A Good Deal? PUMA Project Leader Praises Neymar Jr.: “Very Positive Impact”

 

 

The announcement of the partnership between PUMA and Neymar Jr., through NR Sports—the company responsible for managing the Brazilian athlete’s image and career—recently marked its one-year anniversary. Even in the midst of a pandemic, the partnership has enabled the sports brand to set records on social media, achieve organic growth in organic media coverage, and generate significant revenue from product sales.

 

 

The first sign that the partnership would be beneficial for both sides appeared in the very first days following the announcement of the “The King Is Back” campaign (September 12, 2020), which featured Neymar Jr. wearing the iconic KING soccer cleat, previously worn by Pelé, Maradona, and Johan Cruyff. Within three days, PUMA saw an unprecedented surge in activity on its social media channels.

 

The announcement of Neymar Jr.'s joining the PUMA family set a record for the company on its official channels, generating new followers, mentions, and high engagement. In total, the 44 social media channels posted about the partnership across four different platforms, achieving 58.3 million impressions and 2.95 million engagements over a three-day period (September 12–15, 2020).

 

 

Trending on social media

 

“We decided to use it across all our social media channels in different categories at the same time, and its promotional posts generated the highest engagement on at least six of the many PUMA channels we have on Instagram. In the first six months of the partnership, We gained 500,000 new followers on the @PUMAFootball account, on Instagram, and Brazil has become our number one fan base on the platform,” explained Clément Lacour, PUMA’s special projects lead for Neymar Jr.

 

 

That represented a 13.5% increase in six months for just one of the profiles mentioned. What’s striking, however, is the speed at which this occurred. With Neymar Jr., the average number of new followers for @PUMAFootball on Instagram was nearly 84,000 per month.

 

“When we signed Neymar Jr., we knew we were adding one of the most famous and widely followed people in the world, and that’s very clearly reflected in his impact,” adds Lacour.

 

 

New consumers

 

 

The number of new followers quickly translated into customers for the brand as well. “Signing Neymar Jr. had a very positive impact on our business overall,” explains the PUMA representative. Lacour adds that the numbers have become increasingly clear. “In particular, we’ve seen spectacular growth in France and have had great success in Brazil with the (Future Z Brazil) collection we launched before the start of the last Copa América,” he notes.

 

 

Beyond Soccer

 

But anyone who thinks that the appeal of products associated with the athlete stems solely from soccer is mistaken. PUMA recently launched its first “LifeStyle” collection in collaboration with Neymar Jr.—meaning the star player participated in and provided input on the development of the items.

 

 

“They were inspired by the cities where Neymar Jr. grew up (São Vicente and Santos) in Brazil, and the online response and sales have been promising. This shows that interest in Neymar Jr. extends beyond the soccer field and performance products. He’s not only one of the best players in the world, but he’s also one of the coolest and most authentic off the field because of his lifestyle, and people admire him for his ‘off-field’ persona,” said Lacour.

 

 

Custom Soccer Shoes

 

Of course, PUMA also went out of its way to offer Neymar Jr. a custom soccer cleat tailored to his unique playing style. That’s how the “Future Z” came to be. “The cleat he wears, the Future Z, is designed for star players who stand out for their incredible dribbling skills, vision, and ball control.”

 

 

The first model, released in December 2020, featured a compression strap across the midfoot for a snug fit and agility. The outsole was designed to provide better traction on the field, and the upper incorporates Gripcontrol Pro technology to enhance touch and ball control. “Working closely with Neymar Jr., we identified these as the three key features to enhance his playing style,” says the head of the German brand.

 

Teamwork

 

 

Neymar da Silva Santos, president and partner at NR Sports, considers the partnership a watershed moment for the company. “The year has gone by very quickly. Both parties have gained a lot from this partnership, which makes us very happy and satisfied. We feel like we’re part of the same family. We’ve been building major projects together, and we see that people are increasingly interested in what Neymar Jr. and PUMA are doing and creating. This visibility has a very positive effect that also attracts other athletes and public figures as new partners,” said the businessman.

 

“Looking back on our first year together, I think it’s impressive to see everything we’ve accomplished together. The number of campaigns and collections we’ve managed to develop in such a short time is truly incredible, and it all shows just how well this partnership has worked,” concludes Clement Lacour.