The Joma anorak with which the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, protected himself from the cold at the Alpine summit in Davos, has given visibility to one of the Spanish sports brands with the greatest international projection, which, however, has chosen to preserve a low profile in the face of this sudden publicity.
Contacted by EFE, the company insists that it prefers to stay out of the commotion caused by Sánchez’s choice of one of its garments, the Iceland III model coat, during the meeting of world leaders.
An anorak that occupies covers with sold-out sizes
While the anorak is on the covers of the media and most of its sizes appear sold out on Joma’s website, the company limits itself to pointing out that the garment will continue to be part of its collection as planned.
Joma Sport is a family business founded in 1965 by Fructuoso López in Portillo de Toledo, a town with just over 2,000 inhabitants, which today has nine international subsidiaries, more than 700 employees and sells its products in 120 countries.
The brand’s commercial strategy has been based for decades on getting the public to see great athletes wearing its clothing, rather than investing in extensive advertising campaigns.
As a result of this tactic, Joma dressed 10% of the Olympic athletes in Rio 2016 and will provide equipment to about 15% of the participants in this summer’s Games in Paris, including the Spanish.
Extreme temperatures
The anorak in question is part of the line used by the Spanish Olympic Committee, as well as various football teams linked to Joma, especially in Scandinavian countries.
It is a padded coat lined with fleece fabric, and has a wind- and water-resistant flap, a hood, and adjustments on the cuffs to prevent cold air from entering, according to the company.
It is one of the “star winter garments” in its catalogue, which describes its aesthetic as an “elegant casual style”. Most sizes, except the smallest, are sold out this Thursday on the Joma website, where it is offered for 88 euros.
International expantion
Joma maintains the group’s headquarters in Portillo de Toledo. There it stores more than 4 million references in 70,000 square meters, facilities from which it serves, in less than 48 hours, all its markets, always according to its own data.
At the same time, it has more than 1,500 its own stores around the world, as well as subsidiaries in Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, Norway, Denmark, China and Russia.
Among the football teams that have worn their clothing and shoes are Spanish teams such as Villarreal, Eibar and Getafe, as well as sports such as the Spanish tennis players Feliciano López and Juan Carlos Ferrero, but also clubs from the rest of the world.
From the Italian Torino, the British Swansea and the French Toulouse, to the Deportivo de Cuenca, in Ecuador, the Club Atlético Tigre, in Argentina, and the Cruz Azul Fútbol Club, in Mexico, they have carried their products.
The importance of this commercial strategy is such that 18% of Joma employees are dedicated to managing the company’s marketing and its more than 23,000 sponsorship agreements.
By Mian Saeed Ahmed Khan