How can sports brands help people through the cost of living crisis?
Anxiety over the cost of living crisis is stopping us from doing the one thing that can help — exercise. Here’s why brands should act now.
There’s something remarkable about sport’s ability to bring us together during times of crisis. Right now, millions across the globe are gathering to watch the FIFA World Cup. Live sports attendance is booming. Yet the rising cost of living is deterring people from participating in sport. Parents, gym-goers, grassroots teams and sports clubs are all feeling the pinch — but instead of turning towards exercise, people are turning away from it. Why? Because when you can’t afford essentials, you cut back on everything else.
45% of adults in London and 30% across the UK are cutting back on exercise.
As inflation soars, the rising cost of living has caused Londoners in particular to cut back on various aspects of sport and leisure spend, with 45% of London adults and 30% of UK adults cutting back on exercise. “With physical inactivity responsible for one in six premature deaths in the UK, costing the NHS and taxpayers billions of pounds every year, it’s vital we break the link between inequality and inactivity, and open up more opportunities to access sport and physical activity,” says Emily Robinson, CEO of London Sport.
With the support of brands, more people could take advantage of sport and fitness as a way to maintain their mental health. And not just through this crisis, but for life.
While brands can’t help pay the bills, those that help people stay active will be rewarded with communities that thrive against the odds. In fact, for most people, working out is just as much for mental as physical health — and for many it’s the reason for running that 5k or heading out to play 5-a-side. With the support of brands, more people could take advantage of sport and fitness as a way to maintain their mental health. And not just through this crisis, but for life.
Unsurprisingly, grassroots sports clubs are among the hardest hit. While playing in a local park is an option for some, hidden costs — the running of the sports hall, heating the pool, bus fares, team kit — can be prohibitive. In new research by charity Sported, over two-thirds (67%) of those surveyed expect the crisis will force kids out of participating in activities over the next six months, even when those activities are free.
“There is opportunity for sports brands — small and large — to amplify their messaging and products within the community and grassroots sports market, while also seeking opportunities for positive CSR that supports customers through the current recession,” says Sported’s Mark Woods.
It’s not uncommon for sports brands to be involved in community programmes, sponsoring grassroots teams, funding community initiatives, and even offering coaching tools to help empower communities. These brands understand that consumers increasingly feel that the relationship between person and brand should be two-way. An Edelman survey found, for example, that 55% of people are “tired of hearing commitments from businesses without any action.” Instead, they want to see genuine activation of a brand’s purpose.
Could brands be doing more? We’re seeing some consider how they can respond to the cost of living crisis, but as yet there’s only limited concrete engagement. Pentland’s Canterbury and Berghaus are aiming, for example, to get every child in the UK a free PE kit, as part of their Fair Game scheme — and are calling on other sports brands to join them.
“From Sported’s own research, we are hearing major concerns over affordability and access to sport for young people in the immediate and longer term. Brands who work to help alleviate those problems now, either directly or through the charities supporting the sector, will reap the rewards from keeping valuable sales channels open, as well as maintaining visibility and a well of positive feelings towards them,” says Woods.
