As Oyama, which market would you penetrate
and why?
In order to reach a larger audience who participates in fun runs, we should widen the customer
segment beyond serious runners. Historically, upper middle class, male, and over 35-year-old runners
have made up the majority of Asics’ core customer base. However, a younger demographic of runners
that ran for fitness and recreation, covered significantly shorter distances, and were price sensitive had
arisen on the market. They didn’t identify with Asics’ value proposition because they saw it as a high–
performance brand that was pricier and frequently worn by serious athletes. The fun run segment
similarly placed more emphasis on the product’s aesthetics and design than on its performance.
These low- to mid-priced segments were already dominated by rivals like Nike and Adidas, who
focused on these fun-run customers. Asics needed to get into this market if it wanted any hope of
competing with them. We can tell from the exhibits that Asics has positioned its brand as True Sport
and Performance, in contrast to how its big rivals Nike and Adidas have achieved a balance between
the four segments of fun, true sport, performance, and lifestyle.
The percentage of finishers for 5k marathons is the highest at 45%, indicating a change in consumer
behavior to the fun run segment. We can see a trend where the number of finishers in US marathons
has been falling each year. Targeting runners who are passionate players, social exercisers, and health
relaxers is particularly important.
Asics might be able to enter this new market with the help of the acquisition of RunKeeper. Due to its
focus on casual runners who run for health reasons, Runkeeper has set itself apart from other fitness
apps that are more performance-oriented for elite athletes. By integrating with the app, Asics could
access this market and connect with these casual runners. With the Runkeeper app, there is also a
chance to reach into the home fitness segment, particularly for women.