Newspapers / Amco News (High Point, … / Nov. 1, 1995, edition 1 / Page 2
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. ^ y Page 2 November 1995 I: ^ '# ^ » ' ■ '*■ Our Business Is Building Brands Since the beginning of the 1990s, Adams-Millis has done an about face on its product mix. Just a few years ago, 75 percent of the company’s socks were made for private label and only 25 percent were for brand names. By June of next year, brand names will account for 90 percent of all of the com pany’s sock manufacturing. “The change represents a conscious decision,’’ says Steve Lineberger, vice president of Marketing. “John Bryan (the chairman of Sara Lee Corporation) told shareholders a few years ago that Sara Lee’s business is building brands. USA USA )QC Hanes Proud To Sponsor nre 19% UX Olympic Team From Head To Toe. 999 danes HerWay -if Proud To Sponsor The 19% UX Ol>Tnpic Team From Head To Toe. 36USC380 Adams-Millis is doing ex actly that, and in doing so we’re changing the focus of the entire industry.’’ Hanes and Hanes Her Way brands represent ap proximately 75 percent of Adams-Millis’ annual sales. Adams-Millis has had selling responsibility for the Champion brand for less than two years, but it will represent more than $17 million in annual sales this fiscal year. Just My Size and L’eggs brand socks are even newer. The Spalding line is in the startup phase and is ex pected to make a significant contribution to sales during the next two years. “When Sara Lee ac quired Adams-Millis in 1988, we brought a sock making capability to their branded business,’’ Line berger says. “Sara Lee’s strategy is to market di rectly to end consumers, not to the retailer. While Sara Lee brings the cus tomer into the store, most sock companies rely on the retailer to attract the customer.’’ Although Adams-Millis is the undisputed sales leader in the sock industry, there are approximately 300 other companies in the business that have any where from a fraction of Continued on page 3 I SOCKS athletic apparel El)llirMi;NT YOU WKAfr A Revolution in Socks Adams-Millis is revolu tionizing the sock industry with its packaged-goods approach to sales and marketing. During the last two years, Adams-Millis has begun conducting extensive re search to determine what consumers like and want in their socks. It’s a different approach for the company, and the emphasis is new to the sock industry. “We’re not just throwing things against the wall to see what will stick,’’ says Steve Lineberger, vice president of Marketing. “We go to consumers and ask them what they want in a sock. Then we develop products that meet those characteristics and ask con sumers to test them. Their comments help us deter mine changes to make and how to position the product.” Extensive research went into the development of the several new lines of Adams-Millis socks: Champion Sports Specific ™, Champion Colors Hanes Cool Comfort ™, Hanes Heavyweight^M and Just My Size ™. “It’s important to under stand consumers’ interests and what drives their pur chases. We can take that knowledge to the retailers to help them sell our socks,” Lineberger says. “We believe this approach will redefine the category and create more consumer interest in socks.’’ Spalding Presents New Opportunity Champion Offers Sports Specific Line For anyone who has ever caught a baseball, spiked a volleyball or sliced a golf ball, the Spalding name means sport. And, beginning in Janu ary, it also will mean the comfort of Adams-Millis athletic socks. Sara Lee Knit Products has won the rights to the Spalding name and will be come the master licensee for all Spalding apparel cat- The new premium line of Champion™ Sports Spe cific socks delivers features that meet the performance demands of five of the top participatory sports — court activities, running/ walking, cross training, aerobics and basketball. The socks will be avail able in department, sport ing goods and sport spe cialty stores beginning in June. Among the benefits found in the overall line are: Cushion Max™ sports specific cushioning sys tems for maximum comfort and protection from im pact; technically con structed arch supports for the areas of the feet under going the most motion; natural fiber based blends, predominantly cotton with an acrylic splice yarn to wick away moisture; span- dex for comfort and long wear; and Smooth- stitch™ toe seams to reduee friction and blistering. The two arch support systems employ either a waffle weave for a tighter compres sion to make the sock adhere to the foot, or a ribbed arch support that reduces blistering by minimizing fric tion on the bottom of the foot. “Currently, ath letic socks com prise nearly one- fourth of the dollar share of the total sock market and we expect that growth to continue,’’ said Lynn Fox, marketing manager at Adams-Millis. “In addition, the interest in sports specific merchan dise has reached an all-time Champion™ Sports Specific socks reflect the the needs of particular sports. high. Our research with consumers show that they perceive the sports specific sock market to be overly complicated with so many different styles. They told us that extending the Champion brand name to a simple and clearly defined trend of athletic apparel that meets sock program is a natural,” she said. Adams-Millis designed a concise sock program to avoid the confusion of shopping a large array of styles. Each sock silhouette complements the biome chanics of its sport. egories. A broadened line of sports apparel will be introduced over the next few years. Adams-Millis will produce the white ath letic sock lines in Mount Airy and Barnwell. “For Adams-Millis, it provides an entry into the athletically-inspired sock market,” said Steve Line berger, vice president of Marketing. “It comple ments our Hanes men’s and boys’ lines that we now have in place, and it will help us compete more effectively with Wilson at retail.” Champion’s Color Splash Adams-Millis is attempt ing something that some observers probably thought impossible: adding a fash ion statement to white ath letic sock styling in the new Champion Colors line. Champion Colors offers fashionable styles, youthful graphics and popular sil houettes to embrace the more casual lifestyles and fitness consciousness of the day. The socks are offered in crew, high-top, quarter and tube in combinations of three colors — white, black and silver gray — with the high-top and quarter also available in denim. The Champion name and red and blue logo are promi nent on all of the socks.
Amco News (High Point, N.C.)
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Nov. 1, 1995, edition 1
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