University of Hertfordshire · 4CTA2054 Concept to Customer · Session 2 · Fri 16 Oct
Read the evidence before you design.
Competitor and market research. Morning in B160: adidas taken apart, your territory presentations, reading market data, theory options. Afternoon in the Fashion Base Room: turn it into Nike’s response.
Image: adidas kit launch for the Jiangsu city football league (SUCHAO), 31 March 2026, via ENJOYZ. Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Recap · Session 1 · Briefing and Project Launch
Last week: you became Nike’s team
The brief
Build Nike’s Asian range. Not imitation. Response.
Two lenses
Cultural capital: clothes that say “I get it”. Community and belonging: clothes that say “I am one of us”.
The ladder
Decoration, local design, creator-led, construction. Each rung is harder to copy.
60 seconds, with your neighbour
Read your sentence: “Nike’s range for them should ___, because ___.” Your neighbour asks one thing: how do you know?
Session 2 · how today runs
Morning: read the evidence. Afternoon: use it.
AM · 10:00 to 12:30B160, main reception
10:00Recap and today10 min
10:10Part 1 · adidas, taken apart40 min
10:50Part 2 · Your territory presentations40 min
11:30Break10 min
11:40Part 3 · Reading market data30 min
12:10Part 4 · Theory options20 min
PM · 13:30 to 16:00Fashion Base Room
13:30Activity 1 · Data detective50 min
14:20Break5 min
14:25Activity 2 · Theory clinic40 min
15:05Activity 3 · Not imitation. Response.55 min
You leave with
A sourced territory data sheet, two theory statements, and a sharper Nike sentence.
Part 1 · 10:10
adidas, taken apart
Session 1 told the story. Today: who decided, what it cost, how it sold, and what we still cannot prove.
Image: SUCHAO kit display at the 2026 launch event, via ENJOYZ. Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Part 1 · Film · adidas, May 2026
Who actually made the decisions?
“Rooted in Culture: A Creative Journey for Football in China”, adidas on YouTube, 6:13. Open on YouTube
26
kits company account
10weeks
to develop them company account
2.2bn
online views, 2025 company-reported
Story
A league built on cities
The Jiangsu city football league (SUCHAO): thirteen teams, home and away, every kit tied to its city.
Who
Made by a local team
The account names a design lead, an apparel developer and a football business director, all in Greater China.
Proof
Views are not customers
adidas says over 2.2bn online views in 2025. Views are not people, buyers or shirts sold.
Ask the room
Watch for one decision. Who made it: the global brand, the China team, or the city team?
Film and poster: adidas, official YouTube upload, 28 May 2026. Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Part 1 · recovery timeline · 2021 to 2026, to scale
Leaders first, then supply, then local product
Five and a half years. The culture story you saw last week sits at the end of it.
2021
Boycott and lockdowns
Relevance and access lost
Mar 2022
New China chief
Adrian Siu replaces Jason Thomas
Jan 2023
New global CEO
Bjorn Gulden
2023
China-for-China supply
Shorter lead times
Dec 2024
Chengdu brand centre
Local authority, says Siu
Mar 2025
About half locally designed
35 designers in Shanghai
Jul 2026
Half-year report
Then, in 2026
31 Mar SUCHAO city kits announced, on sale from April
2 Jun A social media joke becomes a paid T-shirt service
30 Jul Greater China gross margin 56.3%, up from 54.5%
Dates: Reuters (2022), adidas (2022, 2024, 2026), The Paper (2024), Cailian (2025), ENJOYZ (2026), Shanghai government guide (2026). Image: SUCHAO design sketches for Suqian, adidas (2 Jun 2026).
Part 1 · who makes the local decisions
Named people, and one missing box
Global
Bjorn GuldenCEO from 1 Jan 2023
Greater China
Adrian SiuManaging directorPatrick NgSVP Product
SUCHAO kit team
Eson HuangDesign leadStephanie ZhaoApparel developmentAlex XuDirector, Football
The city teams
13 clubsWorked with the kit team
?
final sign-off not published
What the public record does not show: who approves each design, who can veto it on cost, and what the clubs are paid. “Full local authority” is Adrian Siu’s own description, not an audit.
Ask the room
For your Nike range: who should hold the pen, and who should hold the veto?
Sources: adidas (2022, 2026), HKUST event record (June 2026), The Paper (2024). Roles as publicly named; not an organisation chart.
Part 1 · product and price
One occasion, three ways to pay
SUCHAO match shirt
Announced 31 Mar 2026
City identityMatch kit
Known CNY499 launch price; app, WeChat, stores, league
Not known Sell-through, how many fans paid it
CNY199supporter
SUCHAO supporter shirt
Same window, from April
City identityLower entry
Known CNY199, same routes, subject to stock
Not known Margin, or who could afford which
Errands-in-town T-shirt
Service from 2 Jun 2026
A local jokePrint in store
Known CNY399 tee plus CNY49 print, three Shanghai flagships
Not known Sales total, any city outside Shanghai
Launch prices, Chinese yuan (CNY), same currency, bars to scale
Supporter shirt
CNY199
Errands tee + print
CNY448
Match shirt
CNY499
Ask the room
What does a fan get for the extra CNY300? If you cannot name it, the higher price is not automatically better.
Images: adidas (SUCHAO Xuzhou away kit, 2026); Shanghai Municipal Government guide (22 June 2026). Prices: ENJOYZ, Shanghai guide. Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Part 1 · does it sell, and at what cost?
Better sales, not just more attention
Greater China gross margin · January to June · bars on the same 0 to 60% scale
H1 2025
54.5%
H1 2026
56.3%
adidas credits less discounting, product mix and sourcing costs. Not culture.
EUR2.088bn
Greater China revenue six months to 30 Jun 2026
+1.8pts
gross margin change a percentage, no currency
56.3%
of each euro kept after product cost H1 2026
+16%
The cost of going local
Greater China operating expenses rose 16% in the first half of 2026. Local teams, stores and events are not free.
Source: adidas Half Year Report 2026, published 30 July 2026, p.12. Euros, reported, not currency-neutral.
Part 1 · Film · adidas China, February 2026
The Chinese New Year film
“Happy New Year”, adidas China, made by TBWA\Shanghai, 85 seconds. Click to play. Copy hosted on Vimeo by Campaign Brief, the advertising trade magazine. Open on Vimeo
85sec
film length trade press
4
Chinese apps WeChat, Rednote, Douyin, Weibo
0
celebrities in it young players instead
Story
New Year with your football family
Young players leave the family celebration to train in the snow, eat dumplings and laugh with their teammates and coaches.
Where
On four Chinese apps
adidas posted it on WeChat, Rednote, Douyin and Weibo. No global campaign: this was made for China.
Proof
A feeling, not a task
It asks you to feel something. It does not ask you to post, join or buy. No views or sales were published.
Ask the room
No star, no product close-up. How does this film still sell adidas?
Film and stills: adidas China, TBWA\Shanghai, via Campaign Brief (5 Feb 2026). Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Part 1 · marketing and community, on the funnel you know
adidas China’s 2026 on one funnel
Funnel stage · what the fan thinksadidas move · channelReal example
AwarenessI have seen it
01 · Owned social
Chinese New Year film
The film you just watched: a football family at New Year.
adidas China, 2026
85 seconds, Feb 2026, on WeChat, Rednote, Douyin and Weibo
InterestI get what it is
02 · League and press
City stories
Every kit tells one city’s story.
adidas China, 2026
SUCHAO kits for 13 teams, announced 31 Mar 2026
DesirePeople like me wear it
03 · Product range
Two price points
Match shirt or supporter shirt, same city.
adidas China, 2026
CNY499 and CNY199
ActionI can buy it
04 · Retail and app
Routes to purchase
Where the fan actually pays.
adidas China, 2026
adidas app, WeChat mini-program, stores, venues, league online
Then it loops. In June a social media joke about running errands in town became a T-shirt you can print in a Shanghai store. Listening became a service.
Watch versus do. The New Year film asks you to feel something. A campaign that gives fans a task, like adidas’s global “You Got This” (Feb 2025), asks you to do something.
Sources: Campaign Brief Asia (5 Feb 2026), ENJOYZ (31 Mar 2026), Shanghai guide (22 Jun 2026), adidas newsroom (11 Feb 2025). Funnel mapping is a teaching frame.
Part 1 · what we cannot prove
Did culture make adidas grow? We can’t prove it.
What went up · adidas sales in Greater China
2024
€3.46bn
2025
€3.62bn
Think of it like this
Your grade goes up. That term you also got a new laptop, a new tutor and more sleep. Can you say it was the laptop? No. Everything changed at once.
But six things changed at the same time
2022A new boss for adidas China
2023A new global boss
2023Faster factories inside China
2025About half of products designed in China
2026Less discounting
2026Culture products, like the city kits
Don’t say“Culture caused adidas’s comeback.”
Say“adidas grew again at the same time as it made more local, cultural products.”
Sales: adidas annual reports via the Session 1 research pack (euros, full years). Changes: Reuters (2022), adidas (2022, 2024, 2026), Cailian (2025), ENJOYZ (2026).
Part 1 · competitor comparison
Four brands fighting for the same customer
adidasfrom Germany
Known for
Sport and street style, worldwide
Recent culture move · Mar 2026
City kits for a Chinese football league
Good at Lets local teams make local products
Watch out Going local costs more: China costs up 16%
Nikefrom USA
Known for
Top performance sport
Recent culture move · Jul 2025
“Leaders of Seoul” pop-up with Korean store MUSINSA
Good at Sports credibility and big store partners
Watch out Sales in China are falling right now
Li-Ningfrom China
Known for
Chinese sports heritage
Recent culture move · 2025
Palace Museum collection for the museum’s 100th birthday
Good at Chinese stories nobody else can tell
Watch out Almost all its sales are at home in China
Antafrom China
Known for
Performance shoes; also owns FILA
Recent culture move · Jan 2026
KAI 3 basketball shoe for Chinese New Year
Good at Strong shoes and lots of shops
Watch out The Anta brand is growing slower than its group
Ask the room
Which of these four is Nike’s biggest threat in your territory, and why?
Images: adidas; MUSINSA; Li-Ning 2025 Annual Results presentation (19 Mar 2026); ANTA (13 Jan 2026). Facts: adidas, Nike, Li-Ning and ANTA reports (2026). “Good at” and “Watch out” are tutor judgements. Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Part 1 · the trap in the numbers
Why you can’t put their sales in a league table
Their latest sales figures look easy to compare. They are not. Amber means “different from adidas”.
Money · Time · What is counted
adidas
€2.09bn
euros6 monthsChina region
Nike
$1.18bn
dollars3 monthsChina region
Li-Ning
¥15.05bn
yuan6 monthsChina + Hong Kong + Macao
Anta
¥17.77bn
yuan6 monthsAnta brand only
Think of it like this
One friend earns €2,000 in six months. Another earns $1,200 in three months. Who earns more? You can’t tell until you use the same money and the same time.
The three-question check
Before you compare two numbers: 1. Same money? 2. Same length of time? 3. Same thing counted?
adidas Half Year Report 2026 p.12; Nike Q1 FY27 release (1 Oct 2026); Li-Ning Interim Report 2026 p.48; ANTA Sports H1 2026 release (26 Aug 2026). Rounded.
Part 2 · 10:50
Your territory, your evidence
Two minutes each. Your territory, your customer, your three images, your sentence for Nike. Then one question from the room.
Image: Warrix Thailand 2025/26 Ayodhya range, via Goal Thailand (2 Sep 2025). Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Part 2 · the quality bar
What a checked fact looks like
Source
Ministry of Data and Statistics, South Korea
Published
2 February 2026
Data period
One month: December 2025, provisional
The fact
KRW2.16trn
online clothing transactions in South Korea, December 2025
Unit
Korean won (KRW). The table counts in 100 million
Scope
All Korean online shopping, clothing category
One limit
Not sportswear, not K-pop fans, not a full year
Do
A few checked facts, each with all six labels. A customer sketch can say “unknown”.
Do not
A wall of screenshots. A made-up birthday, salary or shopping habit. That is not evidence.
Source: Ministry of Data and Statistics, Korea, Online Shopping in December 2025, PDF p.3.
Part 2 · presentations · two minutes each
A good presentation joins four things
01
A cultural observation
What did you see, where, when?
02
A customer need
Who needs what? One real person.
03
A competitor example
Who already answers it, and how?
04
A decision for Nike
What would Nike make or change?
Question 1 from the room
What exactly does your evidence measure?
Question 2 from the room
What decision does it change for Nike?
Show: your territory, your customer, your three images and your sentence. Listeners: write down one fact you want to check this afternoon.
Part 2 · territory evidence pack 1 of 4
China
SUCHAO Xuzhou away kit and Suqian design sketches (adidas, 2026), errands-in-town tee (Shanghai guide). Stills: no official China launch film was verified.
CNY4397
sports spend per Shanghai resident, 2025 includes services (57%)
58.7%
chose shoes on style or design 2025 survey, method gated
61.0%
reported wrong shoe sizing a complaint, not returns
Who
Young sports-style shoppers in Shanghai
18 to 32 year olds choose skate-style and white trainers, and 76.3% used physical stores (national retailer research). Ask your people why they buy.
Launch
SUCHAO kits at CNY499 and CNY199
Announced 31 Mar 2026, on sale from April through league channels, the adidas app, WeChat and stores.
Trap
Not every young shopper is a Guochao buyer
And a 61% sizing complaint is not a 61% return rate.
Ask the room
Which of these numbers would change a Nike design decision, and which only describes the market?
Images: adidas (2 Jun 2026); Shanghai Municipal Government (2026). Data: Shanghai Sports Bureau via sport.gov.cn (2026), iiMedia (2025), TOPSPORTS via Sina (2025). Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Part 2 · territory evidence pack 2 of 4
South Korea
MUSINSA x Nike “Leaders of Seoul” pop-up (MUSINSA, 2025), PUMA H-Street Seoul launch space and the H-Street shoe (PUMA, 2025).
KRW2.16trn
online clothing sales, Dec 2025 one month, provisional
77.4%
of online shopping on mobile all categories
80%
women buyers, one store MUSINSA Seongsu, Jun 2025
Who
Women in their 20s and 30s at MUSINSA Seongsu
80% of buyers at that store were women, and 83% of them were in their twenties or thirties, as of June 2025.
Launch
PUMA H-Street: show first, sell later
A Seoul experience with ROSE on 16 to 18 May 2025. Korean sale from 26 June through PUMA and MUSINSA.
Trap
Seoul is not one big idol fandom
One women’s fashion store is not the country. Idol-led? Research that link yourself.
Ask the room
MUSINSA’s numbers come from one store. What would you need to know before you build a persona on them?
Images: MUSINSA; PUMA. Data: Ministry of Data and Statistics Korea (2026), MUSINSA (11 Jul 2025), PUMA (2025), TENANT News (2025). Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Part 2 · territory evidence pack 3 of 4
Japan
Nike EKIDEN PACK, Nike Japan newsroom, 12 Nov 2025. Still: no verified official launch film; a fan upload exists and is not used.
JPY2.80trn
clothing sold online, 2024 +4.74% on 2023
23.38%
of the category sold online 2024, value share
52.5%/ 66.6%
adults: do sport weekly / want to FY2024 survey
Who
Adult runners in Tokyo, to interview
The firm fact is adult sport participation. Age, platform and store habits are your research questions.
Launch
Nike EKIDEN pack: JPY11,550 to 40,480
For relay runners, announced 12 Nov 2025. Rival Fly 4 to Alphafly 3, tax included. Nike app, Nike.com, selected stores.
Trap
Japan is not one subculture
And a 2025 report about 2024 data is not 2025 sales.
Ask the room
The gap between 52.5% and 66.6%: what product or service could close it?
Image: Nike Japan. Data: METI (2025), Japan Sports Agency (2025), Nike Japan (12 Nov 2025). Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Part 2 · territory evidence pack 4 of 4
Thailand
Warrix 2025/26 Ayodhya range, via Goal Thailand. Warrix’s own 15-second teaser is from 2024: open on YouTube.
66.9%
of Gen Z watch video reviews before buying Feb 2026 survey
36.8%
get content from influencers same survey
THB460m
Warrix sales, Q3 2025 +7.33% on last year
Who
Adult football supporters around Bangkok
Reachable through Warrix stores and online. Check age, platform, budget, and match day versus everyday wear.
Launch
Warrix Ayodhya kit: THB399 to 1,290
Thai national team range on sale late Aug to early Sep 2025. Prices seen on 15 Oct 2026, not launch prices.
Trap
Thailand is not Southeast Asia
And watching a review is not a measured conversion rate.
Ask the room
Video reviews matter to Thai Gen Z. What would a short review need to show about a Nike shirt?
Images: Warrix via Goal Thailand (2025). Data: The Nation (2026), Warrix SEC filing (2025), Warrix store (observed 15 Oct 2026). Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Part 3 · 11:40
Read the number, not the headline
Bain, McKinsey, Business of Fashion and Statista. What each publishes, how to get in, and the trap inside each one’s best-known number.
Image: PUMA H-Street launch space, Seoul, PUMA newsroom (16 May 2025). Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Part 3 · the four sources
Four sources, four traps
BainConsultancy research on luxury and consumers
Public summaries free
15 to 20%
growth of China’s secondhand luxury market, 2025
The trap
New luxury on the mainland fell 3 to 5%. Different market. Not sportswear, not Nike.
Start here
China personal luxury market 2025, 29 Jan 2026
McKinseyIndustry forecasts, surveys, articles
Free; some downloads need registration
48%
of active people say fitness is central to who they are
The trap
Surveyed in Germany, the UK and the US. Not Asia.
Start here
Sporting Goods 2025, 4 Mar 2025, Exhibit 3
Business of FashionFashion business journalism and research
Summary free; report may need registration
46%
of executives expected conditions to get worse in 2026
The trap
A forecast by bosses, not a measured fall in sales.
Start here
The State of Fashion 2026, 17 Nov 2025
StatistaCollects other people’s data, plus its own models
Headline free; values and downloads gated
CNY599bn
China sportswear market, 2025, roughly
The trap
An estimate republished from iiMedia. Not an audited total, not a second source.
Start here
Sportswear market in China, 3 Aug 2026
Getting in: StudyNet > Online Library > Library Search. Whether UH subscribes to BoF and Statista is not confirmed: check after you sign in, or ask the subject librarian. The free sources in your territory pack work either way.
Sources: Bain & Company (29 Jan 2026), McKinsey & WFSGI (4 Mar 2025), BoF and McKinsey (17 Nov 2025), Statista (3 Aug 2026), University of Hertfordshire library guidance.
Part 3 · five rules for any number
Before a number goes in your playbook
01
Read the data year, not the page date
METI published in August 2025. The data is for 2024.
02
Keep category and place attached
Secondhand luxury is not new luxury. McKinsey’s survey is not Asia.
03
Name who was counted, and doing what
Watching video reviews is not buying. MUSINSA’s ages are women at one store.
04
Compare money only after checking scope and time
Six months in euros, three months in dollars, a brand segment in yuan: not a ranking.
05
Check who made the number
A Statista headline from iiMedia is not a second, independent estimate.
Ref
And cite it, Harvard style
McKinsey & Company and WFSGI (2025) Sporting Goods 2025: The new balancing act, 4 March, Exhibit 3. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/sporting-goods-industry-trends (Accessed: 16 October 2026).
Examples: METI (2025), Bain (2026), McKinsey (2025), The Nation (2026), MUSINSA (2025), Statista and iiMedia (2026).
Part 4 · 12:10
Theory options
Your brief asks for two theories. Last week you met two. Today, seven more, each turned into the question it answers.
Image: PUMA x ROSE collection, PUMA newsroom (26 Aug 2025). Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Part 4 · the theory menu · pick two
Every theory is a question
S1Session 1
Does it say “I get it”?
Cultural capital
S1Session 1
Does it say “I am one of us”?
Community and belonging
AYoung, 2008
Whose culture is it, and who gains?
Appropriation or appreciation
No checklist settles every community’s view.
BMorhart et al., 2015
Why would a customer believe us?
Brand authenticity
Different audiences judge it differently.
CRobertson, 1995
What stays global, and what changes locally?
Glocalisation
“Local” does not say who decides.
DHofstede, 2001
How do national values differ, on average?
Hofstede’s dimensions
A country score is not a persona.
ERogers, 2003
Who tries it first, and who copies them?
Diffusion of innovations
A viral peak is not adoption.
FKeller, 1993
What does the customer remember about the brand?
Customer-based brand equity
Awareness is not wanting to buy.
GLemon and Verhoef, 2016
What happens before, during and after buying?
Customer journey
A tidy map hides loops and drop-outs.
Core references: Young (2008), Morhart et al. (2015), Robertson (1995), Hofstede (2001) with McSweeney (2002) critique, Rogers (2003), Keller (1993), Lemon and Verhoef (2016). Full Harvard references on the worksheet.
Part 4 · theory in action · Korea
One film, two theories
“ROSE and Speedcat: Ready to Ignite”, PUMA newsroom, 15 seconds. Click to play on PUMA’s site.
15sec
the whole film play all of it
3days
Seoul activation 16 to 18 May 2025
41days
activation to Korean sale to 26 Jun 2025
Keller
Which message is ROSE’s, which is PUMA’s?
Remove the star. What would someone still remember about the shoe or the brand?
Rogers
Let people try it first
In Seoul, visitors could see, style and customise H-Street before it was on sale.
Limit
Awareness is not purchase
A famous face and a busy event are not proof that anyone bought, or kept buying.
Ask the room
Remove ROSE from the film. What is left that belongs to PUMA?
Film and still: PUMA newsroom (21 Jul 2025). Activation: PUMA (16 May 2025), TENANT News (26 Jun 2025). Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Part 4 · recommended pairs
Two theories, two decisions
Territory · pairWhy they work togetherWhat it changes in your project
China
GlocalisationAuthenticity
One asks what changes locally. The other asks whether customers believe that change.
Name one local product decision, then test what it means to your group.
South Korea
Brand equityDiffusion
One asks what the collab adds to Nike. The other asks how trial spreads past the first fans.
Separate the artist’s pull from Nike’s benefit, then plan trial and sharing.
Japan
AuthenticityAppropriation
One tests the product claim. The other asks whose craft or knowledge is used.
Record a material or construction choice and the local contributor’s role.
Thailand
DiffusionCustomer journey
One asks why people adopt it. The other finds the friction between seeing and wearing.
Link a creator demo to sizing, buying, delivery and wearing again.
The rule: two theories must lead to two decisions, not two decorative definitions. You can choose a different pair if you explain why it fits and where it stops working.
Pairs are tutor recommendations from the research report, not rules. Images: adidas, MUSINSA, Nike Japan, Warrix via Goal Thailand.
Afternoon · 13:30 to 16:00 · Fashion Base Room
Not imitation. Response.
Check your facts. Choose your theories. Rewrite your sentence for Nike so the evidence holds it up.
Image: MUSINSA x Nike “Leaders of Seoul”, MUSINSA newsroom (11 Jul 2025). Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Afternoon workshop · the agenda
Three activities, two and a half hours
Facts first, then theory, then the design decision. Each step uses what the one before it made.
01
Data detective
Sort six claims. Build a sourced territory sheet. Swap and check.
50 min13:30 to 14:20
Break
Five minutes.
5 min14:20 to 14:25
02
Theory clinic
Pick two theories. Write two sentences that change a decision.
40 min14:25 to 15:05
03
Not imitation. Response.
Find the need behind a rival’s move. Rewrite your sentence. Sketch the journey.
55 min15:05 to 16:00
Hand in before you leave
Your territory data sheet, your two theory statements and your revised Nike sentence, on the worksheet.
Activity 1 · 13:30 to 13:40 · in pairs
What does this number actually measure?
Read the claim. Say what it measures, and one way to misread it. Then tap to check.
iiMedia, 2025 survey
China
61.0% reported inaccurate sports-shoe sizing.
Tap to reveal
Survey-reported problem
Not a returns rate, and not about Nike.
adidas Greater China
January to June 2026
EUR2.088bn revenue.
Tap to reveal
Company revenue, one region
Not a full year, and not the size of the market.
adidas, published June 2026
SUCHAO
Over 2.2bn online views in 2025.
Tap to reveal
Company-reported exposure
Views are not viewers, customers or shirts sold.
Thai Gen Z, Feb 2026
Thailand
66.9% used video reviews before buying.
Tap to reveal
Reported behaviour
Not a conversion rate, and not only about fashion.
SUCHAO supporter shirt
April 2026
CNY199.
Tap to reveal
A unit retail price
Not profit, not average spend, not the match shirt.
McKinsey, Dec 2024 survey
Sporting goods
48% of active people linked fitness with identity.
Tap to reveal
An attitude in a defined survey
Germany, the UK and the US. Not 48% of Asian consumers.
FactSourcePublishedData periodUnitPlace and sampleThis matters for our range becauseThis does not show
KRW2.16trn online clothing salesKorean statistics office2 Feb 2026Dec 2025, one monthKRWAll Korea, online, clothingonline clothing is a big channelsportswear, or fans
30
13:40 · build
Three checked facts from the free links in your territory pack. A strong sheet adds a fourth or fifth that says something new.
10
14:10 · swap and check
Open your partner’s sources. Check unit, year, scope and limit.
!
The rule
If the source will not open, or the number is not in it, flag it or replace it.
Example row: Ministry of Data and Statistics, Korea (2026). The sheet is on the worksheet.
Activity 2 · 14:25 to 15:05 · theory clinic
A theory earns its place by changing a decision
Using [theory]
+
we will change [one decision]
+
because [evidence]
+
Limit: [where it stops]
+
Ref: [Harvard]
The same sentence, filled in · a tutor example, not a tested idea
Using glocalisation (Robertson, 1995),we will let each city add its own mark to one Nike base shirt,because adidas gave 13 city teams their own kit at two prices (ENJOYZ, 2026).Limit: we have not tested which marks matter to our customer.
10
14:25 · choose
Two theories from the menu, or your own pair with a reason.
20
14:35 · write
One sentence per theory, plus one limit and one reference.
10
14:55 · peer check
Your partner points to the decision. Only a definition? Rewrite it.
Activity 3 · 15:05 to 15:35 · not imitation, response
Copy the need, never the move
01 · a competitor move
adidas prints a local joke on a T-shirt, in store
Errands-in-town tee, Shanghai, June 2026
02 · the need behind it
To join in with something only locals get
Belonging, and cultural capital, from Session 1
03 · Nike’s response
A product or service that meets the same need, in Nike’s own way
Your idea goes here
Banned answer: “Nike should do the same collaboration.”
Then rewrite your Session 1 sentence · 15:15 to 15:35
“Nike’s range for them should ___, because ___.” Define them with evidence. Give a product or service, not only a campaign mood. Cite one reason.
Example: Shanghai Municipal Government guide (22 Jun 2026). The response chain is a teaching frame.
Activity 3 · 15:35 to 16:00 · journey, then share
Walk your customer to the till, and past it
01 · Discovery
Customer’s question
Have I seen this?
One friction
Nobody I follow has worn it
Your touchpoint (a proposal)
02 · Consideration
Customer’s question
Will it fit me and my life?
One friction
No way to check sizing
Your touchpoint (a proposal)
03 · Purchase
Customer’s question
Can I buy it here, now?
One friction
Not in my usual app
Your touchpoint (a proposal)
04 · After
Customer’s question
Was it worth it?
One friction
Nothing to share or come back for
Your touchpoint (a proposal)
A tutor example, not a proven opportunity
“Nike’s range for adult Bangkok football supporters should make everyday team-inspired clothing easy to judge for fit through short demonstrations, because video reviews are an established research habit (The Nation, 2026) and Warrix shows a live supporter-clothing category.” The link between those two still needs interviews.
15:50: explain it to a neighbour in one minute. Hand in the sheet, theory statements and sentence. End with one question only primary research can answer.
Example sources: The Nation (28 May 2026), Warrix (2025, 2026), Goal Thailand (2025). Friction examples are illustrations; label every touchpoint as a proposal.
Next · Session 3 · Fri 23 Oct · Nike brand audit and range concept
Evidence in hand. Now audit Nike.
Bring your checked data sheet, your two theory statements and your rewritten sentence. Next week we test Nike itself: what it already owns in your territory, and where your range fits.
Image: Nike EKIDEN PACK, Nike Japan newsroom (12 Nov 2025). Research reference, not an endorsement. Brand and campaign copyright; retain credit.
Source index · tutor prep, not for projection · all accessed 15 Oct 2026
Sources and citable frameworks
adidas case
adidas H1 Report 2026; adidas magazine, Rooted in Culture (2 Jun 2026) and film (28 May 2026); Reuters (8 Mar 2022); adidas (8 Nov 2022); adidas Annual Report 2023; The Paper (12 Dec 2024); Cailian (11 Mar 2025); ENJOYZ (31 Mar 2026); Shanghai guide (22 Jun 2026); Campaign Brief Asia (5 Feb 2026); HKUST (2026)
Competitors
Nike Q1 FY27 (1 Oct 2026); Li-Ning Interim Report 2026, results presentation (19 Mar 2026); ANTA H1 release (26 Aug 2026) and Interim Report (7 Sep 2026); ANTA KAI 3 page (13 Jan 2026); MUSINSA (11 Jul 2025)
Territories
Shanghai Sports Bureau via sport.gov.cn (2026); iiMedia (2025); TOPSPORTS via Sina (2025); Korean statistics (2 Feb 2026); PUMA (16 May, 24 Jun, 21 Jul, 26 Aug 2025); TENANT News (2025); METI (26 Aug 2025); Japan Sports Agency (11 Mar 2025); Nike Japan (12 Nov 2025); The Nation (28 May 2026); Warrix SEC filing (Nov 2025), store and about pages; Goal Thailand (2 Sep 2025)
Market data
Bain (29 Jan 2026); McKinsey and WFSGI (4 Mar 2025); BoF and McKinsey (17 Nov 2025); Statista (3 Aug 2026) and iiMedia series; UH library guidance
Young, J.O. (2008) Cultural Appropriation and the Arts. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Morhart, F. et al. (2015) ‘Brand authenticity: An integrative framework and measurement scale’, Journal of Consumer Psychology, 25(2), pp. 200 to 218.
Robertson, R. (1995) ‘Glocalization: Time-Space and Homogeneity-Heterogeneity’, in Featherstone, M., Lash, S. and Robertson, R. (eds.) Global Modernities. London: Sage, pp. 25 to 44.
Hofstede, G. (2001) Culture’s Consequences. 2nd edn. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Critique: McSweeney, B. (2002) Human Relations, 55(1), pp. 89 to 118.
Rogers, E.M. (2003) Diffusion of Innovations. 5th edn. New York: Free Press.
Keller, K.L. (1993) ‘Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity’, Journal of Marketing, 57(1), pp. 1 to 22.
Lemon, K.N. and Verhoef, P.C. (2016) ‘Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey’, Journal of Marketing, 80(6), pp. 69 to 96.
