Adidas appears to have scored an own goal with its stance on pricing the replica new-look All Blacks rugby jerseys.
By enabling different pricing structures for the global, online market and New Zealand retail outlets, the company has got itself offside with most New Zealand sports fans.
Adidas has every right to
seek a return on its considerable investment as the major supplier of rugby jerseys. But the public of New Zealand take considerable umbrage at being asked to pay more locally than the product costs online and shipped to its destination. It hardly helped the cause when it was reported yesterday that worldrugbyshop.com had been asked by adidas to remove New Zealand as a delivery option.
That hardly looks like the action of a company aiming to win loyalty for its brand and products.
High-profile New Zealanders have been quick to criticise the pricing policy, with Prime Minister John Key and Labour leader Phil Goff yesterday joining the likes of Colin Meads in opposing the stand.
Suggestions by adidas that New Zealanders understood they were supporting local rugby when they bought a jersey and that the price reflected adidas' investment in the game are nonsense.
The company may well invest a considerable portion in sponsorship of the All Blacks and other rugby programmes. Surely it also gains enough from that association with our most successful sporting code and team that it doesn't need to target local fans for extra revenue.
New Zealand supporters deserve better. We can only hope this doesn't leave a sour taste to our tournament campaign.
