CORPORATE STRATEGY

Sports gear brand Puma is revamping its global marketing operation

By our News Team | 2023

Company CEO believes Puma still has ‘significant opportunities’ to leverage the full potential of its 75-year-old brand.

Global sporting apparel and equipment brand Puma has announced a major reorganisation of its marketing operation. It says this will “lay the organisational foundation to relentlessly drive brand elevation as one of our key strategic priorities”.

The changes include moving the Brand Management and Marketing Operations departments from their current base in the US to the Puma corporate headquarters in Germany, and the appointment of a new Global Chief Brand Officer.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

There will also be a strengthening of the Puma North America marketing structure, given that the brand has been underperforming in that market, relative to other regions.

According to the company, moving to Germany will “improve alignment and accelerate decision-making with the company’s global business units, global go-to-market function, and creative direction”.

The change in marketing leadership is due to the current incumbent, 20-year company veteran Adam Petrick, deciding not to move to Germany. He is being replaced as Global Chief Brand Officer by Richard Teyssier, who was previously Regional General Manager for Europe.

Broad marketing experience gained elsewhere

“Richard has broad expertise in brand management and marketing after 17 years in leading marketing functions at Mars Inc., where he was responsible for some of the company’s most iconic brands,” Puma says in a media statement.

“Puma’s brand is at the heart of our company’s success,” states Arne Freundt, company CEO.

“Yet, our analyses clearly show that Puma has significant opportunities to leverage the full potential of its brand. This is why relentlessly elevating our brand is one of our key strategic priorities.

“With the Global Marketing Organization being based in proximity to our key central functions at the HQ, we will lay the organisational foundation for this. It will ensure brand consistency and speed up decision-making to further strengthen the brand and it will make us even more consumer-centric. With the new setup, we will be able to drive more impactful campaigns to further establish our brand in the minds of our consumers.”

Puma’s figures for the first quarter of 2023 showed a 14.4% increase in sales to approximately US$304-billion. This was largely driven by a strong performance in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), with sales growing 25.4%.

Pre-conference masterclass discusses taking African brands to the world

Participants challenged to identify, articulate and commercialise the cultural assets that make their brand ready for a global audience.

Three people stand side by side in front of a sports direct backdrop the woman in the middle holds a blue and orange 'sports direct' sign

Africa’s first Sports Direct retail store opens its doors in Nairobi

Second outlet planned for Nairobi before year end, with Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco said to be future target markets.

Person wearing a beige sweater holds a phone with a translucent search bar reading 'search' and microphonecamera icons in the foreground

Search is fragmenting – credibility and trust create the new visibility

Online search behaviour has changed significantly with the rise of AI. How can African brands adapt to this new marketing landscape?

Person shopping at a deli counter holding an orange shopping basket in a cheese section of a supermarket

The move toward future-ready food packaging where materials meet AI

Researchers propose a framework for packaging that senses, learns and acts – making packaging an active, AI-powered tool against food waste.

Conference stage with a woman in a patterned dress speaking to an audience large screens display '' logos and banners for a marketers conference with 'institute of marketing in malawi' branding on stage panels and backdrop

Malawi’s marketers urged to put trust at the heart of the profession

Country needs marketers to build recognition and consumer trust around Malawian products and national brand, says Deputy Minister.

Lingerie brand creates street-stopping advertising in Manhattan

Fashion brand suspends giant lingerie high above the city’s streets, using shadows to create a moving billboard for pedestrians and motorists.

We know AI influencers aren’t real – so why do we trust them?

Researchers describe AI influencers as having a ‘dual identity’. Consumers evaluate both ‘person’ and ‘technology’ identities at once.

Hotel receptionist assisting a guest at the check in counter with a gray suitcase nearby behind the desk

Why trust has become a critical asset for hotel industry marketers

Reputation and trust, once modest influences on hotel choice, have become some of the strongest predictors of patronage, study finds.

Three people in formal attire pose for a photo at an awards event a woman in a pink dress holds a trophy while two men in suits stand beside her against a gold confetti backdrop

FNB bank’s eBucks programme dominates the 2026 SA loyalty awards

South African brands are increasingly setting the global benchmark for customer loyalty strategies, organisers say.

Portrait of a man with short black hair and a beard wearing a black button down shirt against a light gray background

Zambia’s strongest creative ideas are emerging from local truths

Global influences among younger consumers are still present, but they are being filtered through a distinctly Zambian lens.

Yellow humanoid robot at a bakery counter inspecting a display of donuts on display in front of glass cases

Consumers have doubts about products when they’re designed by AI

Researchers find that lack of perceived ‘genuine care’ is the mechanism connecting AI involvement to lower trust ratings.