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Sample Format for Outline & Source Integration Assignment:

Company Background & Current Stage in Growth Lifecycle Briefly introduce the company and its basic information, such as size, market capitalization, divisions, products and location of its headquarters. Identify and assess current stage of company’s growth lifecycle, milestones the company has reached and its sustainability for growth and profit.

A. Sub-point #1 (Provide 3-5 sentences explaining topic, point to be covered, and how it connects to and supports the thesis)

1. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support

(Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

2. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

B. Sub-point #2 (Provide 3-5 sentences explaining topic, point to be covered and how it connects

to and supports the thesis)

1. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

2. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

C. Sub-point #3 (Provide 3-5 sentences explaining topic, point to be covered and how it connects

to and supports the thesis)

1. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

2. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

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Detailed Financial Information — Microeconomics Provide financial information based on the annual report which identifies whether the company is profitable or not, e.g. has debts, pays dividends, its forecast, revenues and earnings.

A. Sub-point #1 (Provide 3-5 sentences explaining topic, point to be covered, and how it connects to and supports the thesis)

3. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support

(Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

4. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

B. Sub-point #2 (Provide 3-5 sentences explaining topic, point to be covered and how it

connects to and supports the thesis)

5. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

6. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

C. Sub-point #3 (Provide 3-5 sentences explaining topic, point to be covered and how it

connects to and supports the thesis)

7. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

8. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

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Industry Landscape, Trends and Competitors — Macroeconomics Analyze current industry trends, main competitors and company’s position in the market, locally, nationally and globally, and sustainability status.

A. Sub-point #1 (Provide 3-5 sentences explaining topic, point to be covered, and how it connects to and supports the thesis)

9. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support

(Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

10. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

B. Sub-point #2 (Provide 3-5 sentences explaining topic, point to be covered and how it

connects to and supports the thesis)

11. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

12. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

C. Sub-point #3 (Provide 3-5 sentences explaining topic, point to be covered and how it

connects to and supports the thesis)

13. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

14. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

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Recent Developments, Analyst Opinions & Consensus Discuss recent news and developments, positive and negative. Supply expert evaluations about the company, analysts’ ratings, and consensus opinions.

A. Sub-point #1 (Provide 3-5 sentences explaining topic, point to be covered, and how it connects to and supports the thesis)

15. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support

(Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

16. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

B. Sub-point #2 (Provide 3-5 sentences explaining topic, point to be covered and how it

connects to and supports the thesis)

17. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

18. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

C. Sub-point #3 (Provide 3-5 sentences explaining topic, point to be covered and how it

connects to and supports the thesis)

19. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

20. Proposed source you’ll quote and use as support (Provide 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency)

© 2010 FIDM/ Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

Outline & Source Integration Rubric (10 Points)

GROUP (COMPANY) NAME: _________________________________________________ MEMBERS: ______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

FORMATS (2.5 points) Outline follows logical formats, using numbers, letters and layout to organize overview and details for each of the 4 required sections of the report with 3 salient, distinct sub- points and proposed sources identified. Proposed sources are listed and included as Works Cited entries in MLA formats.

_______________ POINTS

FOCUSED SUB-POINTS (2.5 Points) Provides clear 3-5 sentences of description for 3 salient, distinct sub-points for each of the 4 required sections of the report.

_______________ POINTS

RELEVANCE & CONNECTION TO THESIS (2.5 Points) Sub-points relate directly to thesis and purpose of the report.

_______________ POINTS

SOURCES (2.5 Points) Sources are varied and represent a range in types of material, including factual, interpretive, comparative, responsive, quantitative, analytical, qualitative and/or expert opinion. Each of the 3 distinct sub-points listed includes 2 sources for proposed integration and support and provides 1-3 sentences introducing and qualifying the source and its value, reliability and currency

_______________ POINTS

_______________ TOTAL POINTS

Team 2

Team Names:

Dr. Jaeger

Writing for Business Professionals Date:

Integrating Research & Creating an Outline

Assign the roles or sections of your assignment to each team member.

• Company Background & Current State in Growth Lifestyle: Student Name

• Detailed Financial Information (Microeconomics) Student Name

• Industry Landscape, Trends and Competitors (Macroeconomics) Student Name

• Recent Developments, Analyst Opinions & Consensus

Company Background & Current State of Growth Lifestyle

From famous athletes to a household name with the school kids, the main focus of

ADIDAS is help everyone “in the game”. Starting specializing in soccer, the brand than

later changed the ‘S’ in ADIDAS to sports. ADIDAS once stood for “all day I dream about

soccer” to the modern interpretation of “all day I dream about sports”. Adidas is a

public company headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany. According to Hoovers

Database, as of 2016 the company did $18.48 billion in sales with a net income of

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692.65M and overall growth of 16.92%. Adidas provides various products from sports

equipment and athletic wear for every sport that comes to mind, as well as fashionable

clothes with collaborations with Stella McCartney, Pharrell Williams, Jeremy Scott, Yogi

Yamato, Y3, and more. Adidas even has their own fragrance line, which can be found at

many major retailers. Ranked as the #3 sports brand behind Nike and Under Armor,

Adidas is a brand that isn’t slowing down.

"ADIDAS." Hoovers Database. Hoovers Database. Web.

05 eb. 2017.

A. Sub-point #1: Explain the who Adidas is as a brand, and discuss their beginnings.

1. “We Started in a wash room and conquered the world” (Adidas). Starting

operations in Bavaria, Germany in 1900 founder Adi Dassler embarked on his

mission to provide athletes with the best possible equipment. Adi started with 47

employees in Herzongenaurach, Germany, and on August 18th 1949, he registered

his iconic three stripes and created a pair of leather lightweight soccer sneakers.

Adidas became a household name after their debut by the Germans in The World

Cup Finals, changing the official athletic wear for soccer. Adidas defines themselves

with their mission statement:

“The Adidas Group strives to be the global leader in the sporting goods industry with

brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle. We are committed to

continuously strengthening our brands and products to improve our competitive

position” (Adidas).

“With 'Creating the New', we will get closer to them than ever before. To achieve

that, our plan is based on three strategic choices:

-Speed: We will become the first true fast sports company: Fast in satisfying

consumer needs, fast in internal decision-making.

-Cities: We have identified six key cities in which we want to grow share of mind,

share of market and share of trend: New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Tokyo, London

and Paris.

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-Open source: We will be the first sports company that invites athletes, consumers

and partners to be part of our brands.” (Adidas)

2. This source gave insight on how Adidas wants to represent themselves to the

world. By focusing on the company’s background, mission, and what the company

has achieved thus far, we can understand the company’s growth and what strategies

they may utilize to continue this ongoing growth and success.

"History." Adidas Group. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2017.

“Company Overview of Adidas AG.” Bloomberg, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2017.

B. Sub-point #2: What brought Adidas to the world market?

1. Adolf ‘Adi’ Dassler is the founder and creator of Adidas, who was committed

to finding perfection for his athletes and the people who wore Adidas. Dassler

created the Adidas shoe after realizing the need for performance athletic shoes.

Adidas began small, producing soccer and running shoes, which are still the main

products that Adidas is known for. Adidas has continued to gain momentum through

the years. Many attribute this to the quality, styling and reputation of the shoes.

Adidas is currently the largest supplier of athletic shoes in Europe and is ranked

second worldwide, with their products selling in almost 200 countries.

Adidas AG, Company Profile. InnovationLeaders. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.

2. Currently, Adidas AG, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, produces,

and markets athletic and sports lifestyle products worldwide. It operates through 13

segments: Western Europe, North America, Greater China, Russia/CIS, Latin

America, Japan, Middle East, South Korea, Southeast Asia/Pacifc, TaylorMade-adidas

Golf, Reebok-CCM Hockey, Runtastic, and Other centrally managed businesses.

“Company Overview of Adidas AG.” Bloomberg, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2017. C. Sub-point #3: Financial Information

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1. Headquartered in Germany, Adidas is number three within the sporting goods

brand in the world behind Nike and Under Armor. In the first nine months of 2016,

Group revenues increased 20% on a currency-neutral basis. Group revenues grew

15% to $14.604 billion. From a brand perspective, currency-neutral Adidas revenues

grew 23%, driven by double-digit sales increases in the training, running and football

categories as well as Adidas Originals and Adidas Neo. Revenue (in current dollars)

for the US manufacturing sector is forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate

of 4% between 2016 and 2020, based on changes in physical volume and unit prices.

-CEO: Kasper B. Rorsed

-Employee Total: 55,555

-Sales: $18.48 (as of 2016) ***$14.604 billion!!! Wow!!

ADIDAS." Hoovers Database. Hoovers Database. Web.05 Feb. 2017

Adidas AG. “How We Create Value.” Adidas Group Nine Month Report. Web. 05 Feb.

2017.

2. Adidas has a great advantage over their competitors, because of their

distribution network, its product quality and its brand equity. Globally it has 2400

stores accounting $4.3 billion business. In order to associate itself with the

community it has sponsored many world sport events such as FIFA, UEFA, NBA,

Cricket & Olympics. At the same time, over the years Adidas has been known to give

the best products in the market which are always comfortable, beyond normal and

long lasting. As the consumer environment becomes even more dynamic with

trends quickly changing, Adidas is also increasing its focus on anticipating these

changes and responding with speed. They had aligned their sales with distribution

strategy to enable and propel a heightened consumer centered Omni-channel

mindset. After analyzing the purchase process of their customers, they came to the

conclusion that the interactive experience and the availability, convenience and the

size of the product offerings plays a major role in a successful distribution strategy.

Team 2

This source provides an outline of the strategies and positioning Adidas uses to

create a distinctive image in the mind of the prospective consumer. This source

outlines in detail how the company emphasizes the value of quality products and

how they are able to maintain its brand essence.

"Marketing strategy of Adidas." Adidas marketing strategy. N.p., 02 Dec. 2016. Web. 29

Jan. 2017.

Detailed Financial Information – Microeconomics

A. Sub-point #1: Explain Adidas current revenues and explain why it will become

more profitable in the future.

Even though Adidas sales plummeted in 2014 due to their poor sales from their Taylor

Made golf brand, they have continued to increase their revenue year by year. Their

annual revenue for 2014 was € 14.534 billion euros which is approximately $16.465 US

dollars. Furthermore, their revenue compared to last year increased by €331,000 which

is approximately $375,000. Adidas plans to continue the increase of profit by focusing

more on the needs of their consumers and introducing new products in the market. “The

company forecast currency-adjusted sales will grow by “high single digits” annually from

next year through 2020 to top 22 billion euros ($24 billion)” This section provides insight

of how Adidas is overcoming its Taylor Made challenges and is still thriving with increase

of profit.

1. Ricadela, Aaron. "Adidas Sees Higher Profit Growth as CEO Tries to

Move Faster." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 26 Mar. 2015. Web.

<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-26/adidas-

boosts-payout-as-profit-seen-rising-15-percent-a-year>.

– This source provides substantial information regarding the growth of

Adidas and their plan to increase profits. In addition, the article talks

about the company’s ultimate goal of reaching $24 billion by the year

2020. This source is credible based on the given fact that it is taking the

Adidas information and simply adding further analyst opinion.

2. "Adidas AG." Income Statement for (ADS) from Morningstar.com.

Morning Star, n.d. Web. <http://financials.morningstar.com/income-

statement/

Team 2

– The Morning Star website is an investment resource which provides users

with information about different businesses. The website gives users

visual information of financial reports of these businesses through the

companies Income Statements, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow. This

reliable information can give the company report support in terms of

where the company is financially and where it has been in the past

several years.

3. Ricadela, Aaron. "Adidas Plunges After Reducing Forecast on Russia,

Golf." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 31 July 2014. Web.

<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-07-31/adidas-

reduces-2014-profit-forecast-to-miss-2015-targets>.

– This source talks about the plummeting sales of Adidas based off its

Taylor Made sales. Due to the sales decrease, it affected the overall

revenue goal. This source is reliable because it gives information that

directly comes from the Adidas company forecast revision and quotes off

of Herbert Hainer who is the CEO of Adidas.

B. Sub-point #2: What increased payment to shareholders in dividends means

Since 2014 Adidas has been providing their shareholders with a 1.50 EUR

dividend per share. This occurred when Adidas pledged “to pay 30 percent to 50

percent of profit to shareholders in dividends, up from a previous ratio of 20

percent to 40 percent.” For a shareholder, this is a positive thing, because

they’re being paid and they can seize the advantage of compounding.

Furthermore, Adidas is creating a better reputation by providing shareholders

with reliable dividends which increase over the span of time. Also, they are

proving to their investors that regardless of drawbacks, such as the poor sales of

Taylor Made that they are trying to achieve shareholder satisfaction.

1. "Dividend Overview." Adidas. Adidas, n.d.

<http://www.adidas-group.com/en/investors/share/dividends-

overview/>.

Team 2

– This source comes straight from the Adidas company itself which gives

numerical amounts of dividends over the course of eight years. This helps to

compare the previous dividend per share. Furthermore, this report shows

the date of which the dividends were paid which is informing that the

shareholders were in fact paid.

2. Ricadela, Aaron. "Adidas Plunges After Reducing Forecast on Russia,

Golf." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 31 July 2014. Web.

<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-07-31/adidas-reduces-

2014-profit-forecast-to-miss-2015-targets>.

– This article brings insight to as of possibly why Adidas chose to increase their

dividends ratio. Despite the challenges of which Adidas faced with its Taylor

Made sector (as mentioned in previous sub-point), their revenue still

increased and surpassed the previous year’s profit. However, it is possible

that the company chose to increase their dividends ratio in order to please

shareholders because they had to slash a great deal of their forecasting

revenue due to Taylor Made.

–

C. Sub-point #3: Adidas debts and whether it is acceptable

As of September 30, 2015, Adidas debt to equity ratio is .3443. Although this

may be a higher number than Nike’s, which is .162, Adidas is still below the .4

mark which is still considered a low ratio. In addition, Adidas is exceeding its

competitor Under Amour’s ratio of .401. The reason of increase of debt can be

based on various reasons such as the poor sales of Taylor Made. However, there

is also an increase of debt due to more capital needed in order to make more

innovative products at a faster pace which is what Adidas is planning to do.

1. "Adidas Debt to Equity Ratio (Quarterly):" Adidas Debt to Equity Ratio

(Quarterly) (ADDYY). YCharts, n.d. Web.

<https://ycharts.com/companies/ADDYY/debt_equity_ratio>.

– YChart provides reliable information straight from the Adidas source in order

to provide charts, history, and current amounts of debt to equity ratio. This

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way a user is able to compare previous records of ratio amounts. This can

perhaps indicate a trend. Furthermore, this source provides debt to equity

ratio of its competitors which can provide insight to where Adidas stands

among its other competitors. In addition, it can help the user indicate

whether they believe Adidas standpoint (debt wise) is acceptable.

2. Ricadela, Aaron. "Adidas Sees Higher Profit Growth as CEO Tries to Move

Faster." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 26 Mar. 2015. Web.

<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-26/adidas-boosts-

payout-as-profit-seen-rising-15-percent-a-year>.

This article provides supporting evidence to as of why Adidas may have

an increase in debt. Since Taylor Made has been proving to show low

sales, it is noticeable that there is an increase in debt. As a result of this

Adidas has created a new strategy of creating more products at a faster

pace than its competitors. It is likely that this new strategy is resulting in

more company debt as well.

Industry Landscape, Trends, and Competitions – Macroeconomics

Sub-Point #1: Main competitors and company’s position in the market. This section will

provide information of where Adidas stands in the market against its competitors such

as Nike. In the past, few years Adidas brand has made quite an impact in the market

share amongst its competitors.

“Adidas has more established market in European countries. The Adidas Group also

owns two other widely recognized names in athletics: Reebok and TaylorMade. While

Adidas was initially known as a soccer brand, its ownership of these other brand names

establishes it as a truly diversified player in athletic apparel and goods.” (Strider,

Jeremiah)

Strider, Jeremiah. "Adidas Vs. Nike Vs. Under Armour: Which for 2016? (NKE,UA)."

Investopedia. N.p., 26 Jan. 2016. Web. 07 Feb. 2017.

Team 2

This article provides crucial information of Adidas main competitors within the athletic

apparel industry. This article is relevant because it was published in 2016, and not much

has changed with the competitors. This article it gives a great overview of each

competitor and key financial details of each competitor.

Reuters. "Adidas Is Gaining Ground on Nike as It Stages a Full-Fledged Comeback."

Fortune.com. Fortune, 27 Apr. 2016. Web. 07 Feb. 2017.

This source provides us with how Adidas is making a comeback within the sports apparel

industry. It provides us with information on the strategies they are implementing to

increase sales. One of the strategies that stood out to me was how they benefit form

celebrity collaborations.

Sub-Point #2: National, global, and sustainability status.

This section gives detailed information regarding Adidas impact in the US and other

countries. Adidas sources globally which helps developing countries by boosting their

economy. This section will report the positive affect Adidas has on people, the planet,

and products.

"Adidas Group Launches New Sustainability Strategy." Adidas Group. N.p., 14 Apr. 2016.

Web. 07 Feb. 2017.

This source states the new strategy for sustainability that Adidas is launching. The

strategy talks about the sustainable efforts within the product and people by listing

multiple efforts Adidas is making to continue to stay sustainable. Within this source

there are links that you can click on to learn more about the specific targets.

Kell, John. "Here’s How Adidas Plans to Drastically Cut Down On Waste." Fortune. N.p.,

14 Apr. 2016. Web. 7 Feb. 2017.

This article goes into detail about what sustainability means to Adidas. It gives multiple

examples of how Adidas has made an impact on the world through sustainability. This

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article is relevant because it was published in 2016. It also gives insight on the long-term

goals Adidas has for the future of sustainability.

Sub-point #3: Analyzing current industry trends

This section will present marketing trends and where Adidas stands currently. Adidas is

planning to escalate their profits by 2020 based on introducing new products. The

current industry trend and changes that Adidas is adopting will also be compared to its

competitors Nike and Under Armor.

Powell, Matt. "Sneakernomics: What's Really Happening in The U.S. Sneaker Business?"

Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 06 June 2016. Web. 07 Feb. 2017. *Good current data

This article talks about the growth of the sneaker industry in the past few years. This

article reported on the 2016 revenues, which is very relevant for our research.

According to this source 50% of shoes sold were in the athletic shoe market. This

industry is not going anywhere for a while since it is the current trend.

"Adidas Group to Accelerate Growth until 2020." Adidas Group. N.p., 26 Mar. 2015.

Web. 07 Feb. 2017.

In this source, it talks about how Adidas is going to increase its sales in the industry. It

provides a detailed outline on what it is going to take place in the next few years until

2020. Adidas Group will focus its investments across its core brand portfolio to increase

customer desire. I believe this is a great source because it clearly states their goals and

how they are going to reach them.

Recent Developments, Analyst Opinions, Consensus

A. Sub-point #1: Recent Developments Adidas announced a new service that will help boost the company’s sales. Adidas

introduced a new subscription box for women. This service will cost $150 and will be

shipped every 3 months featuring, 3-5 items including footwear, apparel, and

accessories aimed at runners.

Team 2

Source 1: http://news.adidas.com/US/Latest-News/adidas-Delivers-Fashion-and-

Function-With-Subscription-Based-Avenue-A/

The source listed is a post from the Adidas websites news blog. This source is

great because it provided me with the most recent Adidas news, and it is reliable

as its being posted on the company’s website firsthand.

Source 2: http://fortune.com/2016/02/09/adidas-women-subscription/

This source is a blog post on a well-recognized blog website for businesses and

companies.

B. Sub-point #2: Analyst Opinions The Adidas Group and the Adidas AG share continues to receive strong analyst

attention. Around 35 analysts from investment banks and brokerage firms regularly

publi

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