Starting a sportswear brand in a world of too much competition is not a piece of cake. It requires strategic approaches, proper planning, and execution. However, there is not much to worry about since the activewear industry is constantly booming, thus providing opportunities to every entrepreneur willing to launch activewear brands.
For any profitable business startup, smooth planning and execution are the keys to success. The same goes for a startup in the sportswear market, which, like any venture, requires your attention and careful planning.
The forecast for global sports apparel market revenue was valued at USD 103 billion in 2023 FY. The analytics predicted the market would reach $400 billion between 2023 and 2033 span.
According to verified market research, the women’s activewear market was valued at approximately $17.50 billion in 2023. This revenue is anticipated to increase further by over USD $70.89 billion by 2030, during the 2022–2024 forecast period, 2024–2030, at a CAGR of 19.11%.
What Does “Successful Sportswear Brand” Mean?
The word successful is a subjective term. Being successful can mean many things to different people. For instance, a successful sportswear brand for a businessman means gaining a great deal of revenue through selling products.
For any other entity, it could mean massive popularity among the customers. All in all, this term is associated with sales, growth, and profits in terms of business.
Qualities A Successful Brand Should Have
Success requires dedication and consistency in your efforts. I have mentioned the qualities of a successful brand. Have a look and enhance your dedication towards your business.
1- Outstanding Brand Identity:
A brand identity refers to resonating the business with the target audience. This means your brand should clearly reflect its objectives and specialities through its promotional aspects. For example, your brand’s identity should be distinctively reflected through the slogans, logos, trademarks, and anything else that markets your business. This helps in improving the brand’s image.
A lot of sports brands have created an extremely strong identity. Let’s give you some examples of some renowned and successful sportswear brands:
Nike
Nike is a globally known sportswear brand popular for its amazing products, stunning designs, and iconic logo.
Adidas
Adidas is also a globally recognized brand known for its timeless products, high-quality apparel, and global reach. Athletes and other sports brands admire Adidas for using sustainable and eco-friendly materials used to make sportswear.
Under Armour
Under Armour has gained popularity rapidly due to its performance-focused clothes. The most popular niche of Under Armour is athletic compression wear.
Gymshark
Gymshark has gained a great following among gym enthusiasts and fitness lovers. Its USP (unique selling proposition) is creating good quality and aesthetic garments for the gym industry.
Lululemon
Lululemon is another renowned sportswear brand that is widely popular due to selling yoga apparel and athleisure.
Read more about: Best sportswear Brands in the current year
2- High-Quality Products
A good sportswear brand can deal in standard quality items but a remarkable brand satisfies its customers with the top-notch quality. It depends on the type of your target market.
For instance, if you are running a brand that caters to elite and affording communities, you can opt for high-quality activewear fabric, which is costly. If you don’t want to compromise your budget, you can still choose the standard quality products at reasonable costs.
3- Consistent Marketing:
Build your brand’s awareness through planned marketing tactics. Connect with your customers and through them, make new ones on the basis of your products and services. Loyal customers are a great way to market your brand. Successful brands always provide their target market with top-quality products so that the word gets out to make the company popular.
4- Customer Engagement:
What can you do to engage your customers? This is a question that every brand owner should ask. Well, You can engage with the target market through various ways:
- Host events to showcase products.
- Run referral programs to inform people about your expertise or hot selling products.
- Offer discounts and promotions.
- Offer gifts and prizes to those who engage more.
- Improve your customer service to entertain the customers.
5- Be Aware of Trends
A brand should always know about the ongoing trends. You should keep a track about what excites people. The customers will automatically give you the importance you need once you are running your business according to latest trends in the industry.
Steps to Start a Successful Sportswear Brand
For building a successful sports clothing brand, this blog will guide you into an exciting and rewarding journey and steps towards establishing a lucrative line under your sportswear brand with a strong market presence. Let’s dive in!
1. Branding Your Sportswear Line
a) Naming Your Brand:
A name defines the perception of your brand in the market and among customers. It should reflect the essence of your product line. Make sure to choose a comprehensive, easy-to-spell name. A memorable and catchy name is entrenched in people’s minds and mirrors your brand personality.
b) Captivating Logo:
The logo is the face of your brand. It must be visually attractive and distinctive. It’s a good thing to relate your logo and name to your brand story, as it will impact the customers’ minds.
c) Establishing brand identity:
To build a cohesive image of your brand, develop your mission, vision, and values that positively depict your brand image. A proper name, logo, colors, and packaging represent the brand identity.
2. Determine Your Target Market
Your brand must have specific demographics that it wants to target depending on age, gender, lifestyle choices, etc. Knowledge of your potential customers and their preferences will help you strategize a marketing plan and develop a product line.
3. Drafting a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Crafting a USP is one of the most important steps in starting a clothing line like sportswear. It will help you stand out among competitors, giving you individuality among the diaspora of competing brands. Depending on your choice of eco-friendly material, having a trust foundation or association with a charitable cause, or offering services like customization, you can set your brand apart in any way.
4. Creating a Versatile Product Range
Starting a sports apparel business in a competitive market demands passion and creativity. Your options in your design range, sizes, styles, or customization catering to diverse customers will set your sportswear line at the top.
5. Curating Your Design and Style Aesthetic
Your design aesthetic should offer a functional and fashionable product line according to the market’s demand. Offer unique designs and collaborate with a skilled sportswear clothing manufacturer and designer who understands sports fashion.
Ensure that you have the right tech packs and mockups, the technical details and visual representation of the products to begin with your clothing setup. Mockups and tech packs given by the manufacturer will be beneficial for you to decide the perfect look of your products.
6. High Standards of Quality and Material
When initiating a sportswear business, ensure a positive brand image and customer loyalty by providing supreme-quality products that are durable, comfortable, and sustainable.
7. Strategizing The Pricing
The pricing should involve strategizing and determining the manufacturing cost, pricing in a competitive market, and the perceived value of the products. Balance your quality with affordable prices to attract more business.
8. Establishing Effective Distribution Channels
In this regard, you have the options of e-commerce channels, retail stores, pop-up stores, or online stores. You can choose either one or more than one, depending on your goals and business structure.
9. Developing an Effective Marketing and Promotion Strategy
Your investment in marketing will ensure your success in a competitive market where all the rivals wonder how to start a sports clothing line. Strategize your marketing technique and your plan, which can be social media campaigns, collaborations with influencers, independent content creation, or collaborations with other businesses. Creating a buzz around your business with intriguing marketing techniques will engage the audience.
10. Leveraging Brand Ambassadors/Partnerships
Collaborations with celebrities, influencers, and athletes that can successfully reflect your brand image and resonate with your target audience will expand your reach and give your brand credibility in the market. Hiring PR or staging PR events for advertising while allowing your customers to engage with brand ambassadors will also benefit your business.
11. Navigating Manufacturing and Sourcing
The sportswear industry is way too vast and includes gyms, fitness games, and sports. However, the demand for gym clothing is leading in the US. Sourcing and manufacturing are essential steps when strategizing how to start a gym clothing line in the fitness industry.
Find reliable manufacturers who produce supreme-quality products in the required price range. Consider eco-friendly materials for all the products, as the consumer market is becoming more and more eco-conscious.
12. Make a Business Plan
Draft a comprehensive business plan that includes accommodating your mission, vision, values, and future growth projections. The detailed plan will make it easier to navigate the complex process of starting the sportswear line and secure investors and collaborators.
13. Manage Your Budget
Manage your budget responsibly by allocating it efficiently to manufacturing, marketing, and other branding operations. Keep an eye on the cash flow and prepare for unexpected expenses.
14. Conducting a Thorough Competitive Analysis
As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. While developing a sportswear brand and launching various apparel, keep a close eye on the competitors and identify gaps in the markets your brand can fill. This will help you strategize your marketing plan.
Moving forward, let’s discuss how much a sportswear brand costs and the challenges it faces.
How Much Does it Cost to Start a Sportswear Brand
The cost varies with the scale of your business and the investment you are willing to make. The investment in a fitness clothing line stands between $3,550 and $8,800. And the profit potential of the sportswear business is between $36,000 and $104,000.
It would be best if you considered the following expenses while making your budget:
1. Design cost
2. Production and manufacturing
3. Marketing
4. Retailing
5. Day-to-day operations
Plan your budget so there is a margin to cater to unexpected costs and expenses.
Problems Faced By Startups in the Sportswear Industry
Most of the brands fail to run and continue their sportswear businesses. They fail to achieve their milestones. Hence, they end up closing their businesses altogether.
Some problems that a sportswear brand can encounter in the process of launching are:
a) Market competition
b) Difficulties in spreading brand awareness and recognition
c) Finding reliable manufacturers who can provide consistently good quality
d) Budget Constraints
e) Ineffective supply chain management
Conclusion
To start a sportswear line under your brand requires creative passion and dedication. The steps that are described above can make that process smooth if they are followed. The blog provides the steps to launch and some prevalent challenges and costs that you need to consider when curating your budget.
The brand must resonate with the consumer market and focus on bringing innovation through style and making functional designs that cater to a pool of diverse customers. Be true to your craft, and your uniqueness will engage customers. The quality standards will give you a loyal customer base and leave a mark on the industry.
