Brands
Decathlon launches Decathlon Pulse
Mumbai: Decathlon is launching Decathlon Pulse, a fully-owned subsidiary dedicated to building new long-term growth engines, accelerating Decathlon’s ambition to move people through the wonders of sport.
In a sports and wellness market offering major growth opportunities, Decathlon is determined to explore new ways to expand its footprint for the benefit of people, society at large and the planet.
An independent entity within the group, Decathlon Pulse will invest in innovative people and businesses that share its values and commitment. In line with Decathlon’s global strategy, Decathlon Pulse will fully complement the group’s core activities by diversifying its ability to drive impact and lead the change.
Three levers of action to build additional long-term growth
Decathlon Pulse will focus on three main levers:
● Build and scale ideas and concepts with strong potential to create standalone new businesses that will complement Decathlon’s core activities and strengthen the group’s value proposition.
● Invest as a shareholder in highly innovative companies that could change the sport ecosystem and accelerate the adoption of new sustainable business models.
● Acquire strong and forward-looking sports brands and sporting goods distributors that are changing the game by their revolutionising ideas and trailblazing business models.
Driving innovation and growth through strategic partnerships
For many years, Decathlon has been investing in companies with the same intention: to have an impact on all stages of the sports ecosystem’s value chain.
Since 2018, Decathlon has invested close to 400 million euros in capitalistic partnerships, from investments in startups and small companies to the acquisition of majority stakes in premium pure players like AllTricks and Bergfreunde.
Decathlon Pulse, through its clear roadmap, independent management and dedicated teams, will accelerate this strategic movement, having the capability, means and agility to look beyond today’s changes and focus on long-term strategic growth.
Franck Vigo is appointed CEO of Decathlon Pulse. Decathlon’s Global CEO Barbara Martin Coppola will serve as its chairwoman, ensuring the complementarity with Decathlon’s core activities.
Decathlon Global CEO and Decathlon Pulse chairwoman Barbara Martin Coppola: “We are thrilled to launch Decathlon Pulse. This marks a significant milestone in our journey to better serving the sporting needs of the customers of tomorrow. Decathlon Pulse is a separate entity, but will be complementary to the Decathlon as they work towards the same purpose to move people through the wonders of sport. Decathlon Pulse will be dedicated to finding new growth levers and game-changing innovations in the sports market. I can’t wait to see what the team achieves in the future.”
Decathlon Pulse CEO Franck Vigo: “Today marks an exciting new journey for us as we launch Decathlon PULSE, driven by a passion for sport and a singular vision to continuously enhance our impact on people’s lives. We believe the best way to do so is to build long-term relationships with game-changing companies and people, in which we invest while maintaining their full autonomy to create a better sports industry.”
Brands
Godrej clarifies ‘GI’ identifier after logo similarity debate
Says GI is not a logo, will not replace Godrej signature across products.
MUMBAI: In a branding storm where shapes did the talking, Godrej is now spelling things out. Godrej Industries Group (GIG) has issued a clarification on its newly introduced ‘GI’ identifier, addressing questions around its purpose and design following a wave of online criticism. At the centre of the debate were two concerns: whether the new mark replaces the long-standing Godrej logo, and whether its geometric design mirrors other corporate identities.
The company has drawn a clear line. The Godrej signature logo, it said, remains unchanged and continues to be the sole logo across all consumer-facing products and services. The ‘GI’ mark, by contrast, is not a logo but a corporate group identifier intended for use alongside the Godrej signature or company name, and aimed at stakeholders such as investors, media and talent rather than consumers.
The need for such a distinction stems from the 2024 restructuring of the broader Godrej Group into two separate business entities. With both continuing to operate under the same Godrej name and signature, the identifier is positioned as a way to differentiate the Godrej Industries Group at a corporate level.
The rollout, however, triggered a broader conversation on design originality. Critics pointed to similarities between the GI mark’s geometric composition and logos used by companies globally, raising questions about distinctiveness.
Responding to this, GIG said its intellectual property and legal review found that such overlaps are common in minimalist, geometry-led design systems. Basic forms such as circles and rectangles appear across dozens of brand identities worldwide, the company noted.
It added that the identifier emerged from an extensive design process and was chosen for its simplicity, allowing it to sit alongside the Godrej signature without competing visually. While acknowledging that elemental shapes may appear less distinctive in isolation, the group emphasised that the mark is part of a broader identity system that includes a custom typeface, sonic branding and other proprietary elements.
Following legal and ethical assessments, the company said it found no impediment to using the identifier, reiterating that the GI mark is a corporate tool not a consumer-facing symbol.
In short, the logo isn’t changing but the conversation around it certainly has.
