ASICS, a global active-lifestyle brand renowned for its footwear and apparel, has been dedicatedly working on its marketing strategy for the year 2024. This case study delves into the intricacies of ASICS’ marketing approach, exploring their digital campaigns, branding efforts, and engagement tactics.
Key Takeaways:
- ASICS sales are primarily generated overseas, with approximately 70% of sales coming from outside its home market.
- Centralizing digital assets was a crucial step in ASICS’ marketing plan, ensuring easier access to promotional material and product images.
- ASICS utilizes Adobe Experience Manager Assets for efficient management of digital assets globally.
- The integration of Adobe Experience Manager Assets with internal systems at ASICS has streamlined workflows and improved collaboration.
- ASICS’ Move Her Mind campaign empowers women in sports, highlighting their challenges and motivating them to overcome hurdles in exercise.
ASICS has made significant strides in enhancing its online brand consistency through the implementation of a new digital asset management system. This system efficiently manages images and videos to ensure a consistent visual identity across multiple platforms.
The Move Her Mind campaign by ASICS aims to promote exercise as a form of self-care, emphasizing small, enjoyable activities such as running and yoga. It also shares inspiring success stories to build a supportive community and motivate others to embark on their fitness journeys.
To optimize digital asset management, ASICS has been consolidating operations over the past four years. Their plan includes integrating Adobe Experience Manager Assets with internal systems and expanding to other channels like social media in the future to amplify their reach.
Asics, founded in 1949 by Kihachiro Onitsuka, primarily targets athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and professionals across various sports. In the face of competition from brands like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour, ASICS aims to broaden its market reach by appealing to younger consumers and those outside its traditional athletic base.
As part of its rebranding strategy, ASICS introduced a new logo, updated color palette featuring vibrant and dynamic colors, and a fresh brand messaging approach. Their taglines are inclusive and empowering, aimed at supporting athletes at all levels. ASICS communicates its commitment to authenticity, transparency, health, wellness, performance, innovation, sustainability, and corporate responsibility.
ASICS effectively leverages social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to engage with its target audience. The company also revamped its website to enhance user experience and introduced high-impact multimedia campaigns to introduce its rebranded identity, focusing on storytelling and emotional appeal.
In conclusion, ASICS’ comprehensive marketing strategy for 2024 showcases its commitment to empowering athletes, fostering community, and delivering quality products. By leveraging digital assets, engaging social media marketing, and embracing a customer-centric approach, ASICS continues to solidify its position as a leading global brand in the active-lifestyle industry.
Building a Strong Online Presence
ASICS understands the significance of establishing a formidable online presence in today’s digital landscape. To achieve this, the company has implemented robust strategies that focus on digital marketing and brand promotion.
By investing in digital marketing techniques, ASICS has been able to effectively reach its target audience and engage with them on various online platforms. The company has developed a user-friendly website that offers informative and engaging content, allowing visitors to explore ASICS’ product offerings and brand story. With search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, ASICS ensures that its online store is easily discoverable, increasing its visibility and attracting potential customers.
Furthermore, ASICS leverages social media platforms to connect directly with its audience and foster meaningful relationships. Through compelling content and interactive campaigns, the company is able to create a sense of community and inspire its followers to embrace an active lifestyle. By consistently engaging with customers on social media, ASICS strengthens its online presence and builds brand loyalty.
ASICS’ commitment to digital marketing for brand promotion is evident in its collaborations with influential athletes and fitness enthusiasts. By partnering with these individuals, ASICS broadens its reach and establishes itself as a leader in the sports industry. These collaborations not only enhance brand visibility but also associate ASICS with high-performance and excellence.
In addition to external efforts, ASICS focuses on internal teams that drive its online presence forward. The ASICS UX team dedicates itself to creating products and experiences that are intuitive, enjoyable, and accessible to consumers. ASICS’ Global Marketing team develops global campaigns that connect the brand with its target audience, conveying compelling brand and product stories.
With its data-driven approach, ASICS’ Insights & Analytics team consolidates, reports, and analyzes data from various digital sources. This ensures that marketing efforts are continuously optimized to meet customer demands and expectations.
To support the smooth operation of its online presence, ASICS has dedicated teams such as IT Helpdesk, Omnichannel & Operations, and Finance. These teams provide technical support, manage e-commerce operations, and ensure financial accuracy, respectively.
ASICS’ focus on building a strong online presence has yielded significant results. Before implementing its new digital strategy, the company generated only a small percentage of revenue through e-commerce. However, by leveraging innovative technologies such as MuleSoft, ASICS was able to streamline and accelerate its e-commerce platform development, delivering a seamless and consistent customer experience.
In the next section, we will explore how ASICS leverages social media marketing to further enhance its brand presence and engage with its target audience.
Leveraging Social Media Marketing
ASICS has recognized the immense potential of social media marketing in promoting their brand and connecting with their target audience. Leveraging popular platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, ASICS has successfully integrated digital marketing strategies to enhance brand visibility, engage with customers, and drive online sales.
Through their social media channels, ASICS shares compelling content that resonates with their target market. They showcase their latest product offerings, highlight the unique features and benefits, and provide valuable information to educate and inspire their audience. By effectively utilizing hashtags such as #kaisafitxasics and #tbbmademedoit, ASICS has successfully tapped into trending topics and expanded their reach to new audiences.
In collaboration with influencers and athletes, ASICS has been able to amplify their brand messaging and extend their social media reach. These partnerships have not only increased social mentions related to the ASICS campaign but have also attracted a wider audience to visit the ASICS website. In fact, influencers have driven 130 total sessions to the ASICS site, bringing valuable traffic and potential customers.
ASICS’s social media marketing efforts have yielded impressive results. With 54.4k overall earned engagements and 225 social mentions, ASICS has successfully created a buzz around their brand and encouraged active participation from their followers. The impressive number of impressions, amounting to 413,822, showcases the widespread visibility ASICS has achieved through their social media campaigns.
Moreover, ASICS has seen significant success in specific demographics. The age breakdown of site visitors reveals a strong presence among the 25-34 age group (61%), followed by the 34-44 age group (25%) and the 18-24 age group (15%). In terms of gender demographic, ASICS attracts a predominantly male audience, with males making up 82% of site visitors.
The success of ASICS’s social media marketing campaigns is evident not only in engagement and reach but also in financial growth. They reported a substantial year-over-year revenue growth increase of 72% after successfully launching on Amazon. In addition, their digital marketing efforts resulted in a remarkable return on ad spend (ROAS), surpassing the original goal and driving revenue 41% higher compared to the previous year.
ASICS’s dedication to leveraging social media marketing has proven to be instrumental in their business success. By effectively engaging their target audience, enhancing brand visibility, and driving sales, ASICS has established itself as a leader in digital marketing for ASICS and earned a reputation for effective brand promotion in the competitive sports apparel industry.
Creating Compelling Content
ASICS understands the power of content marketing in capturing the attention of their target audience. They create compelling content that resonates with their customers, including articles, videos, and interactive experiences. By providing valuable and relevant content, ASICS aims to build a deeper connection with their audience and establish themselves as a trusted authority in the industry.
One example of ASICS’ brand promotion through compelling content is their digital marketing campaign called #IMoveLondon. This campaign is part of the I MOVE ME initiative, which aims to encourage Londoners to trade the misery of the daily commute for the benefits of moving more. ASICS has designed a fully integrated consumer communications campaign that includes research, consumer communications, event and athlete sponsorships, media partnerships, influencer engagement, social media, digital content, paid media, CRM, campaign website, and experiential activations.
#IMoveLondon Campaign
The #IMoveLondon campaign, running from July 19th to August 13th, not only promotes ASICS’ products but also inspires individuals to live active and healthy lifestyles. Through compelling content such as videos showcasing inspiring stories of Londoners who have transformed their lives through exercise, ASICS aims to motivate and engage their target audience.
ASICS recognizes the importance of delivering content that goes beyond traditional brand campaigns. The company’s focus is on empowering individuals to make positive changes and embrace exercise as a way to improve their well-being. By addressing the everyday challenges people face and providing solutions through their content, ASICS brings value to their customers and strengthens their brand presence.
ASICS’ dedication to creating compelling content extends beyond their digital marketing campaigns. Their brand messaging, “I MOVE ME,” reflects the correlation between a sound mind and a sound body, a philosophy the company has upheld for the past 70 years. ASICS believes that by inspiring individuals to move, they can make a positive impact not just on their athletic performance, but also on their overall well-being.
ASICS’ commitment to producing high-quality content and engaging their audience is evident in their global brand message and identity refresh. In partnership with Bruce Mau Design, ASICS has developed a new brand identity that represents the most significant brand refresh in over 25 years. This rebranding effort highlights the company’s dedication to innovation and evolution while staying true to their core values.
With their compelling content and strategic marketing campaigns, ASICS continues to promote their brand and inspire individuals worldwide to embrace an active and healthy lifestyle.
Emphasizing Quality and Performance
Quality and performance are at the core of ASICS marketing tactics, advertising strategy, and brand promotion. Established in 1977 with roots dating back to 1949, ASICS has built a strong reputation by focusing on creating a quality lifestyle through intelligent sport technology.
ASICS takes pride in its commitment to innovation and has patented many of its inventions in Japan and other countries. In 1985, the company established the ASICS Institute of Sport Science in Kobe, Japan, to drive advancements in sports technology and research.
One of ASICS’ notable achievements is the development of its GEL™ technology, which revolutionized the athletic footwear industry when it was launched in 1986. This technology provides superior cushioning and shock absorption, enhancing the performance and comfort of athletes.
Continuing its pursuit of innovation, ASICS introduced FLYTEFOAM™ technology, which offers an improved cushioning experience and lightweight support. This advancement further solidified ASICS’ position as a leader in sports performance products.
The GEL-QUANTUM INFINITY™ model, featuring a full-length GEL™ technology-infused midsole, exemplifies ASICS’ commitment to quality and performance. This shoe provides maximum cushioning and responsiveness, enhancing an athlete’s performance and comfort during high-impact activities.
In February 2019, ASICS launched the METARIDE™ model, which incorporates GUIDESOLE™ technology. This innovative design improves running efficiency by reducing lower leg movement and enhancing stability, ultimately helping athletes achieve their best performance.
ASICS’ dedication to quality and performance has been recognized through national awards, such as the Good Design Award in Japan. These accolades validate ASICS’ commitment to delivering cutting-edge products that meet the needs of athletes and sports enthusiasts.
Combatting Counterfeit Products
ASICS actively tackles the issue of counterfeit products, which can compromise brand reputation and revenue. The company has identified three categories of counterfeit goods and has devised strategic responses to each.
ASICS employs various strategies, including collaborating with local agents and attorneys, to combat brand hijacking. By actively monitoring the market and taking legal actions against counterfeiters, ASICS ensures that consumers can trust the authenticity of their products.
Expanding Market Presence
ASICS primarily targets individuals aged 20 to 50 who engage in health-conscious activities, including serious athletes and casual fitness enthusiasts. To further expand its global presence, ASICS has identified emerging markets such as South Korea, India, Argentina, and Taiwan as significant growth opportunities.
Additionally, ASICS has established partnerships with international athletes and teams, including Australia’s national cricket team and South Africa’s national team. These collaborations not only help ASICS enhance its brand image but also provide valuable insights into athletes’ needs and preferences.
Staying Competitive in a Dynamic Market
ASICS faces fierce competition from major players like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour in the sportswear and footwear market. To stay ahead, ASICS must address changing consumer preferences, especially in the athleisure wear and lifestyle-oriented athletic apparel segments.
By emphasizing quality and performance and continuously innovating its products, ASICS strives to meet the evolving demands of its target audience. Additionally, the company leverages data-driven decision-making and collaborates with creative partners to ensure its marketing strategies align with consumer trends.
ASICS’ commitment to delivering high-quality products that enhance athletic performance has fueled its success over the years. Through ongoing innovation, strategic partnerships, and a vigilant approach to combatting counterfeits, ASICS continues to solidify its position as a leader in the sports performance industry.
Partnering with Influencers and Athletes
ASICS understands the power of collaborations when it comes to brand promotion and marketing campaigns. By partnering with influencers and athletes, ASICS is able to connect with their target audience and create a strong impact in the digital marketing space.
One notable partnership by ASICS was with professional athletes and fitness enthusiasts during their Eternal Run campaign. This campaign generated over one billion impressions and showcased the benefits of the GlideRide shoe, resulting in a 24% increase in participants’ expected performance. The success of the campaign can be attributed to the use of influencers and athletes who amplified the brand message and generated a ripple effect in the running community.
ASICS’ strategic approach to partnership marketing extends beyond traditional advertising methods. Rather than relying on paid campaigns, ASICS focuses on leveraging the voice of their partners to create organic buzz within the running community and peer-to-peer distribution. This approach has proven to be highly effective, as the social media coverage of the Eternal Run campaign was estimated to be worth four times the exposure of a paid campaign.
Moreover, ASICS’ partnership strategy extends to sponsoring athletes in major competitions like grand slams and the Tokyo Games. By aligning themselves with these high-profile events and athletes, ASICS not only enhances brand visibility but also reinforces their commitment to excellence and performance.
ASICS’ collaborations are not limited to athletes alone but also extend to influencers in the fitness and fashion space. These partnerships enable ASICS to tap into new markets and attract fashion-conscious consumers. By aligning themselves with influential figures, ASICS is able to reach a broader audience and strengthen their brand presence in regions where they may have limited market share.
Episode 46 of the Influencer Marketing Lab podcast features Abha Gallewale, global social strategy manager at ASICS.
In this episode, Abha Gallewale shares insights on how ASICS has enabled commerce via social media and overhauled its influencer strategy. She discusses her experience leading ASICS’ global social strategy for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and highlights the importance of tailoring communications globally while adapting to regional nuances.
Abha Gallewale’s expertise in social operations and content strategy across ASICS’ major categories of Performance Running, Sportstyle, and Tennis has been instrumental in driving the brand’s success. With previous roles at renowned agencies like Weber Shandwick and Digitas, she brings a wealth of experience in handling clients such as Bank of America and Harley-Davidson.
ASICS is not just a brand focused on physical exercise, but also one that promotes mental health awareness. ASICS adopts the Latin phrase anima sana in corpore sano as its acronym, meaning “a sound mind is a sound body.” This reflects the brand’s commitment to supporting mental health alongside physical fitness. ASICS organizes events like the Blue Gene mile in the USA during Mental Health Awareness Month to raise awareness and encourage conversations around mental well-being.
ASICS’ collaboration with influencers and athletes allows them to reach their target audience effectively while maintaining their focus on quality products and innovation. By developing strong partnerships, ASICS ensures that their brand remains at the forefront of the sports and fashion industry. This approach, combined with their segment-focused marketing and data-driven decision-making, positions ASICS as a leading brand in the market.
Personalization and Customization
ASICS understands that personalization and customization are key components of successful digital marketing strategies. By tailoring their messages and experiences to individual customers, ASICS effectively promotes their brand and drives engagement. Statistics show that 75% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that personalizes their messages. To capitalize on this trend, ASICS implements various tactics to deliver personalized experiences to their audience.
Real-Time Marketing Automation
ASICS leverages real-time marketing automation to send personalized email follow-ups based on customers’ purchasing activity. This tactic allows ASICS to dynamically respond to customer behavior and provide tailored recommendations. By acknowledging their customers’ preferences and needs, ASICS creates a customized journey that encourages repeat purchases and fosters brand loyalty.
Segmented Email Campaigns
Flight Centre, a leading travel agency, segments its email lists based on past purchases, preferences, interests, location, and engagement. This segmentation allows them to target specific customer groups with tailored campaigns, increasing the likelihood of conversion. ASICS adopts a similar approach, segmenting their audience based on factors like sports preferences, training goals, and purchase history. By delivering relevant content and product recommendations, ASICS enhances the customer experience and drives sales.
Clear Call-to-Action Buttons
OpenTable, a popular restaurant reservation platform, utilizes clear call-to-action (CTA) buttons in their emails to improve click-through rates and customer engagement. ASICS follows a similar strategy by incorporating prominent CTAs in their email campaigns. These buttons direct customers to specific landing pages or product pages, making it easier for customers to take desired actions. By removing friction from the customer journey, ASICS maximizes conversions and ultimately drives revenue.
Personalized Music Collections
Spotify, the music streaming giant, creates personalized time capsule music collections based on subscribers’ musical preferences. This tactic appeals to nostalgia and emotional connections, providing a unique and highly personalized experience. ASICS could take a similar approach by curating customized playlists or workout soundtracks that align with their customers’ athletic interests and training goals. This personalized touch enhances the overall brand experience and fosters a deeper connection with the audience.
With these personalization and customization tactics, ASICS strengthens their brand promotion, amplifies their marketing tactics, and advances their digital marketing strategies. By delivering tailored experiences, ASICS nurtures customer loyalty, drives conversions, and ultimately achieves a competitive edge in the sports apparel industry.
Data-Driven Decision Making
ASICS understands the power of data in driving their marketing tactics and advertising strategy. By harnessing the wealth of customer insights, market trends, and campaign performance data, ASICS can make informed decisions that resonate with their target audience. Through data-driven decision making, ASICS ensures that their marketing efforts are effective and impactful.
One of the key partnerships that ASICS has leveraged to enhance their customer-centric product experiences is with Crobox. Since 2017, ASICS has collaborated with Crobox to create data-driven customer profiles. This partnership has allowed ASICS to understand their customers better, enabling them to tailor their marketing tactics specifically to their target audience.
Personalization Through Behavioral Messages
ASICS tests different behavioral messages as badges on their website to gauge their impact on customer conversion rates. Astonishingly, the top-performing message across all active countries (the UK, France, and Germany) was “Award Winner.” This data-driven approach allows ASICS to highlight the qualities that resonate most with their customers and tailor their advertising strategy accordingly.
Furthermore, ASICS has discovered that different attributes appeal to different markets. For instance, German shoppers respond best to the “Waterproof” attribute, leading to a conversion rate uplift of 66.62%. In France, “High Comfort” is preferred, resulting in a 36.18% uplift, while British shoppers favor the shoes’ “Lightweight” qualities, with a 61% uplift.
Optimizing Product Badges
ASICS utilizes product badges such as “Award Winner,” “We Recommend,” and “Bestseller” to drive conversion rates for their best-selling product, the GEL-KAYANO. These badges have proven to have a high conversion rate uplift, ensuring that customers are more likely to engage with and purchase the product.
Impact of Shoe Finder Quiz
The implementation of the Shoe Finder quiz wizard has been instrumental in driving conversion rates and average order values for ASICS. This data-driven feature has resulted in a remarkable 53.80% conversion rate uplift and 1.61% average order value uplift overall. Female customers interested in running further, neutral stability, and regular comfort achieved the highest conversion rate of 4.10% through the Shoe Finder, while a segment of male customers seeking stability, maximum comfort, and running further achieved a conversion rate of 3.23%.
Based on the data-driven customer profiles generated through the Shoe Finder quiz results, ASICS can provide appropriate product recommendations and lifestyle content. This level of personalization enhances the overall customer experience and increases the likelihood of conversion.
Expanding and Enhancing Customer Intelligence
ASICS recognizes the importance of continuous improvement and evolution. Their planned next steps involve expanding their data experiments into European markets, allowing them to further enhance customer intelligence. By uncovering new insights and trends, ASICS can continuously refine their marketing strategies and deliver personalized omnichannel experiences to their customers.
| Data Insights | Conversion Rate Uplift |
|---|---|
| German shoppers responding to “Waterproof” | 66.62% |
| French shoppers preferring “High Comfort” | 36.18% |
| British shoppers favoring “Lightweight” | 61% |
| Overall conversion rate uplift from Shoe Finder quiz | 53.80% |
| Highest conversion rate through Shoe Finder for females interested in running further, neutral stability, and regular comfort | 4.10% |
| Highest conversion rate through Shoe Finder for males seeking stability, maximum comfort, and running further | 3.23% |
Collaborating with Creative Partners
ASICS understands the importance of effective marketing tactics and advertising strategy in the digital age. To enhance their brand presence and create engaging campaigns, ASICS collaborates with creative partners who bring a fresh perspective and expertise to the table.
These collaborations enable ASICS to develop captivating content that resonates with their target audience and drives brand awareness. By partnering with agencies and production companies, ASICS ensures that their advertising materials are visually appealing, emotionally compelling, and aligned with their brand identity.
One notable example of ASICS’ collaboration with a creative partner is their partnership with Kiko Kostadinov, a renowned designer. Kostadinov and his team have contributed multiple unique silhouettes across ASICS’ menswear and womenswear lines, pushing the boundaries of traditional sneaker aesthetics.
The first model resulting from the collaboration, the UB1-S Gel-Kayano 14, was extremely well-received by both sneaker enthusiasts and fashion critics. The partnership with Kostadinov goes beyond a traditional designer-brand collaboration, as it explores modern sneaker design and combines components from different ASICS shoes to create truly innovative and distinct silhouettes.
ASICS’ decision to collaborate with creative partners like Kiko Kostadinov reflects their commitment to staying at the forefront of digital marketing trends and continuously pushing the boundaries of their advertising efforts. By leveraging the expertise and unique vision of creative partners, ASICS is able to captivate their audience and enhance brand engagement.
These collaborations not only benefit ASICS but also contribute to the creative industry by allowing outside designers like Kostadinov to showcase their talent and make their mark in the sneaker design world. It’s a win-win situation that fosters innovation and elevates ASICS’ advertising strategy.
Measuring and Evaluating Success
To ensure the effectiveness of their ASICS marketing tactics and advertising strategy, ASICS understands the importance of measuring and evaluating their digital marketing efforts. By analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) and customer engagement metrics, ASICS can make data-driven decisions to optimize their marketing campaigns and drive results.
ASICS tracks a range of KPIs, including conversion rates, return on ad spend (ROAS), customer acquisition costs, and customer lifetime value (CLV). These metrics provide valuable insights into the success of their marketing initiatives, allowing them to identify areas for improvement and allocate resources strategically.
In addition to quantitative metrics, ASICS also considers qualitative data such as customer feedback and market research. They actively listen to their customers to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points, which helps them enhance their products and services to better serve their target audience.
Geo-Testing for Incrementality Measurement
ASICS has embraced geo-testing as a method for incrementality measurement, comparing entire markets as control and testing groups. This enables them to evaluate the impact of their marketing efforts in specific geographical regions, ensuring accurate results through audience suppression.
Geo-based incrementality testing allows ASICS to measure various digital marketing channels‘ effectiveness, such as their campaigns on Google and Meta. By understanding the incremental customer acquisitions generated by different online channels, ASICS can allocate resources based on performance, optimize their advertising strategy, and maximize return on investment (ROI).
Challenges and Considerations
Implementing incrementality experiments like geo-testing can be time-consuming. ASICS acknowledges the indirect costs associated with audience suppression and experimentation, requiring careful consideration of resource allocation.
Furthermore, evolving privacy regulations and data protection policies have added complexities to the job of performance marketers. ASICS proactively navigates these challenges to ensure compliance while effectively measuring and evaluating the success of their digital marketing initiatives.
| Key Metrics | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Conversion Rates | Provides insights into the effectiveness of ASICS marketing tactics and advertising strategy. |
| Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) | Measures the efficiency of advertising expenditures and guides resource allocation. |
| Customer Acquisition Costs | Helps optimize marketing spend by evaluating the cost-effectiveness of customer acquisition. |
| Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) | Assesses the long-term value generated by customers and aids in customer retention strategies. |
Measuring and evaluating success is critical for ASICS in refining their marketing approach and achieving their business objectives. By leveraging data-driven insights, ASICS can continue to enhance their digital marketing strategies, connect with their target audience, and remain at the forefront of the competitive fitness industry.
Conclusion
ASICS, with over 60 years of footwear experience, has successfully implemented a comprehensive marketing strategy to promote their brand and engage with their target audience. Through digital marketing initiatives, social media engagement, compelling content creation, and strategic partnerships, ASICS has solidified its position as the number one brand in the world for nineteen years.
ASICS’ commitment to quality, performance, personalization, and data-driven decision making has enabled them to connect with their customers on a deeper level. By emphasizing sustainability, collaborating with elite athletes, and sponsoring major sporting events, ASICS has further expanded its reach and increased brand awareness in over 160 countries.
With a well-rounded approach to marketing, ASICS showcases their dedication to authenticity, innovation, and community building. By revamping their website, implementing a strong social media presence, and launching impactful multimedia campaigns, ASICS continues to evolve and grow as a leader in the sports industry.
