The perfect stage
to showcase
our products

“Which brand will dominate the EURO?”, German sport magazine kicker asked recently.

It was talking about the number of teams a sports brand equips and the visibility of its logo on the pitch that comes along with it. With Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic – and their promising national teams with the PUMA Cat on their chests – all of our European PUMA teams will contribute to a strong brand presence in this year’s competition alongside our sponsored players in the PUMA boots.

Especially big football events have developed into invaluable assets, as they are the perfect stage to showcase our companies’ products. “The product development nowadays just circles around the EURO and the World Cup. Therefore, an event like the EURO is extremely important for PUMA, because we always launch our innovations on the back of these events”, Johan Adamsson, our Director of Sports Marketing & Sports Licensing said. “The reason for this is to increase our credibility with these super athletes wearing our products on the pitch or on the track.“

Sponsoring partnerships have become more and more important and their significance is reflected in the ever increasing contractual costs. Consequently, brands have to choose their partners wisely. Various aspects come into play, when a decision has to be made whether to engage in new or extend already existing partnerships. “On one side, we’re looking at the teams’ chances to qualify for a major championship. In regards to Switzerland, for example, the national team has a pretty good track record in comparison to the size of the country”, Johan explains. But the size of the respective market also plays an important role as well as the PUMA setup in these countries. “You also have to look at it from a commercial point of view”, says Johan.

While the Austrians, for example, are all about the EURO this year, after they have rarely ever qualified for a big event, a good partnership doesn’t solely rely on a team’s success either. “A team that plays attractive football will gain in popularity, too. How certain players behave on the pitch and how a team performs has clearly an effect on how the team and the country is perceived by the general public. That’s why we will be happy, if our teams and assets stand out in the EURO in whatever positive way”, Johan adds.