opposing the one of 2006, demonstrate a shift in
consumer lifestyle and marketing transmissions from one sided communication to brand co-creation.
3.2 Features of mobile marketing
Mobile marketing features are as follows.
1.Messages should be relevant, permission based and targeted to the particular public.
2.Value added material for mobile marketing strategy.
3. The advantage of from mobile marketing must be prompt and measurable.
4. Seclusion matters of mobile users must be tackled.
5. Mobile applications should be innovative, creative and user friendly.
6.The mobile marketing strategies and campaigns should be appropriate for industry and victorious execution
can direct to better efficiency.
7. The contributors of mobile marketing should co-operate to make common benefits.
8. Customer centered (Varnali, 2010, p. 147).
3.3 Fundamentals of mobile marketing
The three fundamental ways of mobile marketing are advertising, direct marketing and sales promotion.
Customer relationship marketing must also be considered while it is not publicity gadget (Leppniemi, 2008,
p.54)
These methods can be assigned to communication areas in common and not supposed as tools themselves. So, it
is pivotal to distinguish between different mobile marketing strategies that may be applied in brand
communication.

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MMS, SMS
An advertisement through text messages is called SMS marketing. It is most widely used mobile
marketing technique. Marketers send tailored content to customers. Customers also can forward messages to
companies to take part in marketing initiatives. In MMS marketing, text message medium is used but it provides
wider range of features like videos or pictures (Mobile Marketing Trends, 2011). MMS and SMS are supposed
as consent based marketing where consumers or customers subscribe to let companies to send messages on their
mobile devices (Varnali, 2010, p.147).
Internet on Mobile (mobile website, videos, social media)
Web content delivery that gives content conforming to mobile context is narrated as Mobile Web.
Mobile context is denoted by type of user data needs, special capacities (location, connection type) and mobile
phone features (keypad and screen size etc.) (MMA, 2008). Mobile websites should serve the needs of
customers by letting them using the key functions. Other data sources should also be furnished. Mobile website
content has to deliver user compelled experience by special functions and interactive solutions (Krahnert, 2010).
The social media mentions the initiatives, implementations and activities of different societies of people who
together share the knowledge and information online. This needs a platform where dissemination of material
like audios, videos, texts and pictures might be easier. Social media includes four basic features that are
collaboration, entertainment, education and communication (Safko, Brake, 2009).
Games and Applications
Games and applications can be downloaded on smart phones and tablets. Applications are of different
types, these allow from playing games on mobile to examining gas prices and booking of airline tickets
(Marketing news, 2010). Mostly, the applications are used to target a special audience for enhancing interaction
and either may be long term or short term as well (Scheffier, 2011). Games may be downloaded individually or
as application and entertains the people.
Location based services
Any service that considers geographical location of the entity is location based service. Entity means
object that triggers location data, it may be human as well as non-human (Junglas, 2008). This definition entails
services that use location as main element of giving relevant information to customers. While in mobile
marketing, such applications are marketing services based on specific location data to deliver right message to
appropriate people at particular time and place (Fields, 2011).
Mobile services (shopping, banking,tickets)
Mobile services let users to perform transactions without the boundaries of time. These services allow
customers to buy and pay by using internet on smart phones(Barutcu, 2007). Different companies have offered
online ticketing and customer does not need to print that ticket, just download it on mobile phone. Shopping
websites are another type of mobile service; these are specially designed for mobile phones to make it easier to
do shopping through mobile phones.
From organizations point of view, the mobile marketing is a multi-channel marketing. According to
Aberdeen Groups survey on mobile utilization for retail industry, it investigated that how organizations apply
different tools of mobile marketing. Results show that companies use MMS, SMS (31%), location based service
(33%), transactions and payments via mobile (35%), mobile application (37%), mobile coupons (43%) and
mobile website (49%). According to this study, the most important results of using mobile marketing strategies
are: brand image improvement (88%), improved customer targeting (60%), improved customer profitability
(81%) and customer retention improvement (78%) (Bates, 2011). The results determine that focus should be on
getting customers by developing tailored messages to grab customers and finally take them to brand image uplift
and buying decisions.
V. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MOBILE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS (CASE STUDY

OF NIKE, ADIDAS & PUMA)

Nike represents many brands, it is a global company. Nikes mission is to bring inspiration and
innovation to every athlete and the goal is to continue inventive thinking by establishing products that help
athletes of every level of ability reach their potential or creating business opportunities that set Nike apart from
the competition and provide value for the shareholders (Nike, 2011). Nikes prime business components are
sustainability and innovativeness.
Adidas has several subsidiaries and sub brands in the world. Adidas manufacture products for
professional usage and for street wear as well. Main goal of Adidas is to empower its brands and different

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products to raise companys financial position and to get competitive advantage. That is done by innovation,
focusing on customer needs and diverse brand portfolios (Adidas Group, 2011).
Pumas prime principles are imagination, peace and sustainability. Puma states that Puma starts in
Sport and ends in Fashion and its business is concentrated on sailing categories, running, golf, football and
motorsports. Puma promotes itself as a company where fun and joy is first priority (Puma, 2011).
4.1. Mobile Internet
4.1.1. Mobile Website
Adidas and Nike have set up mobile websites that are promoting their campaigns. Youtube links as well as
social media links are available there. These websites try to aware people about any new campaigns and are
built to focus on different target audience.
Puma has not built mobile website. It may be difficult for customers to find campaigns and other information
about new products and familiar to websites mobile version.
4.1.2. Social media:
Facebook
Nike has many Facebook pages. These pages may be segregated according to region, product and sport
type. Nikes official Facebook page delivers overall information campaigns and products. Adidas is engaged
with the audience and promote its brand with the help of several Facebook pages. Puma has seven pages on
Facebook. These are categorized on sports base. All pages cover multiple audiences.
Twitter
The main objective of Twitter accounts is engaging consumers in communication. There are many
Twitter account of Nike, but Nike has not created its official account of Twitter. Adidas has official accounts on
Twitter and are segregated in multiple groups: by product, by region and by peoples needs and interest. Puma
also has many Twitter accounts; these are segregated by sport and service. The global Puma account targets the
customers that are interested in sports and in Puma brand.
Youtube
Basic purpose of Youtube page is to propose the brands through videos. Nike has two leading Youtube
channels, Nike Football and Nike Global. Adidas also has Youtube channel that mainly focuses on young
people, interested in sharing videos and video depiction of brands. Puma Youtube channel offer videos of new
campaigns and targets mainly to young people. This channel helps Puma to generate brand awareness.
4.2.Mobile services
4.2.1. Mobile store
Nike, Adidas and Puma, all of these companies have designed their mobile shops specifically to fit the
mobile content and to inform their customers about the upcoming and current products and are targeted to
interested customers. These are built particularly for mobile use. Customers reviews can be checked and
products can be shared through social media.
4.3. Mobile sales promotion
Nike use bar codes on its products, hence the customer may scan that code with their mobile phone and
may receive the information about that specific product. It means that it is an informational tool that does not
involve consumers in any co-operation but may effect as purchase decision. Puma created Puma Phone and it is
made for active lifestyle both physically and digitally (Pumaphone, 2011).
Adidas employs QR codes that are attached to the garments or products where customer may scan the code and
obtain information about product. This promotion is communicative and may lead to transactions.
4.4 Applications/Games
Adidas
Adidas Urban Art
This application provides an interactive map of Berlin and Hamburg and is created by users who mark locations
and post photos of urban art. This application guides the users through city via urban art routes.
Adidas Eyewear
This application is used to provide information about Adidas Eyewear collection. It provides information about
the weather forecast and eyewear, which best fits to weather.

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MiCoach
This application is called The personal coaching and training system by Adidas. It is also the purpose of the
application.
Nike
Nike+ GPS
This application is built for runners to keep track of their trainingresults. The objective of this application is to
create brand awareness and associations with brand to build consumer relations.
Nike Boom
Athletes of sports teams are targeted by this application and it is also used to provide them useful tips and
encouragements from renowned athletes. Nike tries to build brand association with professional sports teams
with the help of this application.
NikeiD
The main purpose of NikeiD is to involve customers in co-creation to customize clothing and footwear. It shows
the Nikes struggles to build relations with its customers.
Puma
Puma Football
This application is used to encourage customers to participate in discussions with Puma and its consumers
through social media.
Puma Ocean Raising Team
It gives relative information to interested participants about Pumas sailing team. Videos are provided on it.
4.5 SMS, MMS
Nike, Adidas and Puma employ MMS and SMS to communicate with their customers. Adidas use
authorization based marketing to send information to the customers through text messages. Puma exercise SMS
marketing so long as customers have subscribed to newsletter and primary newsletters are normally sent by email. Nike also uses SMS and MMS marketing and sends newsletters to specific people to stay in touch with the
customers.

VI. FINANCIAL GAINS

Nike prevail the most worthwhile brand position in sportswear industry in Brand Finance Global 500,
expanding in brand value as well as ranking (31 st). 2009 was action packed year for Nike. The company turned
into official sponsor of Vancouver Winter Olympics yet had to face difficult situation when Tiger Woods,
worlds no. 1 golf player and Nikes old spokesperson, availed leaves from sports. This happening heavily
affected the Nikes commercial interest with many sponsors like Accenture withdrawn its support contracts. In
such situations, digital marketing made a contribution in Nikes success story. Nike spends a lot on digital
marketing and is getting something heavier in return that makes it worlds one of the best sportswear companies.
Mobile marketing helped Nike to reborn the passion again globally. Adidas is the main competitor of Nike and
tried to overtake the market leader but failed to defeat Nike this year in Global 500 and remained on 139 th in
ranking. The brand value of Adidas has grown from previous yearto 6.8 billion US$. Adidas, who has been
official kit sponsor of Olympic Games for the Great Britain Team, declared in 2010 that Adidas would work to
design kits stylish with Stella McCartney a British designer.FIFA World cup of 2010 in South Africa engaged
both of companies in competition. 12 teams wore Adidas kit and 9 teams wore Nike kit. In spite of Adidas
became the official sponsor for the event, Nike applied several marketing strategies especially online to generate
and develop brand awareness. When Nike introduced its world cup advertisement presented by Cristiano
Ronaldo with Wayne Rooney, it was viewed by 14 million people in justone month. Adidas came in competition
and composed Star Wars subjected advertisement featuring the football star David Beckham and it got 2.8
million views initially in first week. In comparison with Nike and Adidas, Puma is still far behind. In 2009, the
brand value of Puma fell down to 1.5 billion US$, but has grown up in recent years. In 2011, the company has
achieved its top Global 500 brand value figure of 2.3 billion US$.When Usain Bolt, the Jamaican athlete strolled
to100 and 200 meters record breaking in 2009 in Puma kit, the company alone got media value over 105 million
US$. In 2010, Bolt signed a sponsorship deal with Puma and it was comparable to Nikes four years deal with
Cristiano Ronaldo that worth 32.5 million US$. Puma was placed on 492 nd rank in Global 500 in that year and
declared that Bolt will perform an important role in companys marketing up to London 2012 run. Puma
employed digital marketing techniques and raised its revenue and brand position (Haigh, 2011).

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Nike Expenditure on Marketing:

Nike Revenue:

Facebook Fans:

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Twitter Fans:

Youtube Subscribers:

Nike, Adidas and Puma:

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VII.

CONCLUSION

Digital marketing is a rising trend in this era. The sports companies are in a war of snatching
consumers. Every company needs to define a strategy to meet the customers requirements.Nike, Adidas and
Puma are the world leaders in sportswear. These companies are rapidly changing their marketing strategies. As
From 2000 to 2015, Nike has made expenditure on digital marketing and in return, Nike has left far behind its
competitors in revenue generation. Adidas is the 2nd leader after Nike in sports wear but still there is a lot of
difference in their revenues. These three companies are using direct as well as digital marketing to boost their
sales and in return, they are getting market share. Nike used one of best ways of mobile marketing and has
captured the sportswear market. Adidas also used it and generated huge revenue. Puma also worked on it, it
could not use as much strategies and spent percentage of revenue as its competitors do. If Puma make good
mobile marketing strategies in future, it may also raise the revenues.

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Websites:
www.adidas.com
www.apple.com/itunes/
www.brandfinance.com
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www.fortune.com
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