New Brands Challenge Nike, Adidas, Puma with Influencer Marketing

The global market for football products is currently valued at approximately €15 billion annually, with footwear accounting for nearly one-third of that total.

By 2034, that figure is projected to potentially double as new manufacturers attempt to challenge the long-standing dominance of Nike, Adidas, and Puma.

Establishing brand notoriety through influencers

New entrants to the football market are increasingly relying on high-profile athlete partnerships to gain immediate visibility in a saturated industry. “The fastest way to gain notoriety,” Ana Isabel Jiménez-Zarco, a professor of Economics and Business Studies at the Private University of Barcelona, told Diario AS.

This strategy, often categorized as influencer marketing, is not a new phenomenon; even in the mid-20th century, when advertising in football was restricted, players began wearing the three-striped boots that became synonymous with Adidas.

The historical evolution of market dominance

Adidas maintained a dominant position throughout the 1950s through material innovation and partnerships with major international tournaments. By the 1960s and 1970s, Puma emerged as a major competitor, securing partnerships with iconic players including Pelé, Eusebio, Diego Maradona, Mario Kempes, and Johan Cruyff.

The 1980s and 1990s introduced further competition as Italian firms like Kappa, Lotto, and Diadora, as well as Asia’s Mizuno and the British brand Umbro, gained market share.

Nike, having already disrupted the basketball market through its partnership with Michael Jordan, sought to replicate that success in football. Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, prioritized securing a deal with the Brazilian national team. The strategy involved both high-profile individual endorsements, such as the one signed with Ronaldo, and large-scale cultural campaigns that positioned the brand as a central figure in the sport ahead of the 1998 World Cup.

Modern strategies for new market entrants

While the established giants continue to adapt to changing consumer perceptions, newer firms are utilizing specific tactics to secure a foothold. Kipsta has partnered with Antoine Griezmann to emphasize high-quality products at accessible price points, while Skechers has positioned Harry Kane as the face of its football footwear line. Under Armour has also employed selective strategies, including partnerships with players such as Ferran Torres and Antonio Rüdiger.

The recent signing of Kylian Mbappé by the Swiss brand On changes the market. Following the announcement, search interest for the brand surged by 1,925% according to data from the retailer JD Sports, and the company’s stock price rose by 7% within 24 hours.

“Entering the world of football hand-in-hand with an athlete like Mbappé, for example, allows a brand that is practically unknown in an area to generate attention,” Jiménez-Zarco told Diario AS.

The challenge of long-term credibility

To move beyond initial visibility, companies are structuring agreements that involve athletes as shareholders and co-creators. Kylian Mbappé aspires to “build something completely new” through his partnership with On, in which he acts as both an investor and a co-creator, similar to the company’s agreement with Roger Federer. However, analysts warn that initial hype does not guarantee sustained market presence.

“The football category is one of the most expensive to enter, but credibility cannot simply be bought,” Randy Konik, a capital analyst at the firm Jefferies, told Reuters.

Jiménez-Zarco said that while social media can reach global audiences quickly, that interest can also dissipate just as rapidly if the product fails to meet consumer expectations for quality. Consequently, new entrants are emphasizing technological advancements, such as On’s LightSpray system, to demonstrate long-term viability.

Analysts question long-term profitability of sponsorship investments

The success of these investments remains an open question for industry analysts. David Swartz, an analyst at Morningstar, has questioned whether the scale of some recent sponsorship agreements will ultimately prove profitable relative to the capital invested. The long-term viability of these brands will depend on whether they can transition from the initial marketing “sprint” to a sustainable “marathon” of product performance and customer satisfaction.

The market for football products is expected to reach double its current value by 2034.