Activewear — which noticed a giant bounce in progress throughout the pandemic — has continued to steadily broaden as a class within the trend trade.
Not solely has curiosity in activewear clothes grown, area of interest activewear-related content material has additionally surged in reputation. For instance, over the previous yr there was a 97% improve in lively influencers posting about #GymTok, and a 67% improve in video views on that content material.
It’s no marvel that this elevated urge for food for activewear clothes and content material has led manufacturers to speculate additional in influencer advertising and marketing. And, these activewear manufacturers aren’t simply investing, they’re seeing some actual impression from their influencer packages!
Beneath we share some insights on what made Gymshark, Nike, Adidas, and Lululemon’s influencer packages notably profitable previously yr.
4 Influencer Program Insights from Gymshark, Nike, Adidas, and Lululemon
The next influencer program evaluation of prime activewear manufacturers is taken from our current State of Affect report, the place we offer aggressive benchmarks of manufacturers within the trade throughout the US, UK, FR, and DE. Gymshark, Nike, Adidas, and Lululemon all made it into the highest 10 on the “High Performing” Leaderboard, that means they earned the best Model Vitality Rating (VIT). VIT is Traackr’s metric that helps manufacturers perceive how content material mentioning their model performs, making an allowance for visibility, impression, and model belief.
To see extra model insights, prime influencers, and rising tendencies take a look at the complete State of Affect report.
Lululemon’s Influencer Program: High Performing by VIT
What’s notably spectacular about Lululemon’s influencer program success is that almost all of its social efficiency is pushed organically slightly than by means of paid posts. The model’s prime three influencers alone talked about Lululemon 757 instances over the previous yr, and embrace quite a lot of influencers spanning totally different tiers and content material niches. Among the prime influencers that talked about Lululemon embrace:
- Emilie Kiser (@emiliekiser), a mega tier way of life influencer who posts mini vlog type content material revolving round her household and day-to-day lifetime of being a mother.
- Darcy Mcqueeny (@darcymcqueenyyy), a mega tier way of life influencer who posts content material about trend and being a pupil on the College of Alabama.
- Kimberly Channelle Clark (@trackclubbabe), mid tier health influencer who posts operating ideas and different running-focused content material.
Lululemon’s excessive model fame and constant following throughout totally different communities has allowed the model to keep away from counting on and be extra selective about launching paid campaigns. Over the previous 12 months, most of its paid content material centered on selling its new trainers — an try and deliver consciousness to a product kind that the model isn’t as well-known (versus extra fashionable merchandise like its leggings and different attire).
For the sponsored shoe marketing campaign, the model teamed up with a various group of creators. These prime performers included Meg Boggs (@meg.boggs), Monet McMichael (@monetmcmichael), and Kirra Dickinson (@kirra.mov). These creators took their TikTok audiences by means of the totally different actions they do in a day carrying Lululemon’s Cost Really feel sneakers.
Lululemon’s influencer program success stats (April 2022 – March 2023):
- 541K VIT rating
- 141M engagements
- 1.8B video views
Gymshark’s High Performing Influencer Program
When you think about that Gymshark was launched lower than 11 years in the past by two youngsters in a school dorm, it’s really spectacular how massive and profitable the model’s social media presence is.
Influencer advertising and marketing performed a essential position in Gymshark’s speedy ascension, with the model being one of many first – throughout all industries, not simply health – to embrace working with influencers. The important thing to the model’s efficient influencer program is the stable, long-term relationships it develops with prime influencers who point out their model.
Lots of the model’s prime influencers are trainers and athletes together with Georgie Rose (@georgie.rose.1), Lilly Sabri (@lillysabri), Ryan Terry (@ryanjterry), and Lucy Reeves (@lucy_xfit) who usually point out the model of their gymnasium and post-workout content material. Whereas these prime creators have a variety of kinds, a few of their finest performing content material entails gymnasium humor, particulars about their private lives, or messages about physique positivity, psychological well being, and shaking the unrealistic requirements of others on social media. This partaking content material mixed with the large variety of mentions Gymshark receives from their prime influencers permits the model to achieve a big viewers whereas additionally making the partnership come throughout as extra real to viewers.
Gymshark’s influencer program success stats (April 2022 – March 2023):
- 415K VIT rating
- 116M engagements
- 1.1B video views
Nike’s High Performing Influencer Program
A giant motive for Nike’s influencer program success? Quantity. For reference, Nike earned 6K extra influencer mentions throughout this time interval than Adidas. Whereas Instagram was the platform the place most of Nike’s VIT was generated (59%), TikTok additionally was a giant contributor at 29% of complete VIT. Additional, Nike noticed 160M video views on TikTok whereas no different model even cracked 100M views on the platform.
Nike’s influencer program relied upon mid and macro tier influencers and partnered with fashionable TikTok creators on two totally different sponsored campaigns:
- Partnership with soccer gamers and influencers like Sang Portugais (@sangportugais) and Hayat (@hayat.hkm) to make TikToks the place the influencers talked about why the sport issues to them.
- Collaborated with Snipes (a retailer) to accomplice with one of many greatest French influencers on TikTok, comic/dancer Akamz (@akamztwenty20) to unfold the phrase concerning the model’s fiftieth anniversary by means of a collection of dancing movies on TikTok and Instagram.
Nike’s leads to France and partnerships with way of life influencers in different markets spotlight the model’s willingness to repeatedly experiment with its influencer advertising and marketing technique. The staff tries new issues as a substitute of relying solely on partnerships and endorsement offers with elite athletes to drive their model consciousness and fame throughout social.
Nike’s influencer program success stats (April 2022 – March 2023):
- 142K VIT rating
- 38.8M engagements
- 393M video views
Adidas’ High Performing Influencer Program
It seems that Adidas made some key adjustments to its influencer program technique that enabled it to prime the leaderboard and develop VIT by 75% YoY.
One new strategy was the model shifting far more consideration to TikTok, the place it noticed a 431% improve in VIT, a 336% improve in engagements, and a 490% improve in video views. On the core of its influencer program’s success had been two new long-term partnerships with dancers Noel Robinson (@noelgoescrazy) and Avemoves (@avemoves), two of Germany’s greatest TikTok stars.
Since being welcomed to the Adidas household in April 2022, the creators have talked about Adidas in lots of posts throughout TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Adidas even invited the duo to hitch them on the World Cup the place the creators made posts collectively that had been amongst Adidas’ prime performing mentions of the previous yr.
With regards to natural content material, lots of the prime posts got here from the area of interest “sneakerhead” neighborhood and featured critiques and unboxing movies of fashions just like the sambas, superstars, OG discussion board lows, and the Gucci x Adidas restricted version gazelles.
Adidas’ influencer program success stats (April 2022 – March 2023):
- 199K VIT rating
- 56.5M engagements
- 631M video views
