New Balance Athletic Shoes Case Study

Problems In reviewing the case of New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. it is clear that there are a few major problems that the company is facing. First of all, New Balance falls behind its other major competitors, Nike, Adidas and Reebok, in the area of marketing. Unlike its competitors, New Balance does not undertake celebrity endorsements. This puts them at a disadvantage when it comes to brand building. This also causes the company to lose out somewhat on gaining awareness on a global scale as it lacks endorsements in major sporting events. Most global brand names generate strong brand recognition through celebrity endorsements in sporting events that would give them the needed momentum to carry their brand name further into the global market. A second problem that New Balance faces is its limited product line. New Balance prides itself on providing quality athletic shoes for the serious athlete. However, the market has been shifting to not only include serious athletes, but it now also caters to the more fashion-oriented crowd. This crowd tends to be from the younger generation, the part of the population that New Balance has so far not been focusing on. New Balance has geared itself toward the older crowd, which has severely limited the company as far as its ability to expand into new product areas and remain competitive in the changing market. Another problem that New Balance has been facing is manufacturing costs. With its competitors outsourcing most of their manufacturing to other countries such as China, Nike, Adidas and Reebok have been able to cut their manufacturing costs significantly. New Balance on the other hand only outsources 75% of its U.S. volume while retaining the remaining 25% for final assembly in one of its five factories.

Strategies In dealing with New Balance’s weakness in the area of marketing it would be beneficial for the company to find a celebrity to endorse their product line. New Balance has always been against celebrity