Gymshark is one of the most popular fitness apparel brands in the UK. As Gymshark grew in popularity, it realized it could leverage social media, and UGC (User-Generated Content) to garner maximum exposure for its apparel.
They leveraged the trend of taking gym selfies and capitalized on it by encouraging users to share their workout pictures in Gymshark gear.
The gap they found
Gymshark was able to identify a gap for gym-wear that was fashionable and leveraged on the increase of young millennials wearing branded clothes. They grew their brand on social media and this helped them grow successfully.
Their success has had far-reaching effects as they capitalized on the fact that at least 2 out of 5 people use social media to discover “brand-new” brands.
Gymshark are considered pioneers of Instagram influencing, as they encouraged many influencers to become brand ambassadors and tag the brand in their photos. In return, they provided complimentary clothing.
All their ambassadors were picked on the basis of their Instagram presence, which allowed them to narrow their focus on a desired audience. Fitness influencers, who featured lots of athletic wear were given precedence and soon, they became recognized as unofficial faces of the brand.
What’s next?
Gymshark grew in popularity to have around 4.8 million fans on Instagram, and have become a legitimately well-recognized brand worldwide.
Their content still highly focuses on user-generated content and photos, but their growth as an aspirational fitness brand has grown to increase their organic exposure.