Reebok
Reebok International Limited is a British originally Fortune Global 500 exchange company (NYSE trading symbol: RBK ), which in the U.S. expanded in the 1980s by a licensee, and is a subsidiary of adidas AG since 2006. The company manufactures sports shoes, sports clothing, sports accessories and fashion items. In the field hockey equipment Reebok is a world leader. The name comes from the Afrikaans and English word ( Vaal / Grey ) Rhebok for the African Rehantilope ( in Afrikaans today Ribbok, generally for buck ).
History
The History of Reebok began in 1895, when the company JW Foster and Sons was founded in Bolton, United Kingdom. The family established the racing shoes for the participating athletes for the Olympic Summer Games 1924.
1958 started two of the grandson of the founder, a joint venture, which became known under the name Reebok.
In 1979, the American entrepreneur Paul Fireman, a partner in an outdoor sports sales, during an international trade show, the Reebok shoes. He acquired the distribution rights for the North American region as a license of JW Foster and resulted in the same year a three running shoes in the United States. With a price of $ 60 they were at that time the most expensive running shoes available.
In 1981, the British Pentland Group for about $ 75,000 a 55 % stake in Reebok USA Ltd.. Fireman. The latter had come in the highly competitive American sports market after initial successes in financial difficulties. Through his contacts with manufacturers in Asia and with innovative design ideas developed at that time Pentland boss Stephen Rubin, who served as CEO of Reebok USA from 1981 to 1984, the small American footwear brand Reebok with damaligem based in Stoughton, Massachusetts, in a few years into a major sports brand. The market share of Reebok in the U.S. market was the mid-1980s at nearly 35%. With particularly directed to a female clientele, colorful aerobics shoes, Reebok in the early 1980s made a name. The proceeds under Firemans leadership had still amounted to $ 300,000 in 1984 generated Reebok already has a conversion of 66 million dollars. That same year, Rubin and Fireman purchased the Reebok brand and thus the international trademark of JW Foster for $ 700,000 and extended the range to include tennis shoes. 1985 brought Rubin and Fireman Reebok on the New York Stock Exchange, which Pentland revenue of more than $ 12 million achieved. 1986 already over 900 million dollars were obtained with the Reebok brand worldwide. With the waning of the aerobic wave in 1986, the company had expanded its portfolio by Reebok basketball shoes, children shoes, sportswear and accessories. At the same time walking shoe manufacturer Rockport Company was bought. In 1987, Reebok North America license of the Italian sports brand Ellesse. In 1990 the U.S. so far managed separately and the international division at Reebok were combined. In the late 1980s the Reebok revenues declined despite intensive advertising and sponsorship campaigns. With the introduction of the popular The Pump (see below), the company won lost market share, especially in the European market back. 1991 Pentland sold after the end of a 10- year contract his Reebok- share step by step to Reebok and their shareholders, the investment banks First Boston Corporation and Montgomery Securities, and finally achieved that more than 700 million dollars. Early 1990s was the Reebok brand available worldwide in more than 140 countries.
Success with Freestyle and Ex-O -Fit in the 80s
Reebok had been a large increase in popularity in 1982, when the freestyle running shoe, a woman shoe introduced, which came at the beginning of the aerobic fitness craze in the market. The freestyle shoe was popular not only as a sport but also as a road shoe because it was very comfortable and had a nice design. As a result, the Freestyle became an icon of 1980s style. It is also higher closing shoe models were introduced (with two velcro straps at the top ) as well as many different colored models. To date, the production of the Freestyle continues under the label Reebok Classics, since it is primarily as a lifestyle shoe very popular.
Following the success of the Freestyle Reebok shoe led also an equally popular sports shoe for men, the Ex-O -Fit was called. Just like Freestyle low and high cut shoe models have also been developed. However, in contrast to freestyle the high closing Ex-O -Fit only had one velcro to close the shoe.
The invention of PUMP in the early 90s
In 1989, Reebok under the guidance of Paul Litchfield (now Vice President of Development ), the Reebok Pump technology, with the successes achieved legendary brand in the coming years. The pumping shoes included air chambers which can be filled with a small, built-in into the shoe pump. Through these air chambers, the shoes fit better to fit the wearer's foot. The shoe posted by its prominent carrier wide attention, such as by the athlete Dee Brown and Michael Chang. Even today, the PUMP- shoe is using its technology to get into certain lifestyle shops. In November 2009, Reebok celebrated the 20th anniversary of the sneaker.
Further developments
In the past, Reebok had an association with farms where the workers were exploited - so-called sweatshops, but today the company is engaged in the field of human rights. In April 2004, the shoe department of Reebok was recognized as the first company of the Fair Labor Association.
Since 2002 the company has the exclusive right, authentic and counterfeit jerseys for the National Football League ( NFL) both produce and market it. Since 2004, she has acquired the rights for the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Canadian Football League and the National Hockey League ( NHL).
Reebok is also the official shoe supplier to the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball, and was one of the main sponsors of tennis player Andy Roddick, before Reebok ended the sponsorship relationship in April 2005. Venus Williams is still supported. Since the 2006/2007 season Reebok is now the main sponsor of Thierry Henry. This moved from its longtime outfitter Nike to Reebok. In the summer of 2008, the racing driver Lewis Hamilton has signed a multi-year contract with the sports equipment manufacturer. In addition, be equipped Ryan Giggs, Iker Casillas and Andriy Shevchenko and other international athletes from Reebok.
The company holds the brand and production rights, among others, Rockport, Ralph Lauren RLX shoes, CCM, Koho , Jofa, to Reebok Hockey sports equipment and accessories at Reebok Classics, G-Unit, S. Carter and Daddy Yankee road lifestyle shoes and accessories.
The company also demonstrated today its English roots by the long -term support of the Bolton Wanderers, an English Premiership football club. When the club moved in the late 1990s into a new area, their new "home" Reebok Stadium was baptized. Another first division club, Manchester City, signed a nearly 5 - million British pound equipment contract in 2003.
Takeover by the adidas Group
On August 3, 2005 adidas announced that the Group intends to competitors Reebok International Ltd.. for 3.1 billion euros (3.8 billion dollars ) to buy. Since January 2006, Reebok is part of the adidas AG, adidas which could increase the market share in North America. On 1 April 2008, Uli Becker 's new CEO and President of Reebok.
Sponsoring 1.FC Cologne
From 1 July 2008 to 2012 Reebok was supplier for the 1st FC Cologne. The 1st FC Cologne was the only club that was equipped from Reebok in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga. The collaboration continued until the end of season 2011/2012 and was then replaced by Erima. Reebok takes place afterwards in the football business back in order to focus more on its brand focus fitness.
Collaboration with Cirque du Soleil
The beginning of 2009, Reebok introduced in Germany for the first time JUKARI Fit to Fly, which was developed in collaboration with the Canadian circus company Cirque du Soleil. This new workout is feasible only with a special device, the so-called FlySet. By working with Cirque du Soleil and gyms that offer the Workout, Reebok wants to raise its corporate profile on the women's fitness industry.
Women's Runs
As a further measure of the focus on the women's fitness area in recent years the brand in Germany, the Reebok Women's Runs leads also through in different cities.
The case EasyTone
Mid-2009, the company launched the new EasyTone footwear technology to the market. The shoe should train by special air chambers in the sole of the leg and glutes in addition. The manufacturer tried the shoe both as a sport and as an everyday shoe with the slogan to position " The gym on the go " and thus to secure a leading position in the so-called toning segment. This reached with the first Abrollschuh, who came in the late nineties to the market by Karl Muller, a high popularity.
The advertising promises of EasyTone series learned in 2011, however, sensitive headwinds from the U.S. Trade Commission Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This threw Reebok ago that it could not provide any convincing scientific evidence of the promised effect and agreed with the Company to pay a fine of 25 million U.S. dollars have been compensated with the misguided customers.