CASE STUDY: Puma sells record volumes of winter products

Aim

In the winter of 2009, Puma launched its first regionally-produced campaign for Asia. It was shot in Asia, used Asian celebrities and had a strategy tailored to the Asian market. The focus of the campaign was the Puma winter collection in China, Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. The objective was to sell unprecedented volumes of products, such as the goose-down jacket, footwear and apparel.

Execution

Working with the regional hub offices of its partner agencies, ZenithOptimedia and David Advertising, Puma wanted to invite consumers to a celebration of colour and energy in a season traditionally associated with restraint and grey and black. The 'Joyful Winter' campaign was fronted by two Asian celebrities; Hong Kong model and actress Gaile Lai, and Korean film star Eddie Peng. The campaign saw a continuation of Puma's significant investment in digital, OOH and buzz marketing, with an emphasis on consumer engagement via quirky and amusing games and innovations. An OOH street domination in Shanghai, interactive buzz shelters in Hong Kong, a range of mobile and Facebook games, and integration of local celebrities and singers were all designed to enhance the relevance and desirability of the brand among Asian youth.

Results

The campaign was Puma's most successful in the region, producing the highest ever sell-through of the key featured products and generating massive PR coverage. Across the region, the sell-through rate of key products in Puma stores was 85 per cent over the campaign's two-month duration; sales of products such as the goose-down jacket increased by 73 per cent year-on-year in the important winter market of Korea; and in China, sales increased by 250 per cent as a result of the campaign. Primary products in the brand's flagship Chinese stores were sold out within weeks of the promotion's launch.

This article was originally published as part of the 2010 Top 1000 Brands report.