New Competition: Men'S Wear Brand Launches Sports Marketing

Kristiano Ronaldo advertises Armani underwear

The men's wear Brand Company are playing a brand new game. They are increasingly paying close attention to diversified sports cooperation so as to promote their sales performance and brand image.

Over the past 6 months, some of the major non sport apparel brands in the United States have begun to cooperate with some professional sports teams and players.

Izod, the famous American casual wear brand, doubled its bet on its large scale and comprehensive partnership with the Indy Racing Union. JA Apparel clothing company and its Joseph Abboud brand cooperated with the New York giants of the US baseball team. Meanwhile, Italy brand Connally (Canali) and Emprio Armani (Emporio Armani) also made some of the leading stars serve as spokesmen for its spring advertising campaign.

Mariano Rivera speaks for Connally

A more effective and reliable way of publicity.

Although the terms and objectives of these contracts are different, they are based on provocative assumptions: sport is a more effective, reliable and even more cost-effective form of publicity than traditional clothing marketing, even though your brand has nothing to do with sports.

"Suppose a man can name a name, and I have never heard a man say," I am a super fan of George Clooney. "

Or "I love that male model."

Larry Degaris, director of the sports sponsorship center of University of Indianapolis Athens, said, "I heard men say," I am a young baseball Major League New York Yankee fan. "

Clothing brands are using sports to integrate into the deeper passion of men's consumers.

The use of sports stars to enhance brand awareness and sales has proved to be effective.

A study last year by Brand Affinity Technologies of interactive media company showed that online advertising with sports stars increased the brand awareness by 180% than ads without sports stars.

In the same year, a research from sponsorship research and strategy company found that NASCAR racing fans were more inclined to buy Wrangler jeans, because it was a sponsor of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Such a result is a blessing to sports sponsors.

Despite the decline in the overall value of sponsorship contracts in 2009, IEG, the trade publication of the industry, predicts that the cost of North American sponsors will increase by 3.4% to $17 billion 80 million in its annual report.

Celebrity endorsement of sports stars, which accounts for a huge share of the market, is expected to drop by 2.8% to $11 billion 600 million.

Racing driver Ryan Hunter-Reay endorsement for Izod

Can sports figures promote sales?

Connally made an astonishing move this spring. The clothing brand invited the star Mariano Rivera of the North American League Baseball League New York Yankee to become the spokesman for its 2010 spring summer campaign.

The brand's past marketing efforts are mainly focused on the exquisite workmanship and the blood lineage made in Italy. This choice is different from the past. At the same time, it also raises a question, whether a sports figure or even a well-dressed sports figure can help sell.

The company also adopted traditional models in its advertising campaign.

According to the company, the initial response was good.

The response of consumers prompted the company to consider launching two ways of publicity in addition to other countries outside the United States, and may continue to sign Mariano Rivera's contracts for the autumn and winter propaganda.

"From a brand point of view, this shows a male chauvinism, and brings a wider appeal to the brand."

De Garis, who is responsible for Connally's paper advertising, said the advertisement had appeared in Vanity Fair, Wall Street journal, New York Times magazine and other publications.

Elisabetta Canaris, director of the Global Communications Department of the brand, said that its publicity campaign would not have commercials or "Americanization" of advertisements, and even touched sports fans.

"Mariano Rivera has been Connally's consumer for many years, and we see passion and enthusiasm in him, which is also what we give clothes."

"At the same time, we also consider that using an athlete to advertise may bring a brand new feeling to our brand and attract people's attention," she explained.

Experts say it is not necessary to consider the proximity between the product and the athletes (they mentioned the contract with a football star's canvas sneakers), but to see the athlete's ability to convey all aspects of the brand's information, just like the football player Kristiano Lo and Nardo's muscles and sexuality displayed in Emprio Armani's brand underwear advertisement, he showed this feeling well.

Ronaldo is the second football player to appear in the brand advertisement, and David Beckham has endorsed the brand.

Peter Rivet said, "there must be a deeper reason for a person to succeed in sports."

Peter Rivet is vice president and management manager of IMG global fashion. His British sports department takes care of Indianapolis's Pony quarterback Peyton Manning and snowboarding Sean White.

"Athletes should be highly motivated. They should be able to tell their motivational stories and convey their own charisma.

That's why brands let them speak for themselves.

He said.

However, according to Jason Kenna, director of male model at Major model broker management company, sports figures are not the panacea for men's brand. Trained professional models know how to display clothing to help sales, and more than athletes know how to establish ambitions for brands, especially luxury brands and designer brands.

He said, "I remember many years ago, Yang Ji's catcher George Posada endorsed the men's clothing brand Wilke Rodriguez, and then there was no more.

I will let some super sports stars endorse soft drinks, watches and cars, but will hand over the work of some high-end fashion models to professional models, because they can convey the designer's intentions more accurately.