WHY SPORT AND activity?

As rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other illnesses increase, there is a growing focus on the need for healthier lifestyles and in particular, more active lifestyles. The power of activity and sport transcends boundaries. Geographical, cultural and political. The World Health Organisation and UN recognise the immense influence activity and sport have on consumers and its potential to inspire and motivate positive change is still untapped.

In many ways, life itself is a competitive activity. There is a daily challenge to stay happy, healthy and engaged in the things that matter most. That’s why the area of activity and sport can be a fantastic platform to get closer to consumers, creating awareness, understanding and engagement.

SO Active believes that companies and governments can augment their reach and impact through upweighting their health and wellbeing messaging in new and compelling ways, to engage with consumers through different and inspiring channels. Whether this be through aligning brands more closely with healthy lifestyles, or through direct collaboration with sports teams or personalities.

Sports impact

  • Research from Harvard Business School and Barclays Capital showed that a company’s decision to enlist an athlete endorser generally has a positive pay-off in brand-level sales – in absolute terms and relative to the firm’s competitors – and increases the firm’s stock returns.

  • The three year Premier League Health in the UK initiative at 16 professional football clubs engaged over 10,000 men.  More than 70% made positive health changes as a result.

  • Athletes as role models...a study of US adolescents with role models, showed that those who looked up to athletes were more likely to make positive health-related decisions.

  • Rugby league tackles the stigma around mental health issues increasing awareness and directly educating hundreds through training initiatives.

  • Research shows that fans' knowledge of a sports organisation extends beyond wins and losses, and is an important factor in formulating an overall reputational assessment of the club.