Global President of Jordan Brand, Craig Williams rarely speaks.
The one to whom Michael Jordan entrusted the keys of his brand gave us long minutes from the United States to confide how important France is to him, especially through the partnership with PSG which began in 2018 and could last still a long time as he confirms it to us.
What is France's place in Jordan Brand's development policy?
CRAIG WILLIAMS.
The brand is very successful in France, but more than success, there is a real affinity with the country.
The Jordan Brand is global: we embrace and represent excellence.
When we think of France's position in the world, we think of one of the most renowned countries with a very strong historical background, involved in many aspects of sport, with the 2024 Olympic Games. France, c he is also the pinnacle of art and culture.
These are all things that we share, very sincerely, between Jordan Brand and France.
Therefore, we have a very special relationship with the country.
Why did you choose to partner with Paris Saint-Germain?
We have many partnerships outside and beyond basketball. We are involved in golf, baseball in the United States, and many other sports. When we think of partnerships, we look for the teams and organizations that are best at what they do. We are looking for an energetic and dynamic fan base who have a joy, an elegance, a passion for the game. These partnerships also lead to so many other attributes beyond the game. When I think of PSG, I think of the quintessential of these things. We're talking about a world-renowned organization, which strives to be the best at what it does. It is backed by a fan base and a city unlike any other. That's why we feel really good with this partnership and with PSG.
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Did Michael Jordan's love for Paris and France count in the choice?
(Laughs.)
The good news about the Jordan brand is that when you're on the world stage, there's nothing quite like sharing that stage with an equally famous city, and of course Paris is. that.
What does your partnership with PSG represent in terms of impact and sales?
I will not share specific numbers and you can respect the reason we keep these numbers confidential.
But what I will say is that we are in the third year of the partnership and it is going extremely well.
We are extremely happy with every aspect of it.
The home jersey game that we have launched is proof of this.
Our relationship with Paris Saint-Germain is therefore quite fantastic.
Michael Jordan came to the Park for PSG-Reims just after the signing of the partnership with the capital club in September 2018. LP / Olivier Lejeune
Will this partnership continue for long?
In any case, we are already working closely with the club to see what we can do together in the future.
I insist: the relationship between Jordan Brand and Paris Saint-Germain is absolutely fantastic in our eyes.
Do you personally follow the results of PSG from the United States now?
Of course, like everyone else, right?
Everyone now with us is following the results of Paris.
Personally, when I can, I watch his matches on TV, and at Jordan Brand, I assure you that everyone is watching the results carefully, whether in the French Championship or in the Champions League.
The elimination against Manchester City hurt us but the team is strong and I am sure they will recover to go and win this trophy.
In any case, we are behind it.
You are also associated with the French Basketball Federation and this is a rarity on your part.
Why ?
We have a lot of international players in the NBA right now.
And when we're looking for partnerships, we're looking for the same set of ingredients that I talked about with PSG.
We have been with the French Federation since 2017. We really, really appreciated the nature of this partnership.
And they are doing quite well internationally.
So it's fantastic to watch too.
What is Jordan Brand's place in the global brand market today?
As you know, Jordan Brand has grown steadily since its inception in 1985. It is now a global brand. We appreciate this place, this relationship that we have with consumers in each market, all over the world. And even during this Covid period, when many stores are closed, we have managed to stay close to our consumers digitally, and it continues to improve even more in a very healthy way. We have a very balanced range with high-performance, modern products, with obviously international growth and a very strong focus on women. So we love the way we continue to engage with consumers around the world, even given market inequality and the many challenges remaining from the pandemic.
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What is the profile of a Jordan Brand customer?
The Jordan consumer is described more by their mindset than anything associated with age, sex or that sort of thing.
The Jordan consumer is a fearless person.
She's a person who loves to express herself, who embraces self-expression and she's a person who holds herself in high esteem and wants to get things done, she wants to make an impact.
And so, it doesn't matter if these mental traits are adopted by young people or adults, male, female, for as long as a person embraces excellence and strives to be their absolute best 'self', we believe these attributes are very close to a typical consumer of the Jordan brand.
Many say they also want to look like Michael Jordan by wearing Jordan…
Yes, there is also that.
You know, without looking very far, you will find Michael in all areas of our lives, in all circumstances.
It's also part of the beauty of our relationship with our fans.
Is Michael Jordan really in love with France?
Well, what's interesting is that when MJ was a player he was the best to ever play.
Therefore, he was not only known in Chicago and the United States, he was known around the world.
And there's no better place to gauge how excited people were when they saw him play than Paris.
So there is a special connection.
It's almost like kinetic energy and it's fantastic to see.
