Nike’s hold on the world of track and field was tarnished by the mistreatment of women athletes by their track program and business. It’s a discussion that hasn’t been addressed since the story broke a few years ago. The dominance of the sport by the Swoosh still remains evident in youth track and field as Nike’s distribution overwhelms other brands. The vivid volt track bag is seen at events everywhere and the white carry bag for field events covers the rest of the spectrum. This year during the middle school track season my own daughter wore Nike although I felt conflicted about this because of my support of Allyson Felix and her brand Saysh, but the only brand to offer a high jump spike in any visible manner was Nike. I was able to sponsor two teams with the help of adidas and Sneaker Impact, but although my first thought is Puma when I think about track and field, because of Usain Bolt, I haven’t been able to sponsor her team or buy the gear for my daughter because the effort it takes to purchase the gear is greater than popping into my local Nike store and grabbing gear.
The signing of Elaine is major, but over the course of Usain Bolt’s supersonic track career, Puma never developed product that reached the U.S. in a considerable manner. In the international market Usain carried the brand, but the company never developed a signature product or campaign around Bolt. It was a misstep I think the company is attempting to offset with their actions leading up to the current World Athletic Championships. New Balance is even with Puma in endorsing women sprinters with Gabby Thomas (unfortunately had an injured hamstring heading into Trials) and Sydney McLaughlin. Nike still is able to celebrate high jump with Vashti Cunningham, sprint with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price and distance with the amazing Athing Mu, but none of the brands have truly taken the time to disrupt Nike’s control of the sport at the youth level.
Global sports brand PUMA has signed five-time Olympic champion and fastest woman alive Elaine Thompson-Herah. The 30-year-old Jamaican will further boost the company’s impressive roster of track and field athletes ahead of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA.
Global sports brand PUMA has signed 22-year-old US-American track and field athlete Abby Steiner. Her victory in the 200-meter final of the US Outdoor Championships in 21.77 seconds makes her the second fastest woman in the world over this distance this year. She will compete at this summer’s World Athletic Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA.
With the signing of Elaine and Abby, Puma has in their arsenal the fastest incoming sprinter and the two fastest women currently active, in the most popular Track & Field events. Shericka Jackson of Jamaica is also signed to Puma. It’s an interesting opportunity to connect consumers in a similar fashion as the NBA in the 80s. The historic battles of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird from college to the pros helped to save an entire basketball league. No one readily admits how the NBA intentionally pitted the two against each other, the hick from French Lick vs Magic, but the opportunity allowed for the NBA to regain its footing heading into an era which moved the NBA from tape delayed games to multi-million-dollar contracts and billion-dollar television deals today.
Finding a way to juxtapose the two Jamaican superstars, with the U.S. darling Abby Steiner could deliver Puma growth, but it won’t matter if the company doesn’t find a grassroots strategy to capitalize on Steiner’s popularity. It also won’t matter if mom and dads of track girls aren’t able to find the gear quickly. So, the question is how and where does Puma increase distribution and storytelling to draw a line to the consumer? Could the problem of distribution be why there was never really a major campaign around Usain Bolt? These questions don’t matter in this moment. What does matter is Puma took Elaine (who has shown up in marketing materials for Nike) and Abby (who ran for Nike Sponsored University of Kentucky) away from the Swoosh heading into the most important event in track and field outside of the Olympics, in Nike’s backyard.