How Adidas Caught Up to Nike

It’s 2014 and Adidas is struggling. The once-dominant sportswear company is now lost and directionless suffering through declining revenue and profits three years in a row. Outside of football, consumers don’t care for the brand, retailers are giving their most valuable shelf space to Nike, new products are flopping, and activists are threatening a hostile takeover if the CEO is not replaced within the year.

In this episode, we’ll cover Adidas, the fatal mistakes that its former CEO made which toppled the German brand to a distant third behind Nike and UnderArmour, sparked an investor battle, and ultimately cost him his job. We’ll also cover the winning strategy that revolutionized Adidas and the new CEO’s moves which have since taken the company to new heights.

💬 Join the Modern MBA community -   / modernmba  

☕️ Support Modern MBA on Patreon and unlock bonuses like additional content, exclusive essays, and regular Q&A:   / modernmba  

🎧 Audio Editing & Mixing: Sonalf

0:00 Impossible is Nothing
6:47 A Global Multi-Brand Portfolio
9:37 Ascent Before Misfortune
12:32 Fabled German Efficiency
16:07 Another Doomed Five Year Strategy
22:47 The Beginning of the End
26:55 Hainer's Redemption Arc
35:49 The CEO Who Was Promised