What I learned from Gymshark

Every eCom brand has its unique strengths and weaknesses.

Understand where your brand shines and where your competitors fall short and you’ll go far in this game.

We tend to think of a brand as strong or weak per se.

But they’re only as strong as their positioning.

Take Nike, for example.

They're absolute kings in athletic wear, no question about it.

But throw them into the fashion arena, and suddenly they're just another player in the game.

Or look at Gymshark's journey.

They didn't blow up by trying to be Nike or Adidas 2.0.

They went all-in on gym culture.

They understood that community, lived and breathed it.

And they built their entire brand around that lifestyle.

At one point, they tried branching out into broader athletic wear, attempting to grow like traditional sportswear giants.

But that move backfired.

Their core audience felt the shift.

And Gymshark felt the loss of loyalty.

Today, they’re back to their roots.

They've reconnected with the gym community that fueled their initial success.

They doubled down on what made them special in the first place.

The takeaway here? Know your strengths and stick to them.

Deepen your understanding of your competitors’ weaknesses.

Not to copy, but to find your edge and leverage it.

Then keep spreading your positioning, and eventually, people will remember you for it. 

When people know exactly what you stand for, you create your own market.

And once you have that? Marketing becomes a whole lot easier.

Jackson

Founder and CEO of Echelonn.

P.S. Got a friend interested in Google ads? Share the love and send them our way.

If you’re that awesome friend, you can subscribe here.