January is traditionally the time gyms do their best business as we all put New Year’s resolutions into action, and fitness brands will hope to cash in on the drive to get healthy.
Because full time athletes lead the way as role models in the fitness game, athlete sponsorship has become part of the marketing landscape for many top leisure and outdoor brands.
Whether it’s Scarpa, Inov8 or Dare2b, sports men and women all over the world are benefitting from deals that help them compete.
But how do the brands use their athletes in marketing campaigns and could they make the connection between brand and sports personality stronger to better sell the aspirational tie?
Hearing and watching cyclist or snowboarder tell his or her story is compelling. And videos where the athletes talk about their journey score high in You Tube. Bringing the world of high octane achievement to the consumer engages and inspires and is best done using video.
Remember Felix Baumgartner stepping out of a space capsule in 2012 with the Red Bull logo on his helmet; a photo wouldn’t have cut it, footage of that momentous event was the only way to go.
With video you hear, watch and feel the level of attainment a sports personality brings to his or her field of endeavour; achieving feats we can only aspire to. It’s the natural home for fitness and leisure content, allowing brands to make the most of the athletes they sponsor.