adidas' PR nightmare continues

An altered adidas poster advertising the controversial adidas All Blacks rugby jersey on Karangahape Road. Photo / Dean Purcell.

Adidas endured more bad publicity today after it emerged some All Blacks fans would be unable to get their hands on the team's new jersey in time for the Rugby World Cup.

Online sports store rugbystore.co.uk had to tell customers who had pre-ordered and paid for the garments that they wouldn't arrive until September 16 - a week after the tournament starts.

They said the delay was because of adidas' inability to deliver them.

The problems come on the back of last month's controversy over the price of the jerseys, which were priced about twice as much in New Zealand as they cost on online stores overseas.

Adidas suffered a big backlash after refusing to soften its position, prompting some retailers to reduce the price themselves, eating into their profit margins.

Massey University public relations expert Professor Malcolm Wright said the latest problem was "really poor for adidas''.

"I think an apology is well overdue. Perhaps a sponsorship gesture, a donation, a promotional offer on the jerseys. But they need to do something.''

adidas spokeswoman Sherryl Arneil said Wright "should know better'' than to comment on the issue "when he doesn't know the full story''.

She said online customers realise delays can occur when buying products over the internet and no promises have been broken.

"We're working really hard to get products to all of the retailers,'' Arneil said.

Professor Wright said he understood the challenges of online business and acknowledged adidas wasn't entirely to blame for delivery problems.

But he said today's news, combined with last month's furore over the price of All Blacks jerseys in New Zealand - and the company's subsequent stance on the issue - could poison the public's perception of adidas.

"Adidas were hoping this would die away,'' Wright said. "It's terribly bad for them to go rarking up all the negative feeling people had.''

Public relations consultant Deborah Pead said the delivery problem came at an "awful'' time for adidas.

"These things do happen but the timing of this is most unfortunate,'' Pead said.

She said fans were already feeling "bruised'' and adidas had to respond fast.

"The response is to give a clear explanation as to why this happened.''