Here’s How Adidas is Leveraging User Generated Content to Show Nothing’s Impossible
With so many digital channels available to marketing these days it can be easy to become overwhelmed and not know where to best focus your organisational attention.
However, digital touchpoints – especially those provided by the world’s biggest social media platforms – also provide a unique method marketers can deploy to drive engagement and produce unique organic content for their promotional campaigns. User generated content is genuine, organic, and plentiful and can help marketers promote their organisations in a manner which is engaging, genuine, and helps to build trust and loyalty.
Many brands the world over have been augmenting their marketing strategies with user generated content with sporting brand Adidas being one of the latest to throw its proverbial hat into the ring.
Adidas
As the largest designer and manufacturer of sportswear in Europe, German multinational brand, Adidas understands all too well the need to engage with its active audience to promote its ranges of shoes, clothing, and accessories.
If there is one thing athletic people can be counted on for, it’s their desire to perform and compete and show off their skills and/or fitness levels. It is this desire Adidas has sought to tap into with a billboard campaign leveraging the power of user generated content it has dubbed – I’m Possible.
A twist on the word impossible, the I’m Possible campaign saw Adidas take over the out of home advertising space in luxury destination, Dubai in line with the brand’s recent launch of the next chapter of its feminism focussed Impossible is Nothing journey.
“Impossible Is Nothing is our brand attitude – the essence of who we are and what we stand for,” said Senior Director of Brand for Adidas MENA, Vicki Fitzsimons. “Driven by our spirit of rebellious optimism, this season, we focus this attitude so all women can make their impossible possible in sport and beyond. Our belief is that all women should be celebrated and their stories to be spotlighted and shared. We are increasingly seeing more women take up sport across the MENA region. It is our promise to tell their stories and open our platforms to them. We know how powerful role models are to encourage and inspire other females regionally, and globally.”
Source: communicateonline.me
User Generated Content
The campaign has seen Adidas position two LED powered billboards in the city of Dubai and celebrates all women of the United Arab Emirates who are creating new possibilities in sport, by giving them the chance to feature on these prominent locations and celebrate their stories.
Women across the city were invited to take to Instagram and post pictures of themselves working out or participating in sport with two bespoke hashtags – #ImpossibleIsNothing and #adidasDXB. The two billboards would then cycle through the submitted user generated content and display the images, together with the participants’ Instagram usernames.
As you can see, all Adidas’ marketing teams had to do was procure the billboard space and set up the hashtag interactions to make this campaign happen. The resources and time saved through user generated content speaks for itself.
As already mentioned, I’m Possible is part of a larger campaign, designed to promote women in sport and give them a voice in a continually male dominated arena. For example, Adidas is also launching grassroots programs which are designed to nurture women and girls in sports
Among these efforts is the Breaking Barriers Academy – a five-year program which supports 15 non-profits and trains 100 community champions in Europe. Other initiatives which are working to promote gender and racial equity include The BBA, the Black Women’s Player Collective, Common Goal, and the Adidas Legacy Program.
“As Adidas looks to 2022, and as part of the next chapter of Impossible is Nothing, the brand is focused on making its biggest ever commitment to women in sport, and beyond,” said the company in a press release. “This season, Adidas aims to accelerate its mission to create real, lasting change for women, delivered through major new product innovations, enhanced support for established and emerging athletes, and new grassroots programs.”
Final Thoughts
According to HubSpot, an estimated 90% of consumers say user generated content holds more influence over their buying decisions than promotional emails and even search engine results.
With thousands upon thousands of people around the world sharing countless images, videos, and text posts online every single day, there exists a rich vein of marketing materials which is ripe for the taking.
By leveraging the power of user generated content, marketers can achieve impressive engagement and penetration with the absolute minimum of effort or expenditure.
You can hear Adidas Director of Global Marketing Procurement, Rachel Wentzel speak at ProcureCon Marketing EU 2022, being held in June at County Hall, London. Download the agenda today for more information and insights.