Whether they’re on the street or playing virtually at home, players want bragging rights, and so three of the world’s leading brands in sports, gaming and technology
Source: The Worlds Of Sports, Gaming And Technology Collide With All-New adidas GMR
I made the difficult decision to tie my predictions for brands to new concepts being launched by the brand. I did this because it makes the writing more interesting and creates the potential for a more involved discussion. The problem is I decided to do this in a year where COVID-19 is Godzilla and not in a good Eminem way. Anything I write here should be taken with a dose of health care because this virus has already disrupted the footwear market making it difficult to predict anything.
miadidas, Nike+, Connected Fitness, all of these digital engagement tools featured wearables at one point. They also featured sensor technology for measuring different aspects of your fitness routine. None of these things really lasted for any of the brands.What does this mean for the Google technology based GMR that allows your player levels to increase inside of the FIFA20 App as you participate in training or actual games in the real world?
First the question has to be asked if the people who have downloaded this game 100,000,000+ are fans of adidas and are they actually going from the couch to the pitch?
There isn’t any hard evidence to answer this question, but the reality is sport video games have not contributed to an uptick in viewership and the Premier League viewership, like the NBA, MLB and NFL have all seen a decrease in interest.
‘Creativity is the Answer’ Gets Back to How adidas Built Their Momentum
I’ve written recently that football has seen a small increase, but sports across the board is declining in viewership and participation. With this as a point of reference it might be reasonable to say that adidas is attempting to make a connection that simply doesn’t make sense. The technology from Google is very good and the idea is good, but just as Nike+ chips in sneakers died almost as quickly as it began in 2012 with the Hyperdunk+ it’s a stretch to ask kids/adults to buy another add on to FIFA20 Mobile when you already have to purchase VC with real money to improve the game play.
How do I connect this play by adidas to a prediction for 2020. Unlike Under Armour’s Connected Fitness problem, this is merely a cool project by Google and adidas that will provide data on when, where and how athletes are participating in the most popular sport in the world. Data is instrumental in informing brands where to target and that’s a positive but ultimately means very little as FIFA by EA is a game played in eSports tournaments. As eSports are becoming more prevalent in viewership and is also being considered as a potential Olympic sport and as a college scholarship sport, those people who might have followed soccer because they played are probably going to diminish. There is a running thread on reddit and on YouTube discussing how many people play FIFA video games, but they know very little about the teams they are playing with. There is a disconnect and this adidas x Google project could be seen as a harbinger, but it isn’t.
In the last two years adidas has only drawn resale in a limited number of shoes (Yeezy primarily). The company has been performing well, but interest in the brand is low. adidas GMR is evidence that adidas is willing to try new things in a space they own. Most brands tend to stay with what is working to the detriment of the brand. adidas was doing this. They flooded the market with Yeezy and resale died, which is a good thing, but not quite. Yeezy is a cash cow and the line creates cool. adidas has been sorely in need of Yeezy’s boost as they figured out what to do with NMD. At one point NMD was becoming a standalone line like Yeezy. That subsided as adidas moved the price from 120 to 180 and then they released far too many colorways that strayed from the original concept. Last year adidas pulled back and began dropping solid versions of the NMD. The Tokyo and Berlin versions garnered considerable resale and sold well at retail. Other models didn’t perform as well, but as the Three Stripes moved into 2020 they delivered OG colors with amazing colorblocking and the result is a newfound interest in NMD. (I’ve sold several pairs of the model below at 150, but the price doesn’t hold. It’s not consistent, but it’s a good sign.)
What has excited me is my recent resale experience with adidas. GR colorways are going for above retail from retail. When adidas begins to trend positively, it begins with models that are general release going for 20 dollars above retail. It’s not consistent, but after last year with the Tokyo and Berlin models it’s a welcomed surprise to walk in a Foot Locker, check prices on several models, including adidas owned Reebok, and have a chance to buy and flip general release shoes. It’s also very telling that Jordan Brand at Foot Locker only moves to resale on one model, the Jordan 1. When adidas is making an effort in tech and with better product the entire sneaker industry improves.This is not a complete prediction, but if adidas can continue to roll out the very cool mashups of Superstars x OG adidas footwear (Rivalry Superstar, Americana Superstar, Stan Smith Superstar) and create a robust NMD line that resonates, while sales are going to be problematic because of COVID-19, retail might be a bit better this year.
This is a creative opinion post meant to drive engagement and discussion.