How well do sports brands fit the fashion market?

People's values are different. For some, security is right, while others seek adventure. For some, social aspects play an important role, while others are concerned with success. And depending on how much someone identifies with which values, they prefer certain brands. That's the theory.

Market researcher Dr. Ottmar Franzen has been dealing with the practice for 25 years. He analyzed the values of fashion buyers in Germany, compared them with selected sports brands - and presented the results in the ISPO Academy at ISPO Munich 2020.

Franzen compared four brands with different values people hold. The market researcher came to the following conclusions:

• Adidas: "The brand is Everybody's Darling and that's why it's so successful, because there's simply something for everyone - including fashion buyers."
• Under Armour: "The label is more popular with men, not very established among fashion buyers and more of a niche brand for adventure seekers."
• Converse: "The company sets clear and individual style accents, has conquered the fashion market and tends to reach women as a target group."
• Jack Wolfskin: "The outdoor company has lost the youth, is very accepted by fashion buyers and is especially popular with people 51 and up."
• Planet Sports: "The board sports company has a clear focus on people who care about tolerance and pleasure. It is trendy, young and anchored in the fashion world."

The conclusion of the market researcher can be summarized as follows:

• Above all, when brands set a clear focus, they reach their target group.
• Strong brands reinvent themselves again and again.
• Brands that tend to be accepted by older people lose their younger customers.
• Retail brands can also focus on specific values.

About Dr. Ottmar Franzen

Market researcher Dr. Ottmar Franzen is managing partner of Konzept & Markt GmbH. With a degree in economics, he already worked in market research in Lucerne before moving to Frankfurt to join Nielsen. Konzept & Markt GmbH, which he founded in 1996, specializes in retail, customer and brand research.