One of the trends reported by WundermanThompson for 2020 is “#2 Female Sporting Revolution”.
Women in sports are becoming worldwide influencers, breaking the mould and bringing better representation of the gender in sports media.
Ladies in sports have been having more attention, not only due to the social movements that have brought to light many inspiring women, but for their individual merit and refusal of being left in the dark.
Several women that have been shaking up the sports world recently: American Track and field Sprinter Allyson Felix, Artistic Gymnastic Athlete Simone Biles and Marathonist Brigid Kosegi.
There are already several brands making deals with female athletes and having them play in their ads. To be represented by a female athlete, any brand that wishes to have such “poster head” should do so because it aligns with the brand’s values.
In the light of what the new consumer understands a company should be, transparency and commitment to a brands core statements and values are essential. If there is an attitude or event where the brand is not being true and transparent they will be called out to the spotlight. An example of this is what happened between Mary Cain and Nike. Amongst the toxic culture within the project, she was participating in, there were also cuts in the athlete’s payments, if and when they were pregnant. The case ended with Nike being sued for violating equal pay laws.
When latching onto a new trend, be careful and understand the core values of your brand. If you are trying to catch a trend wave and your reason for it is not well corroborated, your “brand boat” might not sustain the hit.
Thoughts on Marketing 