How Brands Can Influence Football Culture in Canada

You’re probably already aware that footy isn’t Canada’s #1 sport, and there aren’t many prominent national brands that are influencing the culture of the game through product and apparel design on a comparable level to Adidas, Nike or Puma. Obviously, getting to the level of these giants will take a lot of time and effort. Also, the size of the task doesn’t mean that there aren’t opportunities for existing soccer brands to play key roles in impacting the culture of the game in Canada.

The first step

Well, it really starts with having a thorough understanding of the aspects of the game that make fans feel the emotions they feel about the game (passion, desire, love, excitement). The next thing to do is to make sure elements of these emotions are captured in products and apparel. A strong emotional connection is usually the best way to tell your brand’s story, reach lovers of the beautiful game and contribute to building a stronger football culture overall.

Positioning is key

Following the first point, how brands position themselves is very important for how people perceive them. Is your brand focused on just footy equipment like cleats, socks, balls and gloves? Then position the brand in such a way that the footy lovers are able to see what makes your brand tick and what you’re doing to make their experience playing the game amazing. Is your brand focused on just apparel? Then design apparel that literally embodies football values and emotions – go around local communities and learn how each of those communities perceive the game. That’s how you impact culture.

The Big Picture

It’s essential to note that building any kind of sports culture takes time. It’s not something that can be done effectively if the process is rushed. Start by understanding what footy fans and enthusiasts want, what makes them happy, what their pain points are, and how what the key differences in the game are in Canada versus in other countries where the game is more popular.