Skins, an Australian brand of compression garments that broke through in the British market with striking marketing tactics last year, is preparing similar moves in several European countries in September. The brand’s managers believe it should reach sales of at least €40 million across Europe within three years, targeting independent sports accounts, specialist stores for runners, team sports players and skiers.
The highly remarked British launch was orchestrated by David Ling, former sales and marketing director at Adidas UK and Hi-Tec. The British industry veteran was appointed last year as general manager of Skins’ European subsidiary, established in England in June 2006.
Competing with the likes of Under Armour and Nike Pro, Skins invested about £1million (€1.4m-$2.0m) in a comprehensive marketing campaign to introduce the brand in the British market. It included TV commercials with eye-catching and somewhat provocative contents – for example a picture showing a woman in a small top with dark hair sprouting from her chest, under the tagline “Improve your sports performance without the side effects.”
The company, which has nothing to do with the American footwear firm by the same name, intends to introduce Skins apparel in the same way in September in six European countries. The brand will be sold through agents in France under the leadership of Philippe Laloy, manager of Rivat, a small sports shoe company. The German distributor is Embassy Sport, former distributor of McDavid. Intrade, which sells Lotto and Etonic in Switzerland, has taken up Skins as well. In Italy the deal went to Team Sport, which already sells Jako and Zoggs. The Scandinavian market will be handled by Energy Sport, a Danish-based firm selling Giant and Compex, among others, that will launch Skins in September in Denmark and Sweden, adding Finland and Norway in 2008. To supervise this European push, Skins is on the look-out for two regional sales managers to cover the South and the North of Europe.
Four years after its inception, Skins has achieved market leadership in the segment of compression garments in Australia, with sales of about €12 million. The company has reaped multiple awards for its advertising campaigns, which will be sub-titled in Europe. It will broaden its offering in Australia this year with a range aimed at cyclists that should be introduced in Europe next year.
