Fashion Business Inc - Trend Watch: How Action Sports Brands Stay in the Game

Trend Watch: How Action Sports Brands Stay in the Game

As Kat Von D nosed her gleaming black Caddie into the parking lot at ASR, every tattooed style setter recognized the raven-haired LA Ink star. But no one turned or gawked or stared. Tradeshow attendees were totally chill and the reality mistress was absolutely welcome.

This laid-back bravado perfectly embodies the action sports market today and directly aligns with the informal ethos of youth culture. Once a niche category, boardsport apparel, accessories and gear has become a main floor staple with skateboarding the fastest growing segment of this $7.48B industry. So, how can your company get a piece of the retail action? Understand these Top 7 Trends for Staying in the Action Sports Game, and your whole company can profit:

1. TRANSFORM-NATION> Technologies Merge, Morph + Migrate     This is the year we’ll see the merger of phone and web worlds, migration of social networks and morphing of print and web.   CMOs, track these rapidly changing platforms for brand communication and before you allocate those hard-earned advertising dollars, know where your tribe will be hanging out tomorrow.

2. CULTURAL MASHUPS> Subculture & Niche Market Mashup     Today’s skate consumers are a mashup of subcultures and niche markets. No longer separate or rivals, watch for mergers of goth, punk, rockabilly, folk and indie on the fringes. Plus the mainstreaming of emopunk. So creative directors and PD managers, understand your consumers are sampling everything and design accordingly.

3. EXTREME LIFESTYLES> Extreme Lifestyle Ubiquity    Extreme lifestyles are everywhere and quickly going mainstream. Trendsetting consumers set the bar with extreme sports, careers and corporate events, vacations, makeovers, celebrities, philanthropy, come-backs, marathons and even extreme microbrews. CEOs and international sales execs, this is your opportunity. Over-the-top American style is no longer the extreme edge. It’s what the rest of the world craves too.   Now’s the time to take your exaggerated, killer brand global.

4. PURPOSEFUL PHILANTHROPY> Philanthropy Leverages Power+Purpose Cause marketing is so yesterday. The boardsport community must lead philanthropic innovation with power and purpose by linking the whole supply chain for good. Leverage your consumer muscle and deliver results for real humanitarian causes. So publicists, the retail world needs boardsport sales and fresh marketing ideas. And communities need sports to empower youth. You can tie it together!

5. CARBON TRACKING> The Race to Carbon Zero   ALL boardsport brands must stand for environmental responsibility. If your consumers play outdoors they track carbon offsets and your brand must help. Don’t underestimate this core value in the youth market. COOs, now’s the time to clean up your supply chain. Lead the way to carbon zero - and pocketbooks will follow.

6. NEXTGEN SKATERS> Next GenZ Skaters     A new generation of young skaters breathes life and excitement to the board world. Fueled by lifestyle obsessed GenXer’s who introduce the sport to their kids for cool factor, this new demo of GenZ’s runs ages 2-7. New Biz Dev gurus, this is a whole new marketshare. Ride the wave as boardsports mainstream into pop culture and Phys Ed curricula across the nation.

7. NOMADIC WORKFORCE> Nomadic Employees Bring Adventure to Work As Gen Y’s enter the workforce, they leverage their instinctual work-life balance and cravings for adventure into the most mobile, temporary workforce ever. So HR gurus rethink your hiring practices, benefits packages and cross-training opportunities. This may be your best strategy ever to cultivate talent and brand advocates exactly when and where you want them!

So where the business opportunity? Mainfloor retail sales are soft across the nation. Consumers are more demanding than ever about brand innovation. And finally, manufacturers are financially strained to meet the demands of globalization. The entire fashion industry needs fresh ideas and your company could revitalize the retail space. Consider, discuss and adopt these key trends - and keep your boardsport brand in the game!

Debra Stevenson is a trend analyst, frequent speaker at FBI and the author of Trend Agitator, a blog for brand insight and market strategy. She consults with business leaders, investors and international media to identify cultural shifts in support of financial objectives.

LINKS:

katvond.net
asrbiz.com
trendagitator.com