Adidas’ competitors Nike, Puma, Reebok and the Pentland Group - producers of the Speedo and Ellesse brands - have joined forces to lodge a formal complaint about adidas to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). They are protesting the fact that the adidas logo, to be used at the winter Olympics in Turin, is much bigger than any other company’s, which they believe will lead to a stronger advertising effect.
The competitors have demanded that adidas adheres to the “marketing code of conduct” at the Olympic Games in 2006. According to the IOC regulations an area of 20 square centimetres of the athlete’s clothing is at the producer’s disposal, however, according to the complaint, adidas has achieved greater brand awareness with the stripes which run along the arms and trouser legs of the athletes. “It is about the equal treatment of all producers of sports goods,” said a Nike spokesperson.
In answering the claims adidas referred to the IOC’s regulation for sports shoes which allows the brand to use their normal representative design pattern, as well as the regular company logo. There is no similar regulation for clothes but adidas claim that the IOC has acknowledged the stripes as a normal representative design pattern for four decades.
Granger’s sales increase 35%
26 November 2004
The UK manufacturer of aftercare products for the footwear, outdoor equipment, and clothing markets, Granger’s International has reported a substantial increase in year-on year sales, reporting sales growth of 35%.
The positive results have been attributed to an increase in consumer awareness, the company’s private label Cherry Blossom and growth in exports with the appointment of Watershed as its North American distributor earlier this year. The addition of a new 12,000 square foot warehouse and extended manufacturing facilities at the company’s Derby base, have also attributed to the increase in sales due to the larger production capacity.
Egypt puts textiles on top of agenda
01 December 2004
Egypt, a country that excelled in the production of cotton, wool and textiles long before others, is currently implementing measures to maintain the competitiveness of its textiles before the current textile regime crumbles with the introduction of the ATP agreement on January 1 2005.
The Egyptian Industry Modernisation Centre has recently begun the implementation of a large programme designed at modernising some 100 factories producing textiles and ready-made clothes. Egypt, like many other textile producers, is expecting an influx of cheap imports. Research aimed at future market identification is accompanying the project.
Egyptian government officials are also trying to secure the QIZ (Qualifying Industrial Zone) and FTA (Free Trade Agreement) agreements with the USA. Negotiations between the two governments regarding the creation of an industrial zone is said to be nearing completion. America is currently consuming 60% of all Egyptian cotton, mainly in the form of terry towels and bed sheets, a figure
expected to rise if a FTA is reached.
Egypt has an integrated textile industry, which means it produces its own fibre (Egyptian cotton) and has the necessary production facilities including its spinning industry, the dying and finishing industry, and apparel and home textile manufacturing industry.