How Adidas finally became cool again

pulse

March 15, 2017 2:17 PM

It took more than just Kanye West's star power to propel Adidas forward.

For brands, being cool is hard to do. But for sportswear brands to be successful, it's a necessity.

Adidas, according to the president of its North American business, Mark King, is finally a cool brand. But how it got there is a lot more complicated than just signing a cultural icon and spokesperson.

It doesn't hurt to have famous figures attracting attention to your brand, but according to King, the more important part of the equation is having shoes and apparel that people actually want to buy. Becoming cool is meeting customers on their level, getting the lowdown on trends as they happen, and responding to them.

"Creating something that is cool takes multiple efforts," King said. "I think you need an athlete or a cultural icon like Kanye West or Pharrell [Williams]. But the product really needs to proceed to be cool."

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