Becoming a-wear of athletic brands
illustration by Ryan Smeeton
Part one of a three-part series on sports clothing
YOU CAN ALWAYS see them in a gym, on the court, or around the field. Like Christmas lights draped over an evergreen, today’s athletes are adorned with Under Armour shirts, Nike shoes, Reebok shorts, and various other pieces of clothing stamped with a company’s seal of approval. This has to do with a game outside any basketball or football one: the battle of the brands. Can brands define the quality of the product or the performance level of the clothing?
“The brand always has some value. I think if you took the label off [the product], it wouldn’t be worth as much in people’s minds even though objectively it’s the same product,” said Michael Mulvey, an assistant professor from the Telfer School of Management.
“The brand gives a person a sense of assurance that it’s going to work,” he added.
At the University of Ottawa, Reebok is the official sponsor of the varsity teams. Reebok has been a sister company of Adidas since January 2006.
“Brands try to associate themselves with winning programs. They don’t want to be associated with a losing program,” said Dan Valin, marketing and partnership coordinator of Sports Services.
“In terms of competition within the brands, they definitely look at [it] in terms of if we’re with Reebok, and we’re going against a team that’s wearing Nike, it’s nice for Reebok if we win that game.”
The performance level of the sports gear is the most important aspect. The brand needs to have quality products behind all of the snazzy logos and advertisements.
“The companies spend a lot of money in developing products that help enhance the performance of the athletes,” said Valin. “A brand is able to do that, whereas a non-branded item won’t be able to generate that kind of [money].”
“I think promoting [a brand] is very important, but it’s not sufficient [in terms of performance],” said Mulvey. “The shoe has to perform as well. If you went and bought [shoes] based on brand meanings [and] they fall apart, that undermines the brand promise.”
The impact a company like Reebok may have on Gee-Gees fans is intriguing. If the fans witness their athletes wearing Reebok gear, will they align themselves with Reebok?
“People like to be associated with the champion, and so if the team does well and the Gee-Gees logo is featured prominently and Reebok happens to be next to [the Gee-Gees logo], well, it’s sort of like this halo effect,” said Mulvey.
“[People] want to feel like a champion and part of the winning institution. I don’t think that people are mindless or being manipulated here, but I think they’re just connecting the dots. Certainly if [the Gee-Gees] beat one of [their opponents], it’s like a feather in their sponsors’ hats,” he continued.
When it comes to choosing a brand to sport, personal preference is ultimately the deciding factor.
“If you like the brand, [then] by all means spend the extra money, enjoy it,” said Mulvey. “They are a statement of who you are and what you [aspire] to be, and that’s just human nature. I’d hate somebody [telling] me what I can and can’t wear.”
Stay tuned for part two of the series, which will feature a comparison of similar athletic apparel designed by competing brands.
