User:Erj501/sandbox

Overview

SKINS is an Australian-owned company that designs and manufactures technical compression sportswear for elite athletes and sports enthusiasts.

History & Retail Operations

The company was founded in 1996 by Brad Duffy, an Australian physiologist and ski enthusiast.

In 1998, SKINS launched their first three product ranges: ‘JetSkins’ for travel, ‘SportsSkins’ for multi sports and ‘SnowSkins’ for Alpine pursuits. Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh was chosen as the public face of the new products.

Initially, the range was limited to long tights only and was sold exclusively online and through telesales. By 2002, the product was still being manufactured in Sydney but was being sold through around 20 retail outlets in Australia. In the same year, Australian entrepreneur Jaimie Fuller was appointed as CEO of SKINS. Fuller has received publicity for his straight-talking attitude and unconventional business style.

In 2003 other styles were added to the SKINS range, including half-tights and tops, and the expanded manufacturing operation was moved to Fiji. The year after, SKINS lodged patents on their compression technology.

In 2005 manufacturing was moved to China with a product redesign and a new range for women. SKINS were launched in the UK in 2006 with the US/global launch taking place the following year.

SKINS currently sell over 160 different compression products including specific ranges for golf, cycling, triathlon and snow sports. The company currently has around 80 full-time members of staff and retails through more than 800 speciality retailers in their home territory of Australia.

In April 2012, Nic Versloot took over the role of CEO from Jamie Fuller.

Headquarters & Distributors

SKINS headquarters are in Steinhausen, Switzerland with regional offices in Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, the UK and Japan.

Sponsorships

AFL Football

• Brisbane Lions
• Western Bulldogs
• Richmond Tigers
• WA Football Commission
• Victoria County Football League

Golf

• Rory McIlroy
• PGA UK

Rugby League

• Robbie Farrah
• Jonathon Thurston
• Cowboys Rugby League Football

Rugby Union

• Australian Rugby Union
• Melbourne Rebels
• ACT Brumbies
• Rugby WA

Cricket

• Paul Collingwood
• WA Cricket Association

Cycling

• Cycling Australia
• BikeNZ
• USA Cycling
• Team Europcar
• Team NetApp
• Rabobank
• Matthias Fluckiger
• Lukas Fluckiger

Triathlon

• International Triathlon Union
• Dave Matthews
• USM Events
• Siobhan McCarthy
• Ollie Whistler
• Peter Kerr
• EJOT Team Buschhutten
• Baden-Wurttembergischer Triathlonverband
• Andreas Giglmayr
• Michael Gohner
• Sarah Fladung
• Christian Prochnow
• Nils Frommhold
• Svenja Bazlen

Snow Sports

• SKI Austria Jumping Team
• Falls Creek Resort Management
• Michael Epp
• Slovenia Nordic Ski Pole

Netball

• Netball NSW
• Queensland Firebirds

Athletes

• Jordis Steinegger
• Jana Hartmann
• Tobias Kargl

Associations

• Hellenic Rowing Federation
• NSW Athletics

Advertising & Controversy

SKINS has a history of bold and controversial advertising. A series of adverts that ran in 2005/6 caused the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to allege that SKINS had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct. The adverts in question stated that "We don't pay sports stars to wear our product. They pay us." The ACCC contested this claim and produced a list of athletes who were sponsored and paid by SKINS. In 2009 the Federal Court of Australia handed down judgment in favour of the ACCC and SKINS agreed to provide undertakings to the Court, pay costs and publish corrective advertisements. The same court also upheld an accusation of retail price maintenance against SKINS, who induced, by request, a retailer in Adelaide not to lower the retail prices of their products.

SKINS ran an advertising campaign in 2006 which featured the famous “Swoosh” logo of Nike, Inc. placed upside down across the mouths of athletes to form a grimace. Nike demanded SKINS to cease this advertising, which they did. However, the advertising campaign received praise for its creativity from the Advertising Federation of Australia.

Retail Partnerships

In 2010 SKINS partnered with Chinese sportswear manufacturer Li-Ning to become the first compression clothing supplier in China, with a range of co-branded products being produced for the Chinese market by the two companies.

In 2012 SKINS have partnered with the Itochu Corporation of Japan to distribute SKINS products in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Other Associations

The company was involved with the Mars Society Australia in the development of MarsSkin, a prototype spacesuit that was tested in the Flinders Ranges in Australia in August 2004.

SKINS have been vocal opponents of blood doping in sports and were the first company to be certified by BikePure, an independent, not-for-profit organisation which advocates ethical cycling practices and conducts anti-doping research.

In 2012 SKINS became official suppliers of compression recovery sportswear to the St Louis Blues hockey team.

SKINS are the exclusive compression sportswear sponsor of the 2012 ITU World Triathlon Series, and have been sponsoring the event since 2009.

SKINS products are endorsed by the Australian Physiotherapy Association. Their compression stockings are listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods as a medical device for reducing oedema.