Case Studies

JD Sports

Boosting brand awareness in the US

The Results

For 5+ years, JD Sports and Rakuten Advertising have driven outstanding growth together by making affiliate a primary brand awareness and equity builder, in 2023 our goal was to solidify JD Sport’s brand presence in the US. By tapping into the Sneakerhead community, giving a voice to Black and female creators within the Sneakerhead space, and leveraging BNPL providers, we managed to achieve:

+10%

increase in YoY sales

+16%

increase in YoY orders

+40%

increase in YoY clicks

About the Brand

JD Sports is a sports fashion, multichannel retailer of branded sports and casual wear, combining globally recognized brands and private labels to provide an elevated consumer experience. JD Sports is an industry-leading retail business that combines the best of physical and digital retail to give a compelling consumer proposition that enables its customers to shop seamlessly across all channels.

The Story

For 2023, JD Sports executive leadership challenged us to promote the JD Sports brand to the massive “sneakerhead” community and to explore partnerships that would be a low lift, while boosting revenue. Our goal was to position JD Sports as the go-to brand for sneakerheads through impactful activation programs, aiming to significantly boost sales by tapping into this enthusiastic and spend-ready market.

The Rakuten Advertising Solution

To achieve our goals, we created a holistic marketing strategy that encompassed authentic creator partnerships, amplifying influencer assets across JD Sports platforms, and activations with BNPL providers.

Highlighting Sneakerhead UGC

We leveraged UGC from female, emerging POC creators, and Gen Z sneakerheads to drive home the authentic grassroots passion for the JD Sports brand.

Partner with influencer marketing platform

We partnered with a top influencer marketing platform to find the right creators in each of our target segments. Rakuten Advertising tools then created deep links to the items they knew would resonate best with their audiences.

BNPL partnerships

We created an activation program that made learning about and acquiring the newest footwear products easier with the help of BNPL partners. This strategy also enabled cash-strapped shoppers to purchase right away, with just 4-6 easy payments.

We're so proud of the work we've done alongside our incredible Rakuten Advertising team to grow JD Sports, a true global icon, in the United States. Through our work Rakuten Advertising, sneakerhead partners, and our internal team, we've created meaningful and immersive brand moments. Continuing to grow JD as the intersection of fashion, footwear, and culture is a project we're passionate about and one that drives us as we look to innovate into the future.

Justin Long
Affiliate Program Manager, JDSports