As Adidas is full attack mode in the baseball market from little league to professional, the Minneapolis Grays were blessed with the opportunity to be apart of that partnership.
By 2017, Adidas hopes to have 250 baseball players under contract, a huge increase in the league where the company now counts just three dozen stars on its current roster. Adidas plans to tout its growing roster of athletes and schools with a dramatic increase in advertising. Globally, the brand has been spending more of its income on marketing in recent years focusing on grass roots all the way to big superstars like Chicago Cubs stud Kris Bryant.
“It’s a phenomenal time to be partnered with Adidas with all the energy and momentum that the brand has right now,” Bryant said in a statement. “Adidas embraced me as part of the family from the start. It’s been a great collaboration, and we share a vision for creating the future.”
Not only is Adidas partnering with Kris Bryant but also one of the other hottest stars in baseball with Carlos Correa. Adidas also sponsors the top college baseball programs of Miami, UCLA, Texas A&M, Louisville, Mississippi State, NC State, Nebraska and Arizona State. Adidas recaptured the No. 2 position in combined U.S. apparel and footwear sales, according to Matt Powell, a sports industry analyst with NPD Group. The data showed striking gains by Adidas in footwear, Powell said. While the overall American footwear category grew in the low single digits in 2016, Adidas’ growth was more than 80 percent, he said.
New technologies such as Boost and adizero - which is currently the lightest cleat in baseball with the adizero Afterburner 4 - the three stripes are the most innovative shoe game in baseball today.
With the popularly of Pharrell Williams and the YEEZY line with Kanye West, the Boost and NMD series along with the numerous innovative and creative designs, Adidas is resonating with the youth and athletes - causal and professional. Which is a tough dance but the German company is pulling it off with confidence. With other brands coasting along with their baseball departments, Adidas is rounding third and charging home fast.
The Minneapolis Grays are thankful for the opportunity being outfitted with new cleats, arm compression sleeves and hoodies from Adidas. You'll be sure to hear some RUN DMC blasting at Castle Field this summer.
