Starting an activewear company is a particularly challenging time. You likely want to reach success as soon as possible, but you are also faced with a wide variety of competitors and some of the most well-known and established brands in the world. While the process won’t be simple, there are a number of strategies and tactics you could use in order to get your business off the ground successfully. Here are some of the most important steps you could take when launching an activewear brand:
Develop a branding idea
Good branding is truly key to success. Just look at Adidas’s three lines or Nike’s recognizable swoosh. It seems like the best branding is always clean, simple, and memorable. If it ends up being too complicated, it might confuse and deter audiences, not to mention that complex logos tend to look quite unattractive on clothing. And while simplicity might always be a strong choice, keep in mind that branding is much more than just the logo; it is your audience’s entire perception of your business that makes it memorable. So, try to keep your branding uniform and consistent across all platforms, from websites and social media to marketing efforts.
Identify your niche
The activewear industry is broad and heavily saturated. That means you will need to select a specific niche and target only that area of the industry in order to reach success. For example, you can focus only on footwear or clothing, choose a specific sport, select a gender to prioritize, or even lean towards athleisure rather than physical activity. No matter what you select, opting for a niche will allow you to create more unique and desirable activewear pieces that your audience will surely need and want, rather than producing generic products consumers can buy nearly anywhere else.
Equip your business
When starting a company, equipment is one of the most important assets, as it allows you to build a solid product range. For that reason, you should ensure you have the right equipment for meeting consumer demands, whether that means purchasing great machinery for production or buying racking and displays for brick-and-mortar shops. If you plan on opening a store that will sell a variety of products as well as your own, however, you will also have to equip it with the right gear. Choosing the best women's activewear is a great option. More established brands with high-quality products could give your business more credibility as well.
Build a great website
In today’s world, having a good website is truly essential for all businesses. It allows consumers to easily find you, learn more about your products, and get to know your business, which is crucial for reaching success. Consider working with a professional web designer who can build the best solution for your company, ensure consistent branding, and include quality images of your products. Make sure to write detailed descriptions, include a compelling brand story, and utilize some search engine optimization (SEO) techniques for attracting a wider audience. Focusing on e-commerce could be quite beneficial as well.
Invest in marketing
When attempting to grow a business, advertising will be crucial for increasing brand awareness and attracting new consumers. Although printed media is often overlooked in the modern age, it’s not exactly dead when it comes to fashion, as magazines can be a good option for advertising an activewear brand. However, digital marketing strategies still seem to be the most popular solution, as they enable you to target specific audiences, expand your outreach, collect relevant data, and easily measure marketing success. Focusing on social media content, especially Instagram and Pinterest, investing in pay-per-click advertisements, and developing an email marketing campaign are all great solutions.
Consider influencers
Having people of influence wear your activewear brand is a great marketing tactic that also creates easily shareable social media content. It’s no secret that people tend to look up to their idols and aim to emulate them in some form, and wearing the same clothing is the simplest way to achieve that. From social media influencers to sports personalities and other stars, try to find ambassadors for your activewear brand. As they already have an established and significantly wider audience, they will be able to spread brand awareness, improve your brand image, and encourage consumers to make the necessary purchasing decision.
Make a press release
The best way to spread the news about your activewear brand is to tell the press, who will hopefully write articles and push your company to their large audiences. Focus on the relevant press that your target audience might be reading and aim to contact as many platforms as possible, including magazines, newspapers, websites, blogs, etc. Write a short press release that describes your brand, your idea, and your uniqueness. Consider meeting with a few publications in person as well, possibly presenting them some products to test out, in an effort to gain positive reviews from influential people from the very beginning.
Launching an activewear brand is never an easy task, but it becomes much more manageable when you follow the guide above. Just remember to keep it clean and simple, and success is bound to come.