Abstract

The case ‘ASICS Shoes – Can a Record Past Performance Guarantee Future Success?’ is about ASICS Corporation (ASICS), an athletics brand based in Japan. ASICS reported a 28.9 percent increase in sales in the second quarter of 2023 across North America, Europe, Japan, and South Asia. The case deals with reasons for the sales growth and the challenges the company is likely to face in the competitive ‘performance running’ shoes segment. The strategy ASICS adopted to expand globally is also discussed along with the innovation in technology it adopted for producing high performance shoes. The company’s marketing strategy is also dealt with in the case. The challenges ASICS encountered in its quest for global expansion, such as counterfeiting and brand positioning, are put forth in the case along with its plans to transform itself into a digital driven organization. The sports and apparel market across the world is extremely competitive with several brands at the top. Can ASICS maintain its sales growth momentum globally? Can its plan of changing the brand positioning and getting it patronized by the younger generation continue to get the desired results?

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Examine the marketing strategies adopted by ASICS in international markets
• Analyze the brand positioning strategies of ASICS in international markets
• Analyze the market expansion strategies used by ASICS in international markets
• Formulate a strategy for ASICS to enjoy continued success in international markets

Keywords

Marketing Strategies; Brand Positioning Strategies; Market Expansion Strategies; Kelly Fatouretchi; ASICS Shoes; International Marketing; International Business; Generic Strategy; Ansoff’s Product/Market matrix