PR Week on Adidas/Reebok Branding

As previously discussed at ProHipHop, the merger of Adidas and Reebok has raised many questions regarding branding, which seems to be at the heart of the challenges faced by the merged companies.

Late last week, PR Week ran a piece by Keith O'Brien about the ongoing branding discussion related to the merger. Apparently the discussion has been a positive for Adidas and they maintain the brands will remain distinctive.

What most interested me was that the folks quoted by O'Brien focused on the hip hop related identity of the two shoemakers, including quotes from Agenda Inc.'s Lucien James who identifies Reebok as a "new school" hip hop brand and Adidas as an "old school" brand:
“The new school versus old school split between Reebok and Adidas is an obvious distinction . . . The spokespeople should certainly be picked to mark out the differentiators between the brands.”

O'Brien continues with distinctions that I assume come from James:
"The difference between the two hip-hop ideologies are not easily definable, but old school conveys an respect for the history of hip-hop, for taking pride in the quality of their music, and for focusing on substance more than style. New school hip-hop generally focuses on depictions of violence or the amount of individual rapper’s wealth and the artist’s popularity, rather than one’s ability to craft great music. Missy Elliott, an Adidas enthusiast, resides in the old-school tradition, whereas Jay-Z and 50 Cent represent the new school of wealth and 'gangsta' lifestyle."

According to O'Brien, Lucien James maintains "that there are various ways to contrast the brands: old school versus contemporary, fashion versus performance, high-end versus low-end. Techniques may include using limited editions and exploring different distribution channels. The limited editions have worked well for Reebok through its S. Carter . . . and G-Unit lines."

However, "Joseph Anthony, CEO of Vital Marketing, warns that Reebok has done more to elevate the brands of its partners than itself," which is an interesting point. Certainly 50 Cent's Rbk campaigns seem to have built more buzz around 50 Cent than around Rbk but that's a fairly superficial impression on my part.

Anthony also reveals that he wonders "how much traction they’re getting with these brands . . . Reebok is starting to loose its cache as a performance brand and quickly becoming more as a lifestyle brand. Being anchored to these celebrities, it will constantly have to find the next hot person.”

Note: Article found via the Agenda Inc. Live Feed which is an excellent news source if you're interested in trends and marketing.