New Fan Bases: Influence, Ambassadors, Neighbourgood Sports

The world of sport is facing a mental health revolution by addressing psychological wellbeing to avoid burnout. Smart brands are taking this shift to mainstream consumers by engaging new sporting mental wellness ambassadors and investing in community wellbeing programmes that look to improve the pandemic’s impact on holistic health.

Content & Collectives Plug Women’s Fitness Wellbeing Gaps

Female-focused fitness labels are upping the wellness ante. By creating support-centric online platforms, content and fit-tech collaborations, as well as regimes that target the hormonal impact on physical wellbeing, resourceful brands (both in retail and media) are prioritising women’s holistic health.

Brand Feels: Joy Over Performance Perfectionism

Traditional achievement-at-all-costs sports brand messaging is giving way to a new era that prioritises joy, confidence and emotional satisfaction over performance perfectionism. An ahead-of-the-curve wave of new campaigns, content platforms and retail spaces illustrate the rich opportunities for brands in exploring a softer, more ‘feeling’ side to sports.

Leveraging Outdoorphins

As discussed in Harnessing the Outdoor Opportunity, the pandemic has reinvigorated the outdoor sports sector as consumers look to find escapism in nature (see Key Stats). Tapping into this desire for nature connectedness and emotionally transformative experiences, astute brands are leaning into nature-as-therapy and biophilic concepts.