Puma vs Adidas – The Story

Puma and Adidas are two well-known shoe brands that are industry leaders. Both shoe firms use cutting-edge shoe technology and innovation to create their products. Only a few people are unfamiliar with Puma and Adidas. It is also common knowledge that these two brands arose from a decades-long sibling rivalry. However, some individuals are unaware of the actual history of the long-running rivalry. This article will look at the Puma vs. Adidas rivalry, their history, and a comparison of the two companies.

This article will shed insight on the two brands' rivalry. To understand how their rivalry arose, however, it is important to delve into their history.

Puma vs Adidas – How It All Began

Rudolf and Adolf Dassler, two German brothers, started the enterprise "Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik" (literally Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory) in their hometown of Herzogenaurach, Germany. At 1919, the Dassler brothers founded the shoe firm in their parents' home. However, the corporation was officially registered in 1924, when they relocated to a more suitable location.

Within the first few years after moving to the new institution, both brothers became notoriously popular. In the 1928 Olympic Summer Games in Amsterdam, the majority of German participants wore Dassler spikes. Jesse Owens won four gold medals in the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1946 while using Dassler spikes. World-class competitors wearing Dassler spikes went on to win seven gold and five bronze medals. Their first records comprised two world records and four Olympic records, and they became an international legend as a result.

After 28 years, the Dassler brothers split up and went their separate ways. The brothers divided the company's assets equally, and Rudolf relocated to a new building with 15 staff. He converted the storage building into a shoe factory and established the "Schuhfabrik Rudolf Dassler (RUDA)". This corporation was registered as a business on January 1948 and begun operations on June 1, 1948. After another four months, Rudolf registered the company at the German Patent and Trademark Office as "Puma Schuhfabrik Rudolf Dassler," and the Puma brand was established. Adolph Dassler registered his company the following year, in 1949, and thus the Puma vs. Adidas rivalry began.

Puma vs Adidas – What Caused The Rivalry

Due to disagreements between the brothers and their wives, tension was already building when both Dassler brothers married. During World War II, the schism between them widened and kept them separated for good.

During WWII, Rudolf and Adolf were forced to stop producing shoes and convert the factory into a facility for developing an anti-tank weapon known as the "tank horror."

Adolf was allegedly summoned to the Wehrmacht, whereas Rudolf was allowed to remain after having served in WWI for several years.

Nobody knows what happened during the Second World War to spark the rivalry and hostility. Nobody in Adolf or Rudolf's family has ever stated why they became rivals soon after the war, therefore the true cause of their life-long feud is unknown. However, there are some theories.

One factor that led to the feud between the brothers was Adolf's release from the Wehrmacht to return to the company shortly after being enlisted. According to German authorities, Adolf was the company's boss. This assertion infuriated Rudolf, and they were eventually forced to divide the company's assets into equal parts.

Another hypothesis suggests that Adolf and Rudolf's spouses had a falling out. Another probable source of competition between them is Rudolf's assumption that Adolf informed the allies of his whereabouts. Another legend suggests that Adolf believed something was going on between his brother and his wife.

Rudolf was enlisted in 1943 to fight on the front lines of the war. Rudolf fled into hiding, envious that Adolf was only allowed to leave for a short time. He then wrote a letter to his brother, threatening to close the factory and return him to the army. This threat was the final straw that brought an end to their already non-existent brotherhood.

When American troops arrived to blow up the factory, they discovered it was the location of Jesse Owen's shoes. They then purchased a significant amount of the shoes and abandoned their plan to blow up the facility.

Puma vs Adidas – The Popularity Of Adidas

West Germany was allowed to compete in the World Cup in 1954, after the previous ban was lifted immediately after World War II. Puma and Adidas attempted to boost public awareness of their sporting brands while also gaining international exposure. Puma was not authorized to sponsor the team due to a schism between West Germany's national team manager, Sepp Herberger, and Rudolf.

Adidas seized the opportunity to sponsor West Germany's national squad. Adidas was eventually given the contract by Sepp Herberger. Adidas provided the West German players with jerseys and boots. The boots weighed half as much as ordinary boots and had removable screw studs that were specially intended to prevent slippage in the rain.

A storm put the Adidas cleats to the test, but the West German squad eventually beat Hungary and won the world cup. Adidas attracted worldwide attention, and its popularity increased. This popularity helped Adidas establish itself in international markets, allowing the brand to grow faster and larger than Puma. The advancement of Adidas heightened the competition between Puma and Adidas even further.

Puma vs Adidas – The Popularity of Puma

Puma sprang to prominence after Pelé, a prominent Brazilian athlete, donned Puma sneakers to a 1970 World Cup tournament. Prior to the start of the game, the athlete knelt to "knot his laces," drawing all attention to his Puma sneakers.

When Brazil won the World Cup with Pele as the star, the brand became extremely popular. Pelé's talent on the field helped to improve Puma's brand image in the eyes of the public, resulting in increased sales. Puma benefited from this international exposure because it dominated a sizable piece of the international shoe market.

Puma Vs. Adidas – The Puma Brand

Puma is a German sports footwear, apparel, and accessory manufacturer headquartered in Herzogenaurach. It was created in 1948 and went public in 1986 when it was placed on the stock exchange.

The puma brand focuses on the following goals for its customers: reaching greatness, being bold, confident, joyous, and passionate. Puma lives up to its aims by assisting people in achieving their goals in everything they set their minds to. This German sportswear company deserves to be at the top of the sports market, with over 14,000 employees spread across 130 countries.

Puma discovered the secret to engaging with its audience and pushing the limits in sports and culture by utilizing technology and the power of social media. By consistently being visible and helpful, the brand earns the trust of its audience.

Even in the face of powerful competitors such as Nike, Puma maintains a solid market position in the Puma vs Adidas competition. One of its competitive advantages is that around 90% of Puma's products are supplied from Asian countries, as are the majority of its production and manufacturing sites. Because of the low cost of labor and raw materials for production, this region provides a competitive edge. Puma's most significant competitive advantage is its wide range of goods merchandise, which includes sports accessories, clothes, eyewear, watches, footwear, and personal care. This diverse product range boosts Puma's brand image and market share on a daily basis.

Puma vs Adidas – The Adidas Brand

Adidas is a German shoe business founded in Herzogenaurach that, in terms of products and target demographic, is quite similar to Puma. However, one significant difference is that Adidas concentrates on incorporating digitization into their marketing strategy.

Adidas' ambition is to be the world's top sportswear company. They achieved their goal by utilizing the most recent advancements in modern technology. In addition, a significant portion of their money is allocated to social media marketing campaigns and other forms of digital advertising. The brand seeks to generate excitement and enthusiasm in the sports world by engaging with customers and building meaningful relationships through a variety of channels, including social media and retail. Adidas aspires to be present wherever their target audience is in order to provide a cohesive and distinct experience for all.

Adidas' competitive advantage is its extensive use of technology. Adidas "creates the new" with modern high-tech instruments such as digitization, resulting in future designs. By "creating the new," the brand is looking to the future, employing cutting-edge technology to create its shoes. Another competitive advantage is its incredible manufacturing speed, which gives it a competitive advantage in the Puma vs. Adidas competition. This speed is achieved by the use of digitized manufacturing technologies such as "3D printing technology" (using light and oxygen) and high-speed factory robots. Adidas' groundbreaking technology is exemplified by its future craft 4D shoes. Another competitive advantage of Adidas is that the company concentrates on being present wherever its clients are, forming a link between the brand and the customer.

Conclusion

Puma and Adidas are distinct shoe companies in their own way. Puma wants to assist athletes bring out the best in themselves and encourages them to be confident in their ability to achieve their goals. Adidas takes a distinct approach, focusing on being present throughout the customer journey and creating the best shoes with cutting-edge technology. Despite their rivalry, these companies have shown to be great, propelling them to the top of their respective markets. We hope you have a better understanding of the Puma vs. Adidas rivalry.