Construction companies are competing with Gymshark

Think Harley-Davidson, Apple, or Gymshark. These brands have built communities. People are knocking on their door to try to get in and be a part of the journey.

by Andrew Curtin /  March 21, 2023

Many construction executives look at me funny when I say this to them.

“Andrew, how could a sports clothing company possibly compete with us?”

The truth is Ben Francis and his team at Gymshark have the next generation at the tip of their fingers. Whenever Ben needs more graduates, one click and he lets an audience of 10 million people know that they are hiring.

And it’s just not his audience’s size. It’s his ENGAGEMENT. Spend enough marketing pounds and you’ll get followers. But it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have a loyal & engaged audience.

So, how did he do it?

To put it simply, he gave the people what they wanted:

• Created a great product.
• Hired influential people in his space to promote his products.
• Organized events where people could come and meet him & his team.

Then it was just a case of rinsing and repeating. Constant interaction with his customers. They could touch and feel the Gymshark brand. Everyday.

Gymshark is now a cult-like brand.

Think Harley-Davidson, Apple, or Lego. These brands have built communities. People are knocking on their door to try to get in and be a part of the journey.

One must lose in order to win.

Unfortunately, these brands take people away from other industries, like construction. And integrate them into their own ecosystem. It’s natural. People will follow the tribe.

As a result, projects take longer, salaries skyrocket, thus margins get tighter etc.

But, construction companies have a fighting chance.

The industry has a lot to offer.

It’s well-paid. It has good government and banking support. And it’s crucial to our economy. We live and breathe in a built environment.

One area construction brands are investing in is sports. I wrote an article before Christmas and why construction firms are investing in Premiership Rugby.

It became one of our highest-viewed articles of 2022.

After releasing the article, a manager from SponsorUnited reached out told that they recorded 150 construction brands that were sponsoring Premiership Rugby teams for the 22/23 season.

Tapping into this audience is a good call by firms. But, I’m a strong believer that construction’s greatest downfall is that most companies neglect brand building.

If Virgin advertise 3,500 jobs in one year, they will receive 150,000 applications.

Brand matters in construction.