preview

Ccm Hockey: Relaunch of U+ Pro Skate

Better Essays

RSM458H1S
CCM HOCKEY: THE RE-LAUNCH OF THE U+ PRO SKATE
BY

Since the first introduction of its automobile skate in 1905, Canada Cycle and Motor Company Limited (CCM) has been a dominant player in the hockey skate market. By introducing numerous hi-tech features into its products, CCM has been able to establish itself as a major competitor in the world of hockey skates, ranking 3rd in the global market share ranking of the Skates market for Hockey Equipment Companies (Exhibit 7). However, with recent changes in demand and technological advancements in the hockey skate market, CCM has been experiencing drop in market share and sales.
As the hockey skate market matures and becomes more concentrated with a few large competitors (Exhibit 6), …show more content…

Their tag line ‘Performance Within’ suggests the idea that CCM can help users bring out their inner hockey superstar and evolve into becoming something bigger. The incorporation of U-Foam technology in the skates which enhances the true fit customization (Exhibit 14) conveys CCM’s position in the market as hi-tech company with emphasis on product driven success.
With the aim of maintaining this position in the market, CCM went on to introduce their new line of U+ Pro Skates back in 2007. However, with too much focus on aggressively pushing the product through to the end users, certain marketing and prototype testing missteps were taken during the process of new product development. Initially, CCM’s strategy of bringing in several NHL players to try out their new line of skates before the season start seemed very effective. However, CCM did not think about the factor of time and how this will have wear and tear effect on the skates over prolonged usage. This is due to the fact that, the testing phase carried out by the players prior to the season is a short period of time compared to the life period of which these skates were aimed to last. Therefore, CCM should have carried out this testing phase during the actual season before actually launching the product for retail. This will not only serve as a promotional technique (as potential consumers will get to watch

Get Access