How Gymshark Swam to the Top of the Fitness Industry

 

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As social media platforms continue to expand and develop, marketers are increasingly looking to social media as a viable mode of advertising. Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and even TikTok have proven and are still proving to be instrumental to marketing success in today’s online environment. Few companies know this better than Gymshark, for whom social media proved to be the missing piece of their marketing puzzle. By playing host to a number of Gymshark Social Media ad campaigns, social media platforms acted as the catalyst that catapulted Gymshark from sulking in relative obscurity in the fitness apparel industry to being a fitness apparel titan. The article Marketing Strategy of Gymshark details exactly how this happened.

How Gymshark Utilized Social Media to Become a Fitness Giant

Gymshark started off in 2012 as a small fitness apparel startup company. Today, Gymshark is recognized as one of the most successful fitness brands in the world. In less than a decade, Gymshark progressed from a small startup into a multi-billion-dollar company. Typically, that kind of progression doesn’t happen, or at least isn’t very common. Gymshark’s secret? Social media marketing prowess. Today, the way that Gymshark used social media to market itself and gain traction is regarded as a masterclass in the world of modern digital marketing. Gymshark Social Media - the team behind the company’s success - was and is the driving force behind each and every Gymshark marketing campaign. The following are just a few ways the Gymshark Social Media team used social media platforms to propel themselves to the top.

• Going All-In - While Gymshark’s competitors were a little slower to dip their toes in the water with social media marketing, Gymshark went all in immediately after its founding. Gymshark began partnering with celebrity influencers on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. In doing this, Gymshark simultaneously promoted its products organically through well-known creators and garnered for itself new audiences.

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• Engaging Marketing Campaigns - More so than its competitors, Gymshark is known for creating and running extremely engaging marketing campaigns. A prime example of this is the “66 Days: Change Your Life” campaign. Gymshark based this campaign upon the idea that it takes 66 days for human beings to form new habits. The campaign encouraged audiences to establish and commit to a structured fitness routine for 66 days and post their progress using #Gymshark66. This campaign both gamified fitness and centered fitness around community participation. By doing these things, Gymshark generated mass amounts of user-generated content and converted customers into brand advocates.

• Creative Advertising - Gymshark centers its advertising around its audience. The company’s advertising strategy focuses on producing content that resonates with consumer values and goals.  Gymshark’s primary way of spreading its campaign messaging is through the utilization of both popular and niche influencers on a variety of social media platforms. When seeking partnerships, Gymshark seeks out individuals who are actively and authentically living the “Gymshark lifestyle.” When these influencers share their daily lives on their platforms, their followers see a company that shares the same goals and values as them. This builds trust and loyalty within the consumer base.

• Paid Social Media - Gymshark is no stranger to using paid content to gain brand awareness, leads, or drive sales. Gymshark utilizes paid ads on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram; these paid ads often feature customer testimonials, fitness advice, or influencer content in order to create an advertisement that stands out from others.

• Easy-to-Use and Engaging Website - Lastly, Gymshark has optimized its website to be focused on providing the best possible user experience. Additionally, the website utilized personalization features to recommend products based on a customer’s browsing history. Their website also plays host to a diverse set of newsletters and blogs that address things like fashion, fitness, and training. 

Personal Thoughts

I don’t think it's any wonder that Gymshark has had success in the past, and continues to have success to this day. Their social media marketing team is consistently producing engaging campaigns that do more than just build brand awareness and drive sales; the campaigns encourage self-actualization and community. Gymshark’s social media marketing campaigns make current customers feel that they are a part of something, and when prospective customers see this, they cannot help but feel compelled to join, or at least check Gymshark out for themselves.  As a non-customer of Gymshark, being exposed to some of their campaigns in my research has definitely increased my interest in the brand and their products (So good job, Gymshark). While I likely won’t ever actually buy from the brand, I definitely understand why Gymshark has become the fitness giant that it is today.

Original Source:Gymshark Marketing Strategy: How Athletes Built a $1.3B Fitness Brand