The future of sport: brands, data, and community.

Industry / Sports

Our visions for sports in 2022

Sports is a way of life. For consumers who have adopted a sporting or fitness lifestyle, brands need to help their audience validate that by matching their core values with the brand’s proposition across all touchpoints.

Trends of 2021

As inclusivity is gaining steam, the sports industry will need to take charge by involving the marginalised communities

shift towards digitally enhanced sporting experiences

Micro-influencers and close-knit communities are gaining prominence

ESports is rising in popularity thanks to Gen-Z

Virtual and Augmented reality will become a common technology to provide experiences

In 2022, NFTs and Blockchain are technologies that can reward the early adopters

The Sports industry is getting a digital makeover but the fundamental needs of the audience remain the same.

Learnings

Motivation and inspiration are two important experiences that the audiences of a sports brand look for. The right communication, content, design, and partnerships can enable these sports brands to form a strong connection.

A hybrid model of physical and digital experiences will take shape in the future of sports.

Our expertise
in Sports

Playtomic

Branding, subscription model,
apparel and digital product
for a sport unicorn.

Bkool

Transforming sports
into immersive
experiences.

QuantumSan Francisco

Boosting a vegan
sports brand within
the US market.

YessingChina

Building a new Chinese
sports fashion brand
for NetEase.

SIDOJapan

From function
to fun and then
going global.

Engendering Communities that Enhance the Experiences

Be it fitness or sports, communities based on shared interests can not only help forge connections but also bring in the competitive element that pushes people during their physical activity.
BKool provides indoor cycling training and experiences. They wanted to expand beyond cyclists and into broader groups of health-conscious people. Our branding project defined its positioning based on the idea of ‘Team Unlimited’ for people to be part of communities even from their homes.

Digital Contexts are Gaining Influence

Just like every other aspect of modern human life, the digital world is playing a major role even for physical activities such as sports. From inspirational content to influencers, the digital context shapes the expectations and perceptions of sports enthusiasts.

Yessing is a Chinese sportswear brand and needed a fresher take on the brand to grow internationally. Erretres developed a visual identity that not only takes in the global context but also communicates the brand well in digital contexts.

Differentiation with the Right Positioning of the Brand

The sports industry can be a very saturated market and it requires a clear concept of the brand and its offerings to define where the brand stands among the other market players. Developing an identity on this positioning can help attract the relevant audience.

Quantum is a company based in California that specialises in healthy vegan energy snacks. Our project helped them redefine their brand and its identity to improve visibility and scale at a national level.

SIDO is a Japanese undergarment brand that wanted to be perceived not just as functional but also original. Erretres developed the brand essence around the concept ‘the fun in functional’ and a brand identity that differentiates not only the brand from others but also the various product lines within the brand itself.

LEARNINGS

The sports industry is beyond just the confines of the physical activities that professional athletes are involved in. It influences the people in their lifestyles, outlook, and passions. By harnessing the value of sports and what it stands for, brands that look to be affiliated with the sports industry can not only find the right audience but also transform their experiences. Some of our key learnings working for the sports industry are:

Engendering communities that enhance the experiences. Communities act as a driving force to build loyalty and strong connections.

Digital contexts are gaining influence. A hybrid model of physical and digital experiences will take shape in the future of sports.

Differentiation with the right positioning of the brand. Entering a saturated market demands a clearly defined brand idea and identity