Amit Das Gupta steps down as VP of brand and eCommerce at adidas SEA

Amit Das Gupta is leaving his role as VP, brand and VP, eCommerce at adidas in Southeast Asia. Das Gupta told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that after 22 years with adidas and 28 years of working, he is heading off to Phuket for an early retirement. His last day with the company is 31 December. It is understood that there is no direct replacement for Das Gupta's role. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to adidas for comment.

In his most recent role, Das Gupta was responsible for managing the company’s day-to-day brand and eCommerce areas, defining overall strategies and team development across the Southeast Asia region. He has worked across various functions and geographies starting in brand communications in adidas India. He also worked across marketing, sales, and general management across Southeast Asia and the Pacific markets.

Separately, adidas recently launched its largest Southeast Asia brand centre at Sunway Pyramid in Malaysia. The new brand centre aims to offer an elevated consumer experience with an extensive range of sports performance and sports style products. It also incorporates Malaysian elements, such as prominent local landmarks within the store interior. According to adidas, its new brand centre presents a reinterpretation of the adidas Trefoil logo (pictured above) that mimics an authentic old school local shop front. The sports brand also partnered with more than 100 KOLs to the store's opening and post about the elevated brand experience. 

The sports brand also joined a list of other brands entering the NFT scene via a four-way collaboration with Bored Ape Yacht Club, Pixel Valut's Punks Comic and crypto investor Gmoney. The brands have since posted teaser visuals of their NFTs donned in apparel with their own logo as well as adidas' logo on them. It first dipped its toes into the metaverse through a partnership with cryptocurrency platform Coinbase on 25 November and NFT gaming firm The Sandbox.

Adidas's revenue only grew by 3% in Q3 2021 and the brand explained that the geopolitical situation in Greater China contributed to the slow growth. According to adidas, the challenging market environment in Greater China, extensive COVID-related lockdowns in Asia Pacific as well as industry-wide supply chain disruptions reduced revenue growth by around US$679 million in the third quarter.

APAC sales dipped by 8% due to the impact of extensive lockdowns in the region. Meanwhile, other markets such as Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) as well as North America both grew by 9%. In addition, revenue in Latin America grew by 55%.

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