Adidas’ CEO is failing his brand with his exclusively digital mindset
Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted, despite his marketing background, seems to have forgotten the concept of media neutrality in his misguided quest to go digital-only.
By Mark Ritson
Marketers complain, bitterly, about getting the ear of the CEO and achieving representation in the boardroom. But when a marketer does finally get to be the boss of one of Europe’s biggest brands he almost immediately starts talking bollocks.
I’m referring to Kasper Rorsted, the relatively new CEO at Adidas. Rorsted started his stellar career as a marketer at software company Oracle, so one might have hoped this formative experience might have resulted, two decades later, in a leader with a knowledge and appreciation for marketing.
But it was immediately apparent from his interview last week on American TV that this was not the case. Asked about his approach to technology, Rorsted could not wait to outline it.
“It’s clear that the younger consumer engages with us predominately over the mobile device,” Rorsted told CNBC. “Digital engagement is key for us; you don’t see any TV advertising anymore. All of our engagement with the consumer is through digital media and we believe in the next three years we can take our online business from approximately €1bn to €4bn and create a much more direct engagement with consumers.”
