BLK Changes Sponsorship Strategy And Focuses On Innovation

An analysis of the Asia Pacific region has found there are over 325 clothing manufacturers currently producing sportswear, these figures have forced Australia’s elite sportswear clothing company, BLK, to re-address their marketing and sponsorship strategy.

Ten years ago, there were eight true brands that were classed as competition, now with global access to the internet and the rise of social media marketing, BLK is on a mission to separate themselves from the pack.

With the strategic implementation of the ‘BLK Performance Centre’ on the Gold Coast that caters for innovation and real-time testing on athletes, along with sponsoring only a handful of elite teams, BLK can focus on becoming a true retail brand, not just a commodity seller.

BLK CEO, Tyron Brant, told Ministry of Sport the company needs to change strategies in order to grow and reach its full potential.

“A little over four years ago, we would have been sponsoring over seven AFL and NRL teams, along with elite netball teams, but now, we only have a select handful of elite teams that understand the importance of performance and brand,” he said.

” With this exclusive group of elite teams and the BLK Performance Centre, we can focus on creating elite performance wear as well as growing our product range.”

Brant is adamant BLK can continue to grow their international market presence in the sports industry by maintaining a laser-like focus on making all athletes better.

“In 2016 we made the commitment to invest equally into men’s and women’s sport, well before the ‘woman’s sport’ bandwagon,” Brant said.

“I genuinely hate that term.

“Women in sport is a trending term at the moment and sports codes are reporting increased participation numbers, but Suncorp’s 2019 Australian Youth Confidence Report has just revealed that one in every two Australian teenage girls are turning their backs on sport by the age of 17.

“You have to genuinely understand what people at the grass-roots level want, not just make a product, market it and expect it will do well.

“This year we will launch a new range into the Netball market after listening to what is important to athletes.

“It will be about performance, choice and empowerment,” he said.

BLK’s innovation and loyal customers will provide a stable foundation as the company changes strategy and expands its reach globally.