Noel Mack, Gymshark’s Chief Brand Officer, is charting an unconventional course for the gym apparel brand, focusing on community and culture over traditional marketing approaches.
Culture as Compass
Mack’s deep involvement with social media platforms has allowed Gymshark to tap into subcultural trends and emerging platforms ahead of the curve, significantly contributing to the brand’s rapid growth and ‘unicorn’ status in the UK.
This understanding of popular culture drove the company to embrace music.ly (now TikTok) early on, allowing them to establish genuine relationships with fitness enthusiasts worldwide.
Fostering a sense of community, rather than merely amassing followers, is crucial to establishing a modern brand.
As Mack explains, “the community adopted us. It’s as though we’ve been elected to become their leader, the brand that represents them, and we’ve just been doing our best to represent them ever since.”
Community First
Gymshark’s community-centric approach shines through in their engagement with British Olympic hopeful Dan Bramble. Upon learning that Bramble was working as a delivery driver to fund his Tokyo Games training, Gymshark stepped in and funded his GoFundMe campaign.
This act not only garnered press and community engagement but also reinforced Gymshark’s place within the community—now over 10 million strong.
“I don’t need attribution to tell me we made sales from that. I know people out there in the U.K. saw that and went, wow, that’s a brand I should stand behind,” Mack said.
Focused Branding
Mack is clear that Gymshark is a gym brand, not a sportswear brand. Their products are singularly designed for gym-based training, and the team relentlessly focuses their brand efforts to this end.
They achieve this by consistently creating gym content, collaborating with gym influencers, and engaging with the gym community. This resonates with gym enthusiasts and reinforces their brand identity as a dedicated gym wear company.
This targeted approach sets Gymshark apart from many fitness apparel companies that aim to reach as many consumers as possible.
Gymshark’s focus on community and culture made them stand out. Integrating cultural understanding with brand strategy is a necessity for setting yourself apart.
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