Buzz Queens Why Rihanna and Kylie Jenner are critical to Puma’s ambitious new women’s push. By Sheena Butler-Young GE CHINSEE R O E S: G R THE O L AL AND; R B F O Y S E T R U O C : BU AM J OCK; ST R SHUTTE X Behind S: LEPORE: RE the scenes ofO a recent FentyOT design meetingPH ver Easter weekend, why Puma is making the trendset- are nothing new, but the German Rihanna was relishing ting songstress a cornerstone of its footwear-and-apparel maker’s col- a rare few hours of business strategy. laborations with two of pop culture’s O downtime in New But the brand isn’t stopping there. most influential women are not of Last week, the highly anticipated the garden variety. from her Anti World Tour. Scores sneaker from Puma’s campaign with Rihanna, Puma’s women’s creative of paparazzi snapped flicks of the Kylie Jenner hit stores, fueling a new director since December 2014, and UMA P star as she ran errands in a black wave of buzz after the queen of social Kylie Jenner, the brand’s newest F O Vetements hoodie and fur slides media teased her partnership for the ambassador, represent a strategic Y S E T from her Fenty x Puma collection. past month on Instagram. R U O Make no mistake about it: Puma to the women’s market in an unprec- C S: Rihanna’s every fashion move is a is serious about girl power. edented way. O OT statement for the masses. And that’s Celebrity-brand endorsements “Women can sell sneakers to PH 16 INS IDE R . women,” said Adam Petrick, global Puma collection in February, active lifestyle we want to portray,” director of brand and marketing at is thinking outside of the Petrick said. “She captures the STARTING LINEUP Puma. “What the industry has forgot- traditional market- ideals of the young women we want ten is that women want and deserve ing box. to serve. She is hyper-infl uential, A look at Puma’s the same kind of attention to detail “Puma has a entrepreneurial and creative in her other fierce female brand and storytelling that men do.” strong history with own way.” ambassadors Puma’s latest undertaking is one females, but it was Not to mention, the that has challenged athletic footwear- cult to 18-year-old trendsetter and-apparel companies for many fi nd an athlete The Fenty has a thing for trainer years. While the women’s market who was global,” sneakers. Of ers extensive opportunities for Gulden said. late, Jenner’s athletic brands and retailers, experts “When we did Instagram has contend that players have largely the research, been overtaken failed to tap into them. Rihanna was the “What the industry with posts depict- Lexi Thompson “The industry has vastly under- person who came up has forgotten is that ing her sneaker Professional golfer served the female customer,” said everywhere. When collection, and her At 12 years old, she was the Matt Powell, a sports industry analyst we got to know women want and closet full of Puma youngest person to qualify for with The NPD Group. “There are her, we [learned] deserve the same kind digs also made the U.S. Women’s Open in 2007. more women running than there that she’s so strong of attention to detail the rounds on are men running. Women today are creatively, and she’s and storytelling that social last month. serious about their sports and fi tness the perfect person “I’ve defi nitely activities. There is a big opportunity to help us reach the men do.” Adam Petrick embraced a more for retailers and brands to fi gure out female consumer.” casual side. I used how to grow their women’s business.” Despite the fact that neither to wear heels to lunch but not really Rihanna has already helped Jenner nor Rihanna is a profes- anymore. Just for nights,” Kylie said Puma’s creative team gain the confi - sional athlete, both women prioritize in February during the launch of her Marta Vieira da Silva dence to push the design envelope. personal fi tness and share the values eponymous clothing and shoe brand Brazilian soccer player Case in point: the pointy-tip stiletto of Puma’s target demographic, with her sister Kendall Jenner. “I’m She’s been FIFA World boots with the Puma form stripe according to Petrick. all about a cool sneaker.” Player of the Year a record featured on the runway during “Rihanna is a creative muse for With two of today’s most persua- five consecutive times. Rihanna’s much-buzzed-about Fenty the brand,” Petrick said. “We look to sive female forces going to bat for show at New York Fashion Week. her in terms of how she styles herself, the brand, Puma’s girl-power push “It’s crazy to see the Puma stripe on her attitude — even her words are is creating excitement at retail. Foot a heel. It trips me out, but I enjoy it,” used in our internal presentations. Locker Inc.’s women’s banner, Six:02, the star told FN that night. She captures what we’re trying to was a key collaborator during the In January, The NPD Group represent — her mindset and values Rihanna Creepers launch in Septem- released data identifying the brand match our brand perfectly.” ber 2015. preferences of brands across the Similarly, Jenner, who constantly Natalie Ellis, VP and GM at country. The songstress outranked dishes on her day-to-day moves to Six:02, said the retailer jumped at Yarisley Silva mega-stars such as Beyoncé, Cold- her nearly 15 million Twitter follow- the opportunity to be involved in Cuban pole vaulter play and Jennifer Lopez as the most ers and shares photos of her fast- both high-powered collaborations. The athlete won the silver medal marketable of all big-name celebri- paced, jet-setting lifestyle to more “There is a lot of appetite and inter- in the women’s pole vault at the 2012 Summer Olympics. ties (based on responses from 92,000 than 56 million Instagram admirers, est from women in terms of sneaker consumer surveys compiled by the is the personifi cation of goals for culture and athletic-inspired fashion,” BrandLink database). A quick glance Puma’s target consumer. Ellis said. “Women like Kylie and at Rihanna’s Instagram, where she “The relationship with Kylie is Rihanna — their lifestyles and their has nearly 36 million followers, and about embodying a person who abilities — are very inspiring to our Twitter, where she is followed by represents our consumer and the fi t, customers.” more than 57 million, easily lends credence to the fi ndings. “Both Rihanna and Kylie have the Jenna Prandini GON E ability to capture the headlines in U.S. National track team OR F traditional media as well as in social Prandini is an Olympic hopeful O Y ANGER: R media because they have large follow- and 2015 National Champion. SIT G , R A V ings as fashion/style and urban/street L SI icons,” said Denise Lee Yohn, brand A D , consultant and author of the book ON S ANDINI: UNIVE P R “What Great Brands Do.” “Kylie’s fam- S; P E ily ties make her even more interest- THOM G A ing and buzz-worthy, but neither IM UMA; P P A seem to naturally have credibility in A: V L the sneaker category.” SHOE: , Perhaps that is the point. Puma, as Jamie Grainger OCK; SI Professional trainer ST JENNER Footwear its CEO Björn Gulden told R Inside Kylie S: A former division 1 athlete, she is O News during Rihanna’s New York Jenner’s Puma OT ad campaign personal trainer to Rihanna. SHUTTE PH Fashion Week debut for her Fenty X 17.