Article
Many international companies face the challenge of adapting their own advertising campaigns for different international markets. This is linked to the need for taking into account many different factors that can affect the perception of the advertising message and, accordingly, the effectiveness of the entire advertising campaign. This article discusses the problem of localizing international advertising campaigns dealing with advertising sports goods. A localized version of the 2018 Reebok global ad campaign is considered as an example.
The purpose of the study: to identify the basic errors in determining the key aspects of brand positioning in the process of adapting the international advertising campaign of sporting goods to the Russian market on the example of the Reebok advertising campaign.
Methods and organization of the research: to achieve this goal, different methods of conducting scientific research were chosen: analysis, synthesis, generalization and hall test. The hall test method allowed us to obtain more detailed data than the questionnaire survey. The participants of the hall test were offered to answer questions from the questionnaire. They watched commercials and observed banners both original and already localized by the Russian office of Reebok. In the final part of the study, the participants of the hall test expressed their views on the advertising campaign and gave their own recommendations. This methodological organization of the study enabled us to identify the basic characteristics of strategic brand positioning, regardless of the subject of planning.
Results. The hall test revealed that the public had welcomed the original version of the advertising campaign. At the same time, there were divergent views on the localized version of the Reebok ad campaign. A certain percentage of the hall test participants stated that such advertising campaigns are unacceptable for serious brands that do not position themselves in this vein. Other participants of the hall test approved the bold creative moves of the marketers of Reebok Russia.
Conclusion. The article highlights the main points to which you should pay special attention when localizing advertising campaigns for sportswear brands. The authors has examined the issue of the importance of conducting preliminary research before launching an adapted advertising campaign, since this will make it possible to correct certain elements in the advertisement itself, as well as to prepare anti-crisis measures if the advertising campaign leads the organization to a crisis situation. In order to avoid mistakes in the localization of advertising campaigns, sportswear brands are recommended to use certain algorithms based on Big Data. It will enable them to analyze the experience of such advertising campaigns and predict approximate results down to the public reaction to advertising.
- The Reebok #нивкакиерамки campaign infuriated Russian Internet [electronic resource]: AdIndex – information industry publication about the advertising and marketing market in Russia. URL: https://yandex.ru/turbo/adindex.ru/s/news/creative/2019/02/7/269783.pht… (Accessed: 10.07.2020)
- The Reebok international office did not agree upon the Russian action [electronic resource]: Official website of the "Kommersant» publishing house. URL: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3881174 (Accessed: 10.12.2020)
- Mudrov A. N. Fundamentals of advertising. Textbook. – Master [Magistr], 2014 – 416p – ISBN 978-5-16-005207-6
- "It was necessary to sit down and think". Oxxxymiron commented on the Reebok scandal [electronic resourse]: «Life.ru» – information portal. URL: https://life.ru/p/1192283 (Accessed: 10.07.2020)
- "We came up with it in time trouble; we didn't test it in focus groups." Reebok marketer talks about preparing a feminist ad campaign [electronic resource]: «Meduza» - international Russian-language publication. – URL: https://meduza.io/news/2019/02/09/pridumyvali-v-tseytnote-ne-testiroval… (Accessed: 10.12.2020)
- Al Ries, Jack Trout. Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind Paperback. – McGraw-Hill Education; 1st edition, 2001 – 224p – ISBN 978-0071373586
- Barden F. Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy- John Wiley & Sons Limited, 2013 – 352p – ISBN 978-1118345603
- Be more Human [electronic resource]: Reebok official website. URL: https://www.reebok.com/us/bemorehuman#/ (accessed: 10.07.2020)
- Douglas Van Praet Unconscious Branding: How Neuroscience Can Empower (and Inspire) Marketing – St. Martin's Griffin, 2014 – 288 p – ISBN 978-0230341791
- 1Mark Tungate. Adland: A Global History of Advertising – Kogan Page, 2013. – 272 p. – ISBN 978-0749476373
- Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, Kenneth Cukier. BIG DATA. A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think – Eamon Dolan/Mariner Books; Reprint edition, 2014. – 272 p. – ISBN 978-0544227750
- W. Timothy Coombs. Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding – SAGE Publications, Inc; 5th edition, 2019 – 256 p. – ISBN 978-1544331959
