Nike, Adidas and New Balance, the most mentioned sportswear brands on social networks
Digital marketing is leading a revolution in the sportswear sector, and social networks have become the central axis of the strategies of the big brands. The most recent data not only reflect this trend, but also paint a scenario where traditional media play an increasingly complementary role. The latest report from Digimind, part of Onclusive, on the sportswear industry, reveals a clear imbalance between mentions on social networks and in conventional media.
The dominance of social networks
Social networks have proven to be the ideal terrain for promoting sports brands. In the last twelve months, The eight leading brands in the sector accumulated more than 35 million mentions on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. In contrast, traditional media, such as press and television, only reached just over two million mentions in the same period.
Nike leads this ranking with 16 million mentions on social networks closely followed by Adidas which reaches 12 million. New Balance although at a considerable distance, occupies third place with 2.1 million mentions. This overwhelming dominance in the digital realm underscores the importance of being present where consumers are: on their screens, connected, commenting and sharing.
The two worlds of sports marketing
The themes that triumph on social networks and in traditional media reveal two very different universes. While on social networks consumers focus mainly on products, especially sports shoes, Traditional media prefer to address financial issues, launches and brand news.
This more commercial approach in networks has an interesting nuance: users do not care so much about the price or quality of the products, but about their functionality. More than 40% of conversations on networks revolve around whether the shoes are suitable for running, going to the gym or playing sports in general. On the other hand, the price only accounts for 0.76% of the discussionsa surprisingly low figure for a key issue in other industries.
The crucial role of influencers and athletes in the promotion of sportswear brands on social networks and traditional media
A meeting point between both worlds, the digital and the traditional, is the importance of collaborations with athletes. This bridge connects the sports marketing of the networks with that of the media, since High-profile contracts with athletes generate great visibility both in the press and on digital platforms. Nike and Adidas, along with other brands such as Lacoste and Asics, capitalize on these agreements with figures such as tennis player Coco Gauff or Real Madrid footballer Endrick..
«The results of this report offer us very interesting information in some cases, and very curious in others. How little consumers care about the price, quality or design of sneakers, undoubtedly one of the stars of this industry, never ceases to surprise. And the fact that the sector already knew, the different conversations that sports brands generate, whether on social networks or in traditional media, is confirmed with the data of this analysis, which becomes a very useful tool for the brands make decisions and design new strategies,” he says. Héctor Linares, general director of Onclusive in Spain.
