How adidas Outdoor Changed the Behavior of Outdoor Sports Enthusiasts With Greg Thomsen, Former Managing Director at agron, Inc.

From Persona To Personal

Greg Thomsen retired as Managing Director at agron, Inc., the exclusive licensed dealer for adidas products, at the beginning of 2023. Greg is an outdoor industry icon who earned the Lifetime Outdoor Retailer Inspiration Award from Outdoor Retailer in 2019 for inspiring countless generations to embrace the outdoors. With his accomplishments at Nike, where he served as Director of Marketing, and the successful introduction of adidas Outdoor, Greg is a pillar of today's $360 billion outdoor community and continues to have a positive impact.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

When adidas decided to offer outdoor sports apparel in 2011, store shelves were already crowded with gear from well-established brands like Patagonia and North Face. Although industry experts warned adidas against competing in this space, the brand expanded its offering and aimed at new potential customers. A decade later, adidas Outdoor is a primary option for outdoor sports enthusiasts everywhere. How did the brand reposition itself and capture market share?

Greg Thomsen, an experienced corporate leader in the outdoor sports and sporting goods industries, explains how adidas (and agron, inc., the exclusive licensed dealer for adidas products) leveraged its place as an authentic athlete support system. The company identified young climbers who could introduce adidas Outdoor to the masses. Since this demographic wants a fresh style, the updated performance gear resonated among outdoor sports enthusiasts. Additionally, adidas Outdoor provided content ideas and stories for popular magazines, featured a well-known mountaineer at trade shows, and hired a champion female rock climber to wear the apparel, effectively reaching its target market.

On this episode of From Persona to Personal, Roger Hurni discusses the launch of adidas Outdoor with an icon in the outdoor sports industry, Greg Thomsen, who recently retired as Managing Director at agron, Inc., the exclusive licensed dealer for adidas products. Greg talks about why adidas decided to join the crowded outdoor sports apparel market, its targeted audience and marketing efforts, the people and channels used to promote the products, and the value of ignoring naysayers.