Competitors

New Balance has many competitors in the lifestyle area of the market that they are looking to raise their profile in. Unfortunately for New Balance a lot of their competitors have very strong advertising campaigns that they will have to try to outdo. Nike, Adidas, Reebok and Puma all have powerful advertising and especially Puma have really managed to gain a unique position in this market through their After Hours Athlete Campaign. It links to their roots as a sports brand yet reaches out to those who aren't keen athletes by mocking sports to some extent.

Adidas's campaigns for their lifestyle range Adidas Originals also focus on socialising but more specifically on house and street parties. Their adverts are celebrity filled and depict crowds of people enjoying themselves at late night parties in their Adidas Originals. The fact that they are either house or street parties makes it more intimate and the consumer feels like they would fit in amongst the famous faces if they were wearing Adidas Originals. The campaigns also celebrate originality which makes it feel like there is the right pair of trainers available from the brand for every individual. The adverts appeal to young people because they feature the kinds of things they find fun and the parties are a world away from sports so if that's not what you're into, the brand still has a lot of appeal.

Reebok have also used celebrities to advertise their lifestyle trainers under the campaign 'I Am What I Am' which aimed to use contemporary heroes to encourage young people to celebrate their individuality. It sounds similar to the ideas behind the Adidas campaign but it is more aspirational and celebrates the stars as icons rather than making them more human and easy to relate to which is what the Adidas campaign does.

Posted by Hannah Wills.