Puma CEO and ‘golden boy of global branding’ Jochen Zeitz, is interviewed in the London Times today.
And he made Puma cool with a series of gambles, such as pouring money into Jamaican reggae. “We are a sports brand but we want to be something else, too. Jamaica is perfect. There are athletes but also the atmosphere, the climate, the music, the lifestyle.â€
The newspaper reported that having taken over the flagging sportswear company as a 29-year-old in 1993, Zeitz increased sales by 50 per cent between 2004 and 2006, reported the newspaper – no small thanks to having splashing ‘Brand Jamaica’ all over Puma shoes, clothes and marketing campaigns.