Caught off guard:
Adidas-to-Nike switch sends shockwaves through the DFB
A comment by Uwe Wolfinger
If there was a communications strategy behind the German Football Association’s (DFB) announcement last week that it will switch kit suppliers from Adidas to Nike – it didn’t work.
Worse still: with its press release on March 21, the DFB further eroded trust and alienated its most important stakeholders – its long-standing partner Adidas, after more than 70 years of close cooperation; politicians (because yes, football, and especially the national team, is a socio-political issue in Germany); and not least the fans, who in football value tradition and brand loyalty more than in almost any other field.
The timing of the announcement is especially questionable: two and a half years before the new sponsorship deal even takes effect. Barely three months before the European Championship kicks off in Germany – Adidas’ home market, where the national team will also be based during the tournament. Just days after the launch of a new Adidas jersey, which saw immediate strong demand. The news came out of nowhere.
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf’s reference to insider information due to the involvement of publicly listed companies doesn’t hold up. For Nike, the deal – reportedly worth around €800 million over eight years – was not even worth a standalone press release, let alone an ad-hoc disclosure. The U.S. company merely mentioned it in passing during an analyst call on quarterly results.
To be clear: from a financial perspective, the DFB’s decision to have its national teams wear Nike jerseys from 2027 onward is understandable and defensible. With an offer said to be roughly double what Adidas currently pays, the federation could hardly afford to say no, especially given its current strained financial situation.
But why communicate this (economic) success so unprofessionally? With a solid communication strategy – one that also accounted for respectful treatment of long-term partners, and that clearly addressed the critical questions of what? with what goal? at what time? via which channels? to which audiences? – the DFB could not only have avoided losing trust, but even strengthened its reputation.
By involving key stakeholders ahead of time and choosing better timing, Adidas would not have been blindsided, politicians would not have been prompted into largely fact-free soundbites (cue “patriotism of place”), and fans would not have been left confused.
By the way: following news of the new supplier deal, Nike’s share price dropped by 7 percent. But that’s another story …
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