New Balance's positive momentum, Real Madrid's global brand extension
New Balance is experiencing a surge of positive momentum both in Australia and globally, and is projecting to hit $10B in global sales within the next few years
Today’s lineup:
New Balance is experiencing a surge of positive momentum both in Australia and globally, and is projecting to hit $10B in global sales within the next few years
Real Madrid just unveiled a new type of global brand extension worth noticing
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Wests Tigers revealed Australia’s leading non-bank lender, Pepper Money, as its new Major Sponsor for the next 3 seasons which will see the logo feature both the NRL and NRLW jerseys as part of a multi-mllion-dollar deal (the biggest sponsorship deal in the club’s 25-year history)
NSW Rugby League announced a 5-year partnership with adidas, who will feature on the men’s and women’s Origin team playing kits from 2025 until 2029
Mazda Australia extended its deal with North Melbourne AFLW as a Major Partner for 2025 (for the 8th season) which will see the continuation of the logo displayed on the front and back of the playing guernsey’s
New Balance became the Official Apparel Supplier of the Melbourne Vixens for 2025 and will produce the team’s playing and training kit for the next 3-years, along with a new merchandise offering for fans
South Sydney Rabbitohs announced Wahu, Australia’s iconic beach and outdoor brand, as the Club’s Official Membership Partner for the 2025 and 2026 NRL Seasons, which will see them provide exclusive Wahu-branded merchandise packs for members, game day activations, special offers and products to fans
Grey Goose became the Official Vodka Partner of the Australian Open 2025 as part of a multi-year partnership between Bacardi-Martini Australia and Tennis Australia
parkrun Australia announced a 2-year partnership with Snap Fitness, giving parkrunners access to a free 14-day membership to try out at one of the 250+ Snap Fitness locations
The British & Irish Lions and Rugby Australia announced the Great Barrier Reef Foundation as their chosen Global Charity Partner - The partnership seeks to raise awareness around the conservation and protection of the Reef
Nike hosted its second Sunset Runouts 5km running event in the Gold Coast last Friday - 600+ runners experienced live music, complimentary food & drinks and exclusive merchandise giveaways
Sydney Swans released a new 28-part TikTok docuseries, or Tok-umentary called “Young Bloods” which which follows the next generation of stars as they prepare to compete for selection in the AFL and AFLW drafts
The Perth Wildcats wore orange socks during their clash with the Brisbane Bullets in support of the “16 Days in WA” campaign which seeks to end violence against women
Powered by Jordan Brand and Foot Locker, Australia’s biggest and most iconic basketball festival, Summer Jam, is returning to Melbourne from 7–9 February 2025
Brisbane Heat premiered its new 'Reignite: A Brisbane Heat Story' documentary at Event Cinemas in a sold-out VMAX theatre with many staff, players, sponsors, and fans in attendance
The Australian Sports Commission unveiled record investment allocations for sport to help with preparations for the LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032, which includes $385m invested in 70 sports over the next 18 months
Victoria’s Office for Women in Sport and Recreation released a case study showing there was a surge in women’s sports media coverage during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023
The LA Rams are hosting an Official Watch Party on Friday 13 December at ENGIE Stadium as they take on the San Francisco 49ers
Real Madrid are in negotiations with Apple to create AR glasses that’d give fans the experience of being at the Santiago Bernabeu from the comfort of their home
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New Balance is experiencing a surge of positive momentum both in Australia and globally, and is projecting to hit $10B in global sales within the next few years
The global sports apparel landscape has become more competitive than ever, but as the largest sportswear brand to remain privately held, New Balance has been able to operate and scale quickly over the last decade, without the same level of scrutiny or shareholder pressure experienced by its competitors.
Reported annual sales:
2023 - $6.5B
2022 - $5.3B
2020 - $3.3B
New Balance’s positive sales growth trajectory is consistent with data from Google Trends which shows that worldwide brand searches have roughly tripled since 2022.
In Australia, the brand’s growth is visually evident.
Walk down a busy street and you’ll see countless people wearing New Balance.
The growth of the brand has led to a growing Australian workforce which recently caused an office relocation to facilitate the increase in headcount.
Among other things, marketing has been key to New Balance’s progress.
Here’s some things worth Noticing in Australia:
1. Running has been core
Run club culture has exploded in Australia… more here.
To get in on the act, New Balance:
Partnered with Kic to create their own “KICRUN CLUB” - launching run clubs across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide
Rolled-out its “Run Your Way” brand campaign, which was shortlisted for “Best Media Campaign” and “Best OOH Campaign” at the B&T Awards
Image: Joel Hanlon, Head of Marketing ANZ, (LinkedIn) Teamed up with Franc Jrs pizza to provide Gold Coast Marathon participants with free pizza to help them with the carb-loading process
Recently supported selected Australian runners in their journey to the New York Marathon, sharing their unique stories to help inspire others to run
2. New balance is extending into sport
New Balance has been building its sports partnerships to help it grow beyond running.
Last year, New Balance entered into a new 3-year sponsorship agreement with the Australian Open, estimated to be worth $1M+ year.
To activate it, they launched a large-scale pop-up retail activation at Melbourne Park and released a co-branded AO apparel range.
New Balance’s reach was amplified on the court via its high-profile tennis ambassadors including Coco Gauff and off the court through its partnership with Tash Sultana who performed at the event.
Its global ambassador portfolio includes Coco Gauff, Tyrese Maxey, Sydney McLaughlin, Jamal Murray, Bukayo Saka, Cameron Brink and Shohei Ohtani.
In Australia, Pat Cummins and Steve Smith are among the brand’s sponsored athletes and many more of Australia’s top cricketers wear New Balance.
Simultaneously, New Balance has been expanding its suite of supplier partnerships with teams such as GWS Giants, Melbourne FC, Melbourne Vixens and Supercars.
Moving forward...
New Balance has ambitions to reach $10B in sales within the next few years. To achieve this, marketing is key for brand-building and demand generation.
To capture demand, retail stores remain an important channel.
New Balance is in the process of renovating, revamping and expanding its retail footprint of 3,000+ stores around the globe and in Australia. In July, it opened its third, and largest “Uncommon Common” store in Melbourne Central, following successful openings in Bondi and Chadstone.
The brand's golden era appears set to continue.
Real Madrid just unveiled a new type of global brand extension worth noticing
Sports are consistently on the search for new, innovative ways to generate new fans and diversify revenue streams.
Spanish powerhouse, Real Madrid just launched a new venture to do this – “The World’s first Football Club Theme Park’” in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Real Madrid World is located in Dubai on a 6-hectare site (equivalent size of six football pitches).
The experience is aimed at families, Real Madrid fans and theme park enthusiasts, and features:
40+ rides based on the club and its history
Immersive games and experiences
Photo opportunities with life-size figures of legendary players
Live match viewing events
3 x Merchandise shops
6 x Restaurants
This new venture is set to provide the club with the following key benefits:
1) Fan engagement & development
Real Madrid World introduces a family-friendly experience in a new market, strengthening connections with existing fans and creating opportunities to convert new ones through immersive, memorable interactions.
2) Revenue diversification
It generates a new revenue stream and gives the Club a new platform to sell club merchandise.
This year, Real Madrid was named as the most valuable soccer club in the world by Forbes for the 3rd consecutive year and for the 8th time in the past 11 years, with a value of $6.6B dollars. Initiatives like this are aimed at helping it consolidate this leadership position.
A mutually beneficial partnership
Dubai is on a mission to transform its economy and become a leading global hub for business and tourism - this new venture leverages Real Madrid’s IP to help it achieve just that.
Real Madrid World is a new addition to Dubai Parks and Resorts, which is the largest theme park destination in the Middle East. It offers another attraction to draw international visitors.
Will this new venture work? ...and can Australian sports draw inspiration from it?
Although Real Madrid’s valuation, access to resources and global appeal gives it a unique and superior position to enter this type of new large-scale venture, opportunities may exist on a smaller scale.
Australia is home to some of the world’s biggest theme parks, the majority of which are located in the Queensland.
According to IBISWorld, the market size of the Amusement Parks and Centres Operation industry in Australia is $1.9B.
The biggest companies operating in the Amusement Parks and Centres Operation market in Australia are Village Roadshow, Ardent Leisure and Merlin Entertainments Australia.
Through a collaboration with one of the above, could popular sports teams and/or leagues leverage their IP to co-create and develop new experiences within Australian theme park's that enhance and differentiate the customer value proposition?
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