The photo was posted by former Hamburger SV soccer player Valon Behrami from the Swiss national team’s training camp. Even worse: He even wrote: “Nike team”. When actually the opposite is true: The Swiss team is supplied by Puma; the players are only allowed to choose their shoes.
In addition to the teams, players also sign personal supplier contracts and try to position themselves as well as possible. The eleven Swiss players, who posed with the Nike shoes, have a contract with the US company, while the Swiss Football Association has a contract with Puma.
Nike readily outwits the competition
For Nike the post is yet another success in guerrilla marketing. The most prominent example was certainly the Mario Götze’s official presentation at FC Bayern Munich when the player wore a T-shirt with large Nike logo. Bayern Munich are sponsored by Adidas; the sportswear manufacturer even holds shares in the record champions club.
A pair of trousers caused a similar stir, when Bayern defender Jérôme Boateng wore a pair of Nike trousers to the opening of the fan shop. Quite ironic, in a fan shop where all merchandise bears the Adidas logo.
Puma CEO Gulden recently said in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung that he is indifferent towards the competition. With such lapses he no longer finds it so easy to succeed. But in the end Puma was also successful in real coups, winning contracts with Rihanna and Kylie Jenner for new fashion labels.
