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When MITRE met football…
Mitre has been involved in football for quite some time hasn’t it?
Very true,we were established in 1817 by Benjamin Crook as a leather tannery in Huddersfield. Full-scale production of footballs and rugby balls began in 1880. Since then we have become synonymous with football and are the number one manufacturer of footballs in the world selling 3.5million last year.
As a manufacturer of top quality footballs, the brand refuses to sacrifice performance for aesthetics. Just how important is this to the brand and what are the commercial implications?
I disagree, certainly for Mitre the belief has always been that performance is a fundamental aspect to all of our products, whether it is in our football, rugby, cricket or netball ranges.We strive to manufacture balls, footwear and apparel of the highest possible standard to meet the needs of the athletes using them.However, I feel that refusing to sacrifice on performance does not mean that Mitre fails in delivering aesthetically pleasing product. Our new 2008 range, spearheaded by the Revolve footballs and football boots competes aesthetically with any other offerings on the market with the added factor that performance is unquestionable.
Talk us through your range of footballs.
Our UK range of footballs is all-inclusive for every level of the game, boasting over 80 balls.We provide Professional,Match, Training, Specialist and Recreational balls for use on all playing surfaces and with both our traditional Delta design and the new Revolve graphics.
As the world’s leading supplier of footballs Mitre has just launched the Revolve with the cheeky ‘Pass It On’ viral campaign www.mitre.com. This ball will be used throughout the Football League with the added bonus that the 24 Championship teams have been given the great honour of having their own club coloured version of the ball, also hosting their club crest, for training and home matches.
Your football boots have clearly undergone a makeover. Tell us more about this?
I’m glad you noticed! Our previous offering the Vortex Pro received a lot of very positive feedback from athletes that trialled it. Comments about how light, durable and comfortable it was were continuously being repeated. The only suggestion on improving the boot was to make it more exciting to look at. The design team saw this as an opportunity and the striking Revolve Pro was born! This boot comes in two colour options; black/silver/blue and white/red for those footballers who want to make an impact before a ball is kicked.
What football equipment do you provide and just how profitable is it for the brand and for the retailer?
We have expanded our 2008 equipment range to provide everything that a football club could possibly require for training and matches. The range includes various training aids, water bottles, training bibs, hurdles and cones.Attention to detail and careful planning from our recently appointed Equipment Product Manager Damien Chataigner has been the key in shaping a competitive range in terms of quality and price.
What do you think of celebrity endorsements – does Mitre have any such deals with teams and/or individual players?
Celebrity endorsements are certainly a useful vehicle to publicise product quickly and create a profile for a brand. It would be easy to spend countless amounts of money to a high profile footballer to endorse a pair of boots or gloves that are technically insufficient for the stresses they will subject them to. It is our belief that essentially the product has to perform for consumers to purchase it, for this reason as a brand Mitre prefers to sign endorsees, who truly believe in the brand and the product we manufacture. This philosophy has seen us develop a strong relationship with the Football League that we believe it allows us to showcase the best balls in the most competitive league in the world.
We are currently trialling our boots and gloves with a number of football and rugby professionals and our current contracted endorsees include goalkeeper Shane Supple of Ipswich Town, last seasons League Two top goal scorer Richard Barker of Hartlepool United. In rugby,we have two international players wearing our boots; Saracens and England player Kevin Yates and Bristol and Ireland international Peter Bracken.
After a seven year absence Mitre has successfully reentered the football apparel market,with the launch of two, four-year partnerships with Ipswich Town FC and Huddersfield Town FC. The deals will see us supply home and away kits, training and bench wear to both clubs until May 2011.
What have been the brand’s main highlights in all its years in the football industry?
There have been so many! If I had to pick my top three historical football highlights for the brand they would be:
- Mitre’s first football boot endorsee was football legend Denis Law and in 1964 Mitre launched the Denis Law football boots, which if a player wore today they would be laughed off the pitch by fans and team mates.
- The longstanding and successful relationship with the Football League, which records show dates back as far as 1949 and is still going strong today, has seen the brand be a part of the most competitive league in the world. This year sees another exciting initiative come out of the relationship,with the newly designed ball and club specific balls for the Championship.
- And lastly, the 40-year relationship with the Football Association and the England Team has got to be a highlight for the brand.Not only did it allow us to see the ball played with at the most exciting domestic cup competition in football ‘The FA Cup’ it allowed us to test and develop the best ball in the world with the best footballers in the country.
Mitre began production of rugby balls back in 1880, so branching out is maybe the wrong term to use! Our ball was used in the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, and our current sponsorship of the Italian Rugby Association shows that we are still seen as a leading manufacturer of balls.
In addition to this it is very much our aim to become the official kit supplier to a Guinness Premiership Club and potentially an International Association in the near future.
Mitre started manufacturing netballs right back when the game was invented in 1891! We are proud to be the official ball supplier to England Netball with the Mitre Pro International used for all England International and Netball Super League matches.
In September 2006 after Mitre successfully relaunched back into the cricket market with our SKW23 range.Mitre has a strong history in cricket with past endorsees including current England Bowling Coach Alan Donald and England legend Geoffrey Boycott, our aim for the 2008 range is to strengthen and expand, building on our success with the Shane Warne endorsement with a batting endorsement to be announced.
What has been the biggest growth sector for Mitre in recent years and why?
Mitre has experienced phenomenal growth in its educational supply business, which includes schools, colleges, universities and local education authorities. The principal reason for this is that we commit to maintaining levels of our core product. In addition to this we offer the ability to develop special make up product for individual consumer groups.
Has the rise of the Internet affected the brand’s business?
The rise in the Internet has been significant; it has opened up sales marketing channels and presented new challenges.An excellent example of this is the viral launch of the Football League Revolve ball, which has been a huge success with over 50,000 viewings of the video in the short time since it went live.
Although there is constantly work to be done we feel that Mitre has and will continue to make important progress in reaching new consumers through a constantly evolving medium.
What is your relationship with the Independent retailer?
At Mitre we pride ourselves on our excellent relationship with independent retailers.Dealing with 600 independent accounts in the UK they are the focus of our efforts and a fundamental part of our business. Working closely with them on all aspects of the product from innovative point of sale material to technical knowledge of product, allows us to connect with consumers through the shopping experience.
Do you provide your accounts with technical support and merchandising advice?
Certainly,Mitre looks to help our retailers in everyway possible. A classic example of this is that the majority of our retailers find limited floor space a real issue. Solutions to this such as ball suitability charts, slat wall flags and ball swing tags have all been well received. Anything that we can do to utilise space more effectively and display our product more professionally benefits both them and the consumer in their buying decisions.
Can you offer the Independent any tips on how to compete in such a fierce marketplace?
It is impossible and unwise to ignore what’s happening in the sports multiples. Quite simply, independents need to differentiate or risk stagnating. It is essential that they put forward the superior personal service and technical support, which sometimes the larger retailer cannot offer.
