The easiest way to get started with your new sports brand is not the most effective. In launching a new business, it’s important to have a complete plan in place which includes what you want from your company and how you are going to do it.
Before you even begin looking for a logo or a website, there are some basic things you’ll need to do to make sure you give yourself the best chance of success. We’ve put together a list of the most common mistakes we see from those starting out, as well as some simple steps you can take to ensure your new apparel brand gets off to a solid start.
Table of Contents
Unique USP
1) Not having your own unique selling point. a sports brand without its own unique selling point (USP) is like opening a restaurant that serves nothing but burgers. You may serve your burgers well, but chances are several other restaurants will be doing the same thing and you’ll all be fighting for the same set of customers. If you don’t stand out in some way, you’ll never get noticed.
Being unoriginal
2) There is nothing wrong with using your inspirations to develop your brand, but there are limits to what you should try and take. Copying another logo or design completely is not only disrespectful, it’s also illegal. If you lift an entire logo and then change a few words, that’s still plagiarism. If you find yourself looking at another brand and thinking .
Ignoring the brand competition
3) It’s important to know who else is in the market before you begin your campaign, so that you can tailor your release to avoid direct competition. If your business is the only one in its area, then you have a lot more freedom to do what you want without stepping on anyone’s toes.
Thinking “good enough”
4) You should always try and give yourself an extra edge by being the best in your area. For example, if you have a high street sports brand like sport-tek, why not go to shops and introduce yourself? You don’t have to do much, just shake their hand and tell them who you are could be enough to secure a sale in the future.
Not keeping up with changes
5) The world is constantly changing and so are people’s tastes. To stay ahead of the game, you’ll need to adapt; perhaps your American football team has just signed a new player that everyone is talking about, this might require an update to your logo.
Not realizing how big social media has become
6) We’re sure you’ve heard of social media before, but you might not be taking full advantage. It’s a great way to market your brand and get your name out there; it also allows people to interact with your business more easily than ever before.
Being afraid of failure
7) If you don’t take risks, how will you know what works and what doesn’t? You’ll never succeed unless you at least try, so go out there and do your best. You might be afraid of failure now, but you’ll look back on it as one of the best opportunities to learn.
Not keeping records
8) As your business grows, it gets harder to remember everything that has happened in the past. Keeping a record of everything will not only allow you to make better decisions in the future, but is also great for sharing with others. You can use it to show investors what you have achieved before.
Not realizing your company culture
9) Your company culture is what makes your business unique, so you should be proud of it and show it off whenever possible. Think about how your employees act and what they wear – this is a great starting point.
Focusing on the minimal features
10) As we said before, you never know what will work unless you give it a try. Don’t be afraid to go the extra mile; you might be surprised by what happens next.
Trying to compete on brand price
11) You can guarantee that anyone who is using their business as a source of cheap sportswear will never be the best in its area. It’s important to stick with your budget, but it doesn’t have to be the absolute lowest either.
Not having a personal brand touch
12) As well as your business, you are also trying to manage your own brand. This means that when people want to get in contact with you, they should be able to do so easily. Having social media accounts and an online presence is not enough; you need to actually reply to people too.
Not investing enough
13) Marketing is a difficult and expensive process, but it’s also necessary if you want your business to succeed. It might be worth putting yourself on a tighter budget for a while until you can afford to invest as much as you need.
Blog Conclusion
Sports brand launches are constantly surrounded by fresh challenges. For the beginner, it’s easy to make mistakes, but if you take these tips into consideration you’ll have a much better chance of success.
You should always try and give yourself an extra edge by being the best in your area.
For example, if you have a high street sports brand, why not go to shops and introduce yourself? You don’t have to do much, just shake their hand and tell them who you are could be enough to secure a sale in the future.
You’re not going to succeed unless you at least try, so you should go out there and do your best. You might be afraid of failure now, but you’ll look back on it as one of the best opportunities to learn.
Keeping records is important because it means that you can look back on what you have achieved in the past. This will give you great ideas for the future, but also show investors how much success your business has already seen.
Your company culture is what makes your business unique, so you should be proud of it and show it off whenever possible. Think about how your employees act and what they wear – this is a great starting point.
Don’t be afraid to go the extra mile with your business, especially when it comes to marketing. You might be surprised by what happens next.
