In today's highly competitive business landscape, it is imperative for activewear brands to continuously monitor their brand's position in the global market. After all, are you aware of how your brand compares to competitors both locally and worldwide? Without this data, you may be missing out on key opportunities to improve your brand's performance.
According to Mckinsey & Co., in 2022, inflation in Europe and the United States hit a level not seen in at least 40 years. This has resulted in just 6% of activewear organizations being optimistic about their ability to take on the economic challenges as well as maintain their performance. Additionally, the onset of 2023 has highlighted obstacles such as escalating expenses and a looming economic downturn. Not to mention the rise in concerns over the unpredictability of global politics and the direction of interest rates.
Whether you're a new player in the activewear sector or a seasoned brand looking to up your game, take the time to analyze your brand's position in the global market. Understanding where your brand stands in the market is essential for making informed decisions on the tactics and strategies needed to take your brand to the next level. By knowing your brand's strengths and weaknesses relative to your competitors, you can make adjustments to your marketing and product development strategies to stay ahead of the curve.
In this article you’ll learn…
Which 10 Activewear Brands have been Selected?
This insight provides a benchmarking analysis on ten activewear brands in Q4 2022, utilizing our proprietary algorithm, Media Impact Value™ (MIV®), to measure and benchmark the impact of all media placements and mentions across various voices during a selected period.
We analyzed the MIV® data in Q4 2022, for the following ten activewear brands:
- Lululemon
- Fila
- Alo Yoga
- Fabletics
- Athleta
- Oysho
- Sweaty Betty
- Vuori
- Pangaia
- Le Coq Sportif
The infographic below displays the ranking of the ten selected activewear brands and the number of placements they had in Q4 2022. These placements factor in social media posts and articles related to specific search queries, as well as consumer interactions with posts, such as tags and comments. It provides a clear picture of some brand's performance in comparison to others in the industry, allowing you to identify opportunities for growth and maximize your impact.
Voice Mix Benchmark for the Activewear Brands
This infographic represents the Voice Mix Benchmark by MIV® for the ten activewear brands in Q4 2022.
The Voice Mix is a metric that provides the percentage of each of the five Voices that consumers are exposed to Media, Influencers, Celebrities, Partners, and Owned Media. The rate is based on the total MIV®, which each Voice generated for the activewear brands. An awareness of this Voice Mix gives brands a better strategic understanding of the best tactics for themselves or their competitors.
Read on to find out more about the competitive benchmarking and analysis of the top five from the selected brands of this activewear ranking.
Lululemon
Coming in at the top of the selected brands, the best-performing activewear brand in Q4 2022 was Lululemon. Renowned for being a popular athletic brand known for its fashionable yoga and workout clothes, the brand garnered $42.6M in MIV® across 9.5K placements.
In terms of global reach, the US was the brand's most profitable market, contributing to $38.4M of its total MIV®. In second place, there was the Chinese market with $13.1M. This global outreach can be seen in the distribution of the Social Media Channel between popular Chinese platforms such as Weibo ($2.7M), Red ($3.4M) or Wechat ($1.9M) and Western platforms like Instagram ($5.3M), Youtube ($3.6M) or Facebook ($4.3M). Nonetheless, in terms of Channel-mix, the most popular Channel for Lululemon was actually Online Media which generated a notable $38.2M in MIV®.
In terms of Voice mix, Lululemon's success can be attributed to its effective use of the Media Voice, which garnered $51.7M in MIV® across 26.5K placements, and the Influencer Voice, which generated $14M in MIV® across 5.2K placements. Out of its top 10 key Voices, the Media Voice represented 9 of them, including: USA Today with $3.94M in MIV®, Buzzfeed US with $2.4M in MIV® and Glamour GB with $1M in MIV®.
Looking at the Media Voice, the print edition of Esquire in China generated a significant MIV® of $509K. This goes to show that print editorial still holds significant weight in brand coverage and shouldn't be overlooked in your marketing strategies. It's crucial to understand what resonates best with consumers when creating campaigns targeted towards the Chinese market, and this placement is a prime example of the importance of localized marketing efforts.
Activewear Brands in China
Do you want to know how much MIV® your marketing strategy in China is driving?
Fila
Fila has earned its place as the second-ranked activewear brand in our exclusive ranking for a reason. With its trendy sportswear apparel and athletic footwear, Fila has generated a significant $39M in MIV® in Q4 2022, with 10% growth since Q3. This success can be attributed to the brand's efforts in the Chinese market, which generated a staggering $18.8M in MIV®.
When we analyze Fila's Voice mix, we find that Media is the most prominent Voice. Singularly, teh Voice generated $18.9M in MIV® across 8.5K placements. However, we can't overlook the fact that Celebrities and Influencers have also played a pivotal role in Fila's success. The latter generating approximately $5.0M in MIV® per placement. Celebrities, in particular, have proven to be a valuable asset for the brand, generating an average MIV® of $16.1K per placement.
When it comes to Fila's Channel mix, social media reigns supreme. It generated an impressive $24.1M in MIV®, which accounts for 62% of the total MIV® generated for the brand. Among the top-performing social channels, Weibo takes the lead with $7.2M in MIV®, followed by Douyin ($6.1M) and Instagram ($5.1M). One noteworthy collaboration that really stood out for Fila was their partnership with Hailey Bieber. Hailey's placement generated $763K in MIV®, showcasing the power of partnering with high-profile celebrities and influencers for your brand's coverage.
Alo Yoga
Ranking third in our selected brands benchmark, Alo is another stylish and trendy brand founded in LA in 2007. With their MIV® of $29.2M in Q4 2022 alone, Alo has proven itself to be a force to be reckoned with in the activewear industry. The brand's dominance in the US market cannot be ignored, generating an astonishing $18.8M in MIV®.
What sets Alo apart from other brands? Their focus on Influencers. With $12.7M in MIV® across 1.1K placements, it's clear that Influencers are the most important Voice for the brand. Media is also important, generating $12M in MIV®, but with twice as many placements. Owned Media also played a significant role in Alo's success, generating $3.5M in MIV®.
When it comes to Channels, social media coverage is a clear priority for Alo’s marketing strategies. And with an impressive $18.4M in MIV®, it's clear that their social media strategy is working. Instagram is the most prominent channel, generating $15.6M in MIV®, followed by Online with $10.1M in MIV®. Alo has had some notable collaborations with Influencers, such as Cuban actress and model Livia Brito, who generated $1.7M in MIV®, and Argentine Influencer Antonela Roccuzzo, who generated $1.5M MIV®. But it was an Instagram placement by Georgina Rodríguez that generated an impressive $956K in MIV® in one single post which topped all other placements, proving yet again the power of partnering with high-profile Influencers.
Fabletics
Fabletics is another major player in the activewear market, generating $13.7M in MIV® in Q4 2022. What sets Fabletics apart from competitors like Alo Yoga is its ability to leverage a variety of Voices in its marketing strategy. While Alo Yoga has focused on Influencers, Fabletics has successfully utilized Media ($3.9M), Celebrities ($3.8M), Influencers ($3.6M), and Owned Media ($2.5M) to generate a diverse mix of MIV®.
Fabletics' marketing strategy has proven to be particularly successful in the US, where it generated $11.9M in MIV®. The UK market has also been lucrative for Fabletics, generating $769K in MIV®. In terms of channels, Instagram has been a particularly effective platform for the brand, generating $8.1M in MIV®.
In order to amplify their brand messaging and reach a wider audience, Fabletics has collaborated with prominent public figures. With celebrity endorsements from the likes of Kevin Hart and Vanessa Hudgens, Fabletics has successfully positioned itself as a trusted brand in the market. Kevin Hart, a well-known comedian and actor, has generated a staggering $2.2M in MIV® across nine placements on various social media platforms, mainly Instagram, but also Facebook and Twitter. Vanessa Hudgens is another well-known celebrity who has been vouching for Fabletics. With four placements on Instagram, she has generated an impressive $1.3M in MIV®. Her commitment to fitness and healthy living resonates well with the brand's message. By partnering with these celebrities, Fabletics has positioned itself as a brand that values quality and authenticity which resonates well with consumers.
Athleta
Athleta has established itself as a top-performing women's activewear brand, ranking fifth in our Q4 2022 activewear brand benchmark. With its trendy and sustainable women's sportswear apparel, Athleta has generated an impressive $11.1M in MIV® in Q4 2022 alone. Additionally, a staggering $9.4M in MIV® can be attributed to the brand's central success in the US market.
Although Athleta's Media Voice has been significantly prominent, generating $8.5M in MIV® across 4.1K placements; the brand has not prioritized other Voices. The Celebrity or Influencer Voices, for example, can prove even more successful in the long run. After all, the brand's partnership with Alicia Keys as a spokesperson has been incredibly successful. Overall, the partnership has generated $991K in MIV® across 10 placements on the Celebrity's multiple social platforms.
Athleta's Channel mix reveals that the Online Channel makes up 62% of the brand's success, with $6.8M in MIV®. Instagram remains the best-performing social channel for the brand. It generated $1.8M in MIV®, followed by Facebook with $1.1M in MIV® and Youtube with $711K in MIV®.
The top-performing placements for Athleta in Q4 2022 have been by Alicia Keys. Her best-performing placement for Athleta on Instagram generated $233K in MIV®. This demonstrates the significance of partnering with high-profile celebrities to drive MIV® for your brand, rather than just prioritizing Media.
How to Benchmark your Activewear Brand
This insight aims to help you gain more awareness about successful marketing strategies. It also demonstrates tactics some of the best contemporary activewear brands use to optimize their brand performance globally.
Do you want to learn more about your brand's position? How it compares to your competitors? For that, you need a deeper dive into your brand's performance analytics. Doing so, you can gain valuable insights into your campaigns' effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
If this insight has sparked your interest, start benchmarking your activewear brand today by clicking on the link below.
Benchmark Your Activewear Brand
Uncover areas to boost your brand performance and increase your industry ranking.
By Charlotte Gillet. Business Marketing Coordinator
Based in London, Charlotte is a Marketing Coordinator at Launchmetrics. Passionate about creating inspiring content, she recently graduated from UCL with a MA in Publishing. Invested in learning more about the businesses of Fashion, Luxury, and Beauty worldwide; she is excited to explore the ever-changing landscape of these industries.