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By Andrew Jobling, WGSN, 21 April 2011
Sports brand Admiral has recently come under new ownership in much of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and there are plans for a rejuvenation based on heritage and fashion.
Admiral is a UK sports brand with a proud tradition - including a period spent as the kit manufacturer for the England football (soccer) team - and now a new management team is aiming to restore it to its former glories through a focus on its heritage appeal and an offer consisting of aspirational, affordable brand fashion.
Admiral Sportswear Ltd now owns the brand in most of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East after completing a deal in February (there has also been a separate recent acquisition of the brand in North & South America, Africa and the Caribbean), and Tim Gardiner, sales and marketing director, said the chance to get hold of the brand was too good to miss.
“Opportunities like these don’t come along very often, in terms of owning the brand,” he said. “Having looked at the brand, its heritage and its recent history, we felt there was an opportunity.
“There’s been a resurgence of heritage brands in sports - just look at brands like Fred Perry and Lyle & Scott. We felt with a decisive strategy we could reenergise the brand.”
Products
Gardiner said that the Admiral product range would be split across three categories: Performance, which focuses on training gear; Admiral Gold, a heritage collection that will be distributed through non-sport menswear categories; and Admiral Style, which concentrates on sports-inspired leisurewear.
Product is due to be launched at the end of the year, with Admiral looking to appoint licensees by territory - and is currently in advance discussions with the first two markets. Gardiner said that in terms of design, it will take a lead in seasonal styles and themes but would also give creative license to the market.
“We have very strong brand guidelines, but also we have to take into account regional differences and opportunities,” he said. “We’re looking for people who have the ability to design, develop and sell Admiral, whether that is sport or style.”
Winning Consumers
The consumers Admiral is targeting are as would be expected, given the history of the brand. For example, the Performance category is aimed broadly at males who are interested in football, and while the Gold range is targeted at a different market, there is some cross-over, Gardiner says, with it appealing to fashionconscious males aged 17-30, “who want a credible, authentic sports heritage brand”.
The new Admiral collections aren’t being specifically aimed at original fans, however, with the plan being to grow a new audience through an up-to-date interpretation.
“With some other heritage brands, the people who are wearing it don’t remember it the first time round,” Gardiner said. “This has to be on-trend.”
“Admiral also isn’t producing a female line yet, although Gardiner said he envisions one in the future.”
“We want to organically grow this brand, treat it carefully over the next five years,” he said. “We have no targets to do things more quickly.”
So what does Admiral have now that will make it more of a success than it has been in recent times? Gardiner says that it’s having the new team in place that will make the difference.
“I think we’ve got a very clear focus on developing it as a brand. Product, distribution, marketing strategies - we understand these dynamics and we have a strong plan,” he said.
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