So Nike finally retorted to the pressure and released Mary Earps ’ England goalkeeper shirt this week, selling them out almost as rapidly as the respect for their research department diminished when it was originally announced they wouldn’t be coming to market in the lead up to the summer’s World Cup.
Doing so at that point would have been the perfect time to ride the wave of hype around the Lionesses and women’s football as a whole, and Nike had all of the opportunity to just do it, but they just didn’t.
The unfolding events thereafter highlighted that the social media and spending power of women’s sports fans continues to be underestimated, even despite comprehensive studies into the area.
Women’s sports fans, be they men or women, are major consumers, and brands are missing a trick by not catering to them- not only because it’s moral, but because it’s money-making.
How Nike (a) didn’t anticipate the amount of people who clearly wanted to buy the strips and (b) the potential backlash as a result of not doing so, is beyond belief, as is the poignant thought that Earps, as well as other goalkeepers throughout the tournament, were distracted with such matters, compelled to speak not only to stand up for themselves, but also for those who look up to them and who were on the hunt for validation and representation.
Mary Earps 🤝breaking boundaries
⚽The England goalkeeper's kit FINALLY went on sale this week, selling out within hours🧤.
👇Full story here👇https://t.co/WezAAyJtqI— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) October 11, 2023
It seems the GK union has been left behind by the goodwill and sponsorship opportunities beginning to be afforded to women’s football players, which is ironic given many of them, including Earps, were the standouts throughout the tournament and were the subject of many social media discussions during that period.
The buy in for the position has yet to propel on to the next stage in terms of commercial deals, but past examples have shown that when that does happen, and the stars of storytelling, accessible content and quality backing align, the sky is the limit.
🌹𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞, 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐬' 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐍𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭!
🤯For a breakdown/reaction to what happened check out the FULL VIDEO HERE⬇️:https://t.co/MS7fbZqUqh pic.twitter.com/94Fzl6N2Cz— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) October 11, 2023
This is vividly marked out in Sport Innovation Lab’s The Fan Project and the Growth of The Women’s Sport Community reports, in which it’s consistently explained that given women’s sports aren’t traditionally to be seen in mainstream media or backed by major companies, that when they are, the payoff is spectacular.
This is for a number of reasons.
As a community, the collective of women’s sports fans are surely extremely desirable. They’re early adopters, heavy hitters in terms of spending power and proficient with tech, all as a result of the lack of information/material/merchandise and traditional media available to them, but which they are hungry for.
It pays dividends for those companies who do support women’s sport because there’s brand affinity created between them and the fans who desperately want their team to be supported, rewarding those who do just that.
This can be seen in an Irish context through many examples, varying from LIDL’s engagement with the LGFA to Sky’s sponsorship of the WNT, the latter of which unprecedentedly saw consumers search for the jerseys with, and opposed to without said branding, again distinguishing themselves as women’s sports fans in that way.
Lads what’s the story with the WNT kits having the Sky logo in some cases and not in others(below)?
Also very disappointing that there are very few women’s jerseys available in general.
People want to show their support and I think the manufacturers are missing a trick there🤷♀️ pic.twitter.com/2c8hglTfcH— Alanna Cunnane (@acunnane10) July 19, 2023
Thus the true value in sponsoring or supporting women’s sport isn’t a charitable one or just the right thing to do, but rather something that is profitable too.
What’s also amazing though is that this is just the beginning.
Women’s sports continues to grow exponentially in recent years, and with men’s sport nearing its saturation point in terms of potential development, you’d have to question which area is a more lucrative bet for marketeers.
That is if they just do their research. That, or you just hope there’s a Mary Earps to your Nike about, although it shouldn’t have to come to that.
