byLarry EderPUMA is building assets as they move to the Olympics and World Championships.
Renaud LAVILLENIE, photo via @airlavillenie twitter
Nike is in a position where changes will come, as a new philosophy on sports marketing may be considered. Nike and adidas are the two biggest supporters of athletics on the global level. New Balance, ASICS and Brooks, along with PUMA, support athletics on the global level.
PUMA is picking up some big names.
Even in Covid 19 times, running shoes are selling well.
How the Olympics develop, how the World Championships develop, are key to success in athletics.
This has created some anxiety among managers and agents.
A media big wig gave me something that should keep managers and agents happy. This media big wig noted that “Media companies need athletics content. They have none.”
Sandi Morris, photo via Sandi M at twitter
👊🼠FOREVER FASTER 👊🼠@PUMA pic.twitter.com/13TCx8Ekik
— Renaud LAVILLENIE (@airlavillenie) January 13, 2021
A truly iconic athlete, Renaud Lavillenie was the first man to surpass Sergey Bubka’s indoor world record (2014, 6.16m). Renaud is a 3 time European champ, 4 time European Indoor Championship gold, 3 time World Indoor gold, an Olympic gold medalist (2012) and Olympic silver (2016 medalist), plus 1 silver and 4 bronze medals at World Outdoor Championships.
On the @twitter platform today, Renaud LAVILLENIE announced that he had moved to PUMA AG as a sponsor. This is a big deal, as Renaud had only been with Nike during his career.
It was a curious move by Nike, but indicates that, with the departure at Nike sports marketing key players, a new approach to sports marketing may be considered.
The Covid 19 crisis, the sports marketing challenges at Nike, and changing leadership seems to be having an effect. How that plays when Hayward field is being relaunched, will be interesting.
Lavillenie is a highly visible athlete, big on social media and a creative talent: his Ultimate Garden Pole Vault Clash in the 2020 spring gave us athletics to view.
Lavillenie is the second prominent pole vaulter to go to PUMA.
Sandi Morris, the USA’s Olympic silver medalist, and two time World Champion silver medalist, announced on her social media that she had moved to PUMA, after spending her career at Nike.
See what @puma @pumaperformance Olympic Silver Medalist @sandicheekspv has to say about the New ESPN Series! #ATLonESPN #PartyFasterhttps://t.co/RWHofzJrux pic.twitter.com/k6ZEO8xOcy
— AmericanTrackLeague (@americantrack) January 12, 2021
Sandi Morris is a key social media star in athletics, and she continues to compete and communicate during Covid 19.
It is good to see PUMA putting something into athletics.
My take on Nike: it is the low end in a cycle. Nike will be letting athletes go who may be ending careers, this is a business decision.
