If someone ever invents a time machine, sporting giant Adidas would probably bid every dollar in the bank to get their hands on it. So that they can go back in time and sign whatever deal Michael Jordan presents in front of them. How big a mistake Adidas made by not signing a deal with then desperate MJ can be understood from the fact that last year, the Jordan brand raked in $5.2 Billion in revenue.
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As it turns out, in an attempt to replicate what MJ did with Nike, Adidas decided to join hands with NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes a while back. The multi-million dollar deal actually made a lot of sense as Patrick is being regarded as the next NFL GOAT and this time, in order to avoid repeating the “Michael Jordan Mistake,” Adidas, which earned $25 Billion in revenue last year, didn’t allow the massive money-minting opportunity to go in vain.
Adidas eyes Jordan-like success after signing Patrick Mahomes
Patrick, after Tom Brady’s retirement, is arguably the best active quarterback in the competition. After all, not many QBs have taken their units to 3 three Super Bowls in 6 years. Hence, Adidas has to be credited for not wasting any time when it came to inking a deal with the poster boy of the biggest league on the planet.
However, Adidas and Mahomes would still want a lot of things to go their way in order to replicate the success achieved by MJ and Nike. Actually, Michael was able to transform Jordan into a brand that transcended the boundaries of the sport. Even people who aren’t interested in basketball, want to own Jordans.
MJ’s passion, Nike’s vision, and of course, a superlative marketing strategy made the Jordan-Nike deal one of the most profitable and iconic partnerships in the history of footwear industry. Moreover, it is going to be double tough for Mahomes to carve out a niche for himself in the incredibly saturated market, something which MJ avoided by being ahead of the curve.
Patrick’s on-field performances might decide the fate of his brand
One has to admit that Michael’s consistency, when it came to achieving astonishing feats on the basketball court, also played a massive role in popularizing his brand. With 6 championship titles, 6 NBA final MVP honors, and 5 regular season MVP awards in his kitty, MJ ensured that the ones who owned his shoes, felt as if they are the winners, the ones above the ordinary.
This is what proved to be one of the biggest pulls for the Jordans. Fans connected instantly with the brand and over time, the connection got even stronger. In Mahomes’ case, things have just started to boom. While one can’t deny that Patrick is indeed one of the most consistent signal-callers in the NFL, how consistent he turns out to be in the years to come is yet to be seen.
While Patrick and Adidas have tasted some success by bringing in emotional value with “Family Time” color-way for their special Mahomes-1 sneakers, in order to achieve the ultimate goal, they would have to keep coming up with similar stuff for a long time. In addition to that, Mahomes’ on-field success will also play a huge role in deciding how big the Mahomes x Adidas partnership turns out to be.
