The company was ready to close its doors; there was real financial distress. But on the other side, there was high brand awareness, but that was negative because Puma was perceived as low-priced. It had lost its cachet. It was a well-known brand without a presence.
From Jochen Zeitz
Puma is a brand deeply rooted in sporting lifestyle.
For a long time, companies ignored the fact that 80 percent of sporting goods are sold to the casual consumer.
We believe that African football is among the best in the world and very much characterized the Puma brand mentality, which is to win.
As much as I like to explore the world, I explore music - from classical to rock.
Be curious enough to keep an open mind to what's happening around you in society. You can look at yourself and the world at the same time.
Look at timber prices in the late '90s, at around $50. If you count the true damage of cutting down forests, the resultant flooding, insurance claims, and so on, then the timber price should have been $100.
Obviously, South Africa is our most important market, but we are also gradually increasing our presence throughout East and West as well as North Africa. It is a continent with a lot of potential which we plan to tap into.
I think South Africa has shown it can host such a big event as the World Cup, so why not hold the Olympics at some point in Africa? Maybe not just in one country but in a host of countries.
I never felt that although we were based in Germany, Puma was and should be considered as a German brand. So we restructured it in a way that positioned us as a global brand, with English being the corporate language, rather than us looking at it from a German perspective.
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