Altering values
Puma’s advertising and marketing revamp follows its largest client analysis mission, surveying 10,000 individuals world wide, which revealed that as we speak’s “customers have much more motivations about why they do sport,” mentioned Legrand.
“What [younger generations] need is an area for self-expression. The codes [of sport] have been a little bit too heavy on previous generations, and so they wish to free themselves from that,” she continued.
Puma’s findings align with a wider pattern within the sportswear area. Gen Z are fueling progress in sports activities like working, however they are usually much less targeted on motivations like competitors and extra targeted on holistic elements reminiscent of well being and wellness, mentioned Jed Hallam, co-founder and managing director of CultureLab.
“New individuals coming in [to sport] is altering the best way the tradition operates and the worth system inside that,” Hallam mentioned. “It’s extra inclusive and fewer intimidating. Folks don’t essentially need to be in that aggressive mindset.”
In that vein, Puma’s first advert below the “Go Wild” platform focuses on the so-called “runner’s excessive” that some runners expertise. However as a substitute of that includes stereotypical sport scenes of high-octane motion or skilled athletes and celebrities, the spot exhibits common individuals in on a regular basis situations, like a brand new mother working with a stroller, a person along with his canine, and a neighborhood runners’ group.
That depiction goals to return to a “humorousness, intelligent pleasure” and light-heartedness that Puma demonstrated in previous advertising and marketing, Legrand mentioned.
“Gen Z are searching for areas with extra enjoyable and pleasure, and sports activities must be a spot for that,” she mentioned. “We take sport very significantly however we don’t take ourselves too significantly.”
Talking to communities
Up-and-coming sportswear manufacturers like On and Hoka have additionally stolen market share partly by efficiently focusing on area of interest communities, Hallam noticed.
He cited examples like cult working attire model Fulfill, which “went from an edgy model for 10,000 individuals to a multimillion [dollar] model in a couple of years.” Fulfill raised $12.4 million (€11 million) in funding and exceeded $11.3 million (€10 million) in income on the finish of 2024.
Not solely have these newcomers tapped into client preferences for extra specialised and modern sportswear, they’ve additionally capitalized on buzzy cultural partnerships with celebrities, reminiscent of On’s collaboration with Zendaya.
Now different legacy rivals like Nike—which is present process its personal turnaround—are upping their sport in that area. Nike unveiled current collaborations with Kool-Aid, which was impressed by a TikTok pattern, and Kim Kardashian’s Skims, which may assist it seize extra of the ladies’s market.
