Adidas Dir of Global Brand Strategy Stefanie Knoren said that going for the hard sell "will no longer cut it with the increasingly powerful millennial generation," according to Shona Ghosh of MARKETING MAGAZINE. Knoren "described 'consumer-centricity,' where customers expect products to be marketed to them at the right time." Millennials, aged between 18- and 35-years-old, also "expect brands to 'do good' alongside selling their core products." Knoren: "We are at a shift where marketing moves from advertising to really creating value for people. This is what we should be focusing on. It is not just about broadcasting and optimizing the sh*t out of our marketing, that's not going to cut it. Customers are expecting us to be good global citizens." Knoren admitted that this had been a "challenge" for adidas, which, like many of its rivals, has traditionally "focused on product-driven marketing and ads." This changed with the "bold ‘There will be haters’ ad campaign" this year, featuring controversial footballer Luis Suárez. Knoren said that it was a "'bold' move" for adidas, but it "forced the company to talk to customers directly and authentically about hatred, rather than outsource to agencies." Effecting change made Knoren "feel like her job was 'valuable' for the first time" (MARKETING MAGAZINE, 4/30).
