adidas

THE CHALLENGE
Adidas approached me when their skateboarding division was failing to gain traction in a category dominated by endemic brands. The team lacked cultural credibility, product-market fit, and authentic community connection. The skateboarding community viewed them as corporate outsiders attempting to exploit the culture rather than serve it.

THE APPROACH
I delivered a comprehensive transformation roadmap spanning product development, brand positioning, community strategy, and organizational structure. Rather than treating skateboarding as simply another product category, I architected an authenticity-first strategy that prioritized genuine cultural engagement over quick commercial wins.

THE STRATEGY
The roadmap integrated three core pillars: product innovation aligned with skateboarder needs, community-driven marketing that earned rather than bought credibility, and strategic talent partnerships that signaled cultural commitment. I conducted deep research into skateboarding's subcultural dynamics, competitive landscape analysis, and identified whitespace opportunities where Adidas could add legitimate value.

THE INFLECTION POINT
The centerpiece recommendation: sign Mark Gonzales, one of street skateboarding's founding innovators and most respected figures. Beyond his athletic legacy, Gonzales brought multidimensional cultural capital as a visual artist and poet who had performed skateboarding art in museums. This partnership would deliver instant authenticity — a signal that Adidas understood and respected the culture.

THE IMPACT
The Mark Gonzales partnership became the longest-running shoe endorsement deal in skateboarding history, spanning 25+ years and counting. Following implementation of the roadmap, Adidas ascended to #2 in the skateboarding footwear category — now a multibillion-dollar market in the U.S. alone. The transformation demonstrated that cultural authentication, when executed with strategic rigor and genuine respect for community, unlocks sustainable commercial growth.