Adidas China's Republic of Sports event attracts more than 92m live streams
More than 92 million people have live streamed events from Adidas’ Republic of Sports activation event as the brand continues to drive growth in the China market.
Adidas Republic of Sports event in China
The event, which takes place in a custom-built sports facility, showcase the brand’s key categories of football, basketball, running, training and outdoor through a program of live events.
Adidas works with gyms to create a timetable of activities such as fitness classes, runs, football matches, rock climbing, basketball competitions, hype events as well as interactive experiences and retail activations.
The Republic of Sports, which was first held in Shanghai in 2016 and attracted more than 20,000 visitors, has been expanded this year to also include Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Taipei. Adidas aims to eventually roll the concept out across all of the brand’s key cities in China.
Adidas said 99% of registrations for the events came via digital platforms, with the campaign helping to recruit 400,000 new members to the brand’s adiClub program.
The event is part of Adidas’ overarching strategy to promote sport in China and to become the country’s best sports brand by 2020.
This year, the brand has focused on promoting creativity in sport, which it kicked off with the “One in a Billion” campaign earlier this year. Adidas want to use Republic of Sports to leverage that creativity, to “take China to even greater heights sporting heights”.
Marc Le Roux, senior vice president/brand director, Adidas Greater China, told The Drum, “As a leading global sports brand and one of the most preferred, and fastest growing sports brands in China, Adidas encourages everyone to get involved in sports and reap the benefits that sports will bring.”
“Through the ‘Republic of Sports’, we want to promote “Creativity in Sports”. We believe that through creativity, we have the power to change lives,” he added.
“Activations like Republic of Sports that encourage more and more people to get involved in sport and discover their true potential play a very big role in that and contribute to Adidas’ overall mission of establishing an authentic legacy of sport in China.”
“Putting creativity at the centre of everything we do is crucial because that is how we define ourselves, both as employees and as a company. It’s in our DNA. Because of this, we’re determined to work and engage with other creators and inspire our consumers to express their creativity and imagination in everything that they do.”
This month, Adidas Greater China posted double digit growth in its quarterly result, with sales increasing 28% in Q2 and the market maintaining its position as Adidas’ fastest growing market. The latest results build on strong performances in Q1 and 2016.
Colin Currie, managing director of Adidas Greater China, said the results confirmed the brand strategy was “continuing to resonate strongly with Chinese consumers”.
"Focusing on 'Creativity in Sports,’ Adidas will continue to deliver stylish, high performance sports products, authentic in-store retail experiences and campaigns with the power to inspire millions, as we push on in our mission to become Greater China's Best Sports Brand by 2020," said Currie.