Molly Seidel Signing BIG Contract w/ PUMA!

+ Jenna Prandini

agc5k wrote:

Saucony is the best option for her, and her current training/coaching set up is working well for her, so why change things up? Does Puma even have any shoes? Unless the money is there, she should stay with Saucony.

What do you mean by the best option? Saucony is hands off. Her coach has no connection, and she basically gets to do what she wants. Most shoe companies would let her do her own thing. Nike's the one most likely to have strings attached about her training setup.

Seems to me there are really three main considerations, in this order:

1) Shoes. She needs to be confident that she'll have competitive footwear wherever she signs. That might include her being allowed to wear another brand (as On did with its athletes initially). Heck, even Nike allowed Tiger Woods to use a Titleist driver. Why do I rank shoes as the number one consideration? Because the only reason for an American to be a pro runner is because you love running and want to see how good you can be. If you're going to compromise on something you need to be competitive, just for more money, then you might as well just get a real job and make more.

2) Who offers the better contract. Of course, these are rarely apples to apples comparisons, and they can be structured very differently, with different risks related to upside and downside. But it's largely a question of money.

3) Quality of the relationship with Saucony. If contracts are comparable, I'd expect her to stay with Saucony since they supported her through eating disorder treatment, surgery, etc. On the other hand, you never know in what ways a relationship can sour, but I'd presume that the relationship is good. If Saucony isn't in the ballpark of what other are offering, though, the relationship shouldn't matter.

shoeless wrote:

Doubtful - Saucony remains listed as sponsor on her website

Her Instagram is probably is what she thinks about most. She probably wouldn’t even think to update her sponsor page on her website right away. I doubt her website gets much traffic compared to her social media platforms

Puma have finally bitten the bullet and gone for the long game.

They're putting together all areas of attack.

- New product line. V1 mix of everyday training and performance racing rolled out in January and another big launch V2 in the summer. Simply copied the key winning principles of the likes of Brooks Ghost and Adrenaline. Plus re-engineered the nxt%. Prob the easiest way to get it going. No messing about.

- Innovation. In fact their are still a few innovation engineers and strategic roles open online.

Signed some PEBA and that nitrogen infused foam suppliers. Fired alot of old dead wood and now on the prowl for new innovation team. Integrating many better processes like Finite Element Analysis, Digital Twins, investment into top tier material suppliers, new partnership with biomechinic gurus like Nigg

- Product team. FINALLY they're taking the performance product team seriously. The previous (now fired) GM was all about getting into Footlocker and didn't even know what RunningWarehouse was!!

One last open job in the product creation team in Boston still open.

- Sales and Tech reps. Total new team built in US plus more investment across Europe, Japan, Australia and South Africa. Still a few open jobs in the US if anyone here interested.

- Distance Athlete budget. Consider they still have alot of top tier track and field stars.. Karsten Warholm, Andre De Grass, Will Claye, Pedro Pichardo, Italian High Jump guy Gianmarco Tamberi, Jamaica, Cuba, Bahamas, South Africa, Australia, Swiss..

Now they have a 5+ year budget for the likes of Molly Seidel, Cragg's new MD group who'll be pushed to rival the likes of Tinman from a social media, grass roots POV.

Word amongst a few agents is another new squad in Europe picking up alot of none- renewed 2020 contracts like Gesa Kraus.. plus some very impactful East Africans for major champs marathons and WMM's..

This is only good news for our sport. More investment that hopefully gives more athletes a chance to 'make it'.

tschuuss,

Rudi

Her strava says she’s sponsored by Chipotle and Jelly Belly is that true too? Why aren’t they on her instagram?

Her Strava also lists Jack Daniels (the whiskey) as a sponsor. Must be a sign she's switching to Jack Daniels (the coach).

notMollySeidel wrote:

Her strava says she’s sponsored by Chipotle and Jelly Belly is that true too? Why aren’t they on her instagram?

No, she’s trying to spread awareness that her girl runner fans need to eat. She has a great story with that as many know by now. It’s the same with Jack Daniels on Strava.

She wants her girl fans to think she partakes in this eating and drinking even though she prob rarely does.

You guys are all mentioning sprinters...smh

She must have a contract that expires at the end of 2020(which kinda makes sense as Olympics where scheduled for this year).

Isn't Molly going to Nike as next step?

Got a link for that job there bud? There's only like a few million looking lol

Word on the street is that the Melbourne Track Club is also making the switch from Nike to Puma in 2021

Not surprising. Molly's stock skyrocketed after she won gold in 800 / broke the AR in Doha. Good move!

Consider the layoffs from Nike earlier this year and there are plenty of very talented footwear, apparel designer types looking for work or readily available. The only major hinderance to their hiring and starting work might be the separation agreement imposed by their former employer. i fully expect other brands will have product available in 2021 / 2022 equivalent to Nike performance types.

Don't forget that John Capriotti is out at Nike. That company has reorganized and unloaded a lot of long timers. The current CEO comes from the technology world and is pushing the company to do more consumer direct business. Most of the track obsessed "Eugene Mafia" has retired. Running is no longer the focus at Nike and is getting a smaller piece of the financial pie. Llewellyn Starks, a former long jumper, seems to be Capriotti's replacement. I don't know what affinity he has for distance running or what that will mean for BTC, Team Julian, or other Nike club funding.

Puma and others may be seeing an opportunity to scoop up some talent and some established clubs/coaches in order to grow their running business. Bolt, and now Warholm and Duplantis, gives Puma a cornerstone to build on.

Portland Hobby Jogger wrote:

Don't forget that John Capriotti is out at Nike. That company has reorganized and unloaded a lot of long timers. The current CEO comes from the technology world and is pushing the company to do more consumer direct business. Most of the track obsessed "Eugene Mafia" has retired. Running is no longer the focus at Nike and is getting a smaller piece of the financial pie. Llewellyn Starks, a former long jumper, seems to be Capriotti's replacement. I don't know what affinity he has for distance running or what that will mean for BTC, Team Julian, or other Nike club funding.

Puma and others may be seeing an opportunity to scoop up some talent and some established clubs/coaches in order to grow their running business. Bolt, and now Warholm and Duplantis, gives Puma a cornerstone to build on.

Question: What kind of advantages there are in sponsoring elite running? I mean, obviously the sport is quite popular on a recreational level, but only very few of those participating in the big city marathons or turkey trots are interested in professional running.

I often wondered why Nike seems to be so obsessed with it, but always kind of concluded that it's because of the company's background and people like Alberto Salazar being close with the likes of Phil Knight. However, also Adidas sponsors a lot of random african elites and if it's true that Puma tries to join the game it has to be worth something?! Genuinely interested

industryoutsider wrote:

Question: What kind of advantages there are in sponsoring elite running? I mean, obviously the sport is quite popular on a recreational level, but only very few of those participating in the big city marathons or turkey trots are interested in professional running.

I often wondered why Nike seems to be so obsessed with it, but always kind of concluded that it's because of the company's background and people like Alberto Salazar being close with the likes of Phil Knight. However, also Adidas sponsors a lot of random african elites and if it's true that Puma tries to join the game it has to be worth something?! Genuinely interested

While I agree that Nike focused on T&F and elite running in a way that could not bring a reasonable return on investment, likely because of its roots with that scene in the 70s and 80s, I do think that there is now some financial upside to being in the elite running game with the supershoes. At Chicago in 2019, everyone was in the Next%s. While hobby joggers won't buy the new Dragonfly spikes, they will buy whatever supershoe might take 5 minutes off their marathon time. Five years ago, this market was in a mix of shoes and weren't wearing 4oz flats to run a 3:30 marathon. 18 months ago, they were all in Nike supershoes because of the marketing and the benefit. This has got to be a valuable market segment worth going after and having athletes who can run well on the roads in supershoes would seem to be wise.

Portland Hobby Jogger wrote:

. Llewellyn Starks, a former long jumper, seems to be Capriotti's replacement. .

You have got to be kidding.

This is like the scene in 'The Goonies' when they give the framed map to Chunk and start counting, waiting for him to drop it. Whoever gave Starks that job wants Nike T+F to fail.

Wrong. Craig Masback is the new John Capriotti.

I hope that you are right. His current title is VP Sports Marketing/Greater China, Japan, and Global Business Affairs according to LinkedIn. I had heard that Starks stepped in right after Cap left and that he and Lotwis were tag teaming the T & F portfolio during the re-org. Is Masback a caretaker until they name a permanent replacement? He is 65 and I can't see him being there for the long term.