“Brian is a friend and co-worker I highly recommend. We've worked in the industry and have known each other for several years and Brian has proven himself time and time again as a visionary for marketing strategies. Brian and I have worked with each other at Reef, Sole Technology and DC Shoes. He has implemented plans to expose and educate the brand's full potential to both retailers and consumers. Some of the most impact-full programs were started by BG and are still being followed within those companies years later. Brian is able to communicate on all levels and brings solid credibility no matter what the situation. He's able to negotiate with the iconic pro's and the new up and coming AM's with equal poise and credibility. He's able to see a need, develop a vision or strategy and is able to actualize it to the completion. His passion and leadership motivate those around him. Brian has consistently been a solid, reliable sounding board for me over the years. Brian is trustworthy, respected and dependable. His work ethic is uncompromising. It would be an honor to once again work alongside Brian in the future.”
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Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life. We all know that's true, and to step it up, catching tuna with clients that have become…
Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life. We all know that's true, and to step it up, catching tuna with clients that have become…
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Dickies® Skateboarding's first full length film "Honeymoon" is now live. Starring - Guy Mariano, Mike Anderson, Tom Knox, Vincent Alvarez, Dylan…
Dickies® Skateboarding's first full length film "Honeymoon" is now live. Starring - Guy Mariano, Mike Anderson, Tom Knox, Vincent Alvarez, Dylan…
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Just finished showing the new Skullcandy Inc. line at PROJECT LV and SURF EXPO. Good times meeting with many of our incredible retail partners. BIG…
Just finished showing the new Skullcandy Inc. line at PROJECT LV and SURF EXPO. Good times meeting with many of our incredible retail partners. BIG…
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Day 2 kicked off with a bang Entrepreneurs' Organization #eonerve2024 Tomorrow I’ll be running a breakout session “The Entrepreneur’s Edge: A…
Day 2 kicked off with a bang Entrepreneurs' Organization #eonerve2024 Tomorrow I’ll be running a breakout session “The Entrepreneur’s Edge: A…
Liked by Brian Garofalow
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I spent the last several days in California’s Sequioa National Park, hiking with my son. Surrounded by the profound majesty of the world’s largest…
I spent the last several days in California’s Sequioa National Park, hiking with my son. Surrounded by the profound majesty of the world’s largest…
Liked by Brian Garofalow
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Proud of this one! Skullcandy Soundlab was built to be a Brand Campaign that supported our new loyalty program. A program that brings more…
Proud of this one! Skullcandy Soundlab was built to be a Brand Campaign that supported our new loyalty program. A program that brings more…
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stackin clips cuz this luggage rips.. honestly been backin NOMATIC and wearin their backpacks on my back since way back when we both started 10…
stackin clips cuz this luggage rips.. honestly been backin NOMATIC and wearin their backpacks on my back since way back when we both started 10…
Liked by Brian Garofalow
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How to Get a Job at Nike (or in Sports Marketing/Creative)- I built a workshop to help accelerate people's Career Aspirations based on my…
How to Get a Job at Nike (or in Sports Marketing/Creative)- I built a workshop to help accelerate people's Career Aspirations based on my…
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Joanna Czutkowna FRSA
Sport has a major part to play within the apparel industry, encouraging high levels of consumerism among sports fans. But what actions can be taken to improve the industry’s environmental impact? A few weeks ago I sat down with Martin Foster to discuss all this and more for The Experts in Sport podcast. If you want to learn more about this topic watch out for the 5THREAD podcast where I interview industry experts who are changing the game in sports apparel. #podcast #sport #sustainability https://lnkd.in/e9H6W7rJ
222 Comments -
Douglas Sheridan
Nike has some amazing talent in product Innovation, so it begs the question- why have the rest of the Nike biz not been able to commercialize the newness or not even been able to consider to take it on as viable marketable products? I am sure the innovation team was not pushing over saturation of AF1’s as the sole product strategy! Firing people off the innovation team is the last place budget savings should be captured- and it is not the fact that creators have worked at home that has pinched new product flow- as pretty sure all the market growth brands nibbling at the Gorilla worked the same way and many still do!! Nike’s top senior management have been questioned for a decade over numerous issues- female rights/diversity issues/lack of innovative ideas/ongoing legal claims by athletes over AS abuse/ closing out pregnant athletes SO leaving them in charge to decimate the true talent in the Org, to try and make financial statements look better- is a crucial mistake! Plus tooling up other brands talent pools with wide product team cuts will certainly hamper the brand in the market share fight !! Thanks for posting Matt #creativetalent #time4change #nike #technicalfootwear @DougS888
448 Comments -
Ben Weiss
A footwear entrepreneur’s perspective on Sara Blakely’s hy-heel hybrid stiletto Sneex invention! It’s totally a breath of fresh air in the footwear category. At this current point there aren’t that many entirely new concepts that are truly brought to life, so there is a level of respect that should be had for Sara’s ambitious personality and ability to actually execute here. The idea for a hybrid stiletto hy-heel that is comfortable, which Sara clearly knows how to do, is a good one. It’s a real problem that needs to be addressed, Sara’s mentions having this issue, and her solution looks very comfortable in design while retaining an appealing esthetic for that demographic. Price point is on the higher end, which you can expect with new ideas and being an early adopter, so I think the true test will be as the price comes down and more scalability can occur. You can see how passionate Sara is about the problem she is solving and I do think she can really nail this market!
32 Comments -
Paul Fish
One of the most fun categories to work on involves vehicles performing amazing feats of derring-do! Toy Stories Chapter 13: Tyco RC Feature Vehicles! Kudos to the brilliant creative minds behind my 3 favorite RC toys: Joseph Moll, Vlad Leonov, carmen ezzio, David Bowen and many others! Shell Shocker!: I had just taken over as GM of the Tyco RC group. Half of the team had just moved from Philly to LA, and most of their time had been allocated to packing up, so the fall line was missing its TV driver. Joe Moll led a brainstorm that included a ball that transformed into RC vehicle, but mechanically it was not quite yet viable, and visually & thematically it needed more. Our mechanical genius, Vlad Leonov, then created a rotating panel transformation that also delivered multi-terrain propulsion! Designer Dave Bowen then gave it an Alien-like monster look and added a tail for balance. It was a cool toy and a big hit at the fall toy show. A great first joint effort by the newly formed team, that won Boys Toy of the Year at the following year’s TIA TOTY’s at New York Toy Fair. Alas, I was not at the ceremony to accept the award, as my twin girls elected to be born a bit earlier than expected. It’s OK, I forgive them…sort of. Terrain Twister!: This all-surface RC was already in production by the time I came on board, so but Vlad Leonov told me that he created the prototype and it sat on his shelf for 10 years, before it was submitted into child testing, where it dazzled kids just as it would in market. Once in production, we had a big argument with management over the media plan. Our President said that sales in early fall wouldn’t justify a September flight. I argued that we would be advertising early to get re-orders for a big late push. Surprisingly, he agreed, we got the media, we got the reorders, and Terrain Twister was the #1 feature RC that year. So popular, in fact, that when I went to Hong Kong Toy Fair the following January, Chinese companies had already knocked it off and were pitching it (to me! Weird!), often even keeping the original name. NSECT!: We knew following up our hit Shell Shocker was going to be tough, so I asked Vlad Leonov for something robotic, which was coming trend. He showed me a cool bug-walking mechanism that was creepily lifelike. I loved It! But it needed more….Just then, Ken Ong sent into my office an RC car driven with the aid of a camera with can of silly string pointed right at me. What a scary feeling! Who was doing this?! We added the camera and silly string to the walking mechanism and the first NSECT was born. Later, we cost-reduced out the camera, and kid-testing told us they preferred darts over silly string. That was fine with me, and Carmen Ezzio did a fantastic job presenting at NYTF, firing the darts so that they would hit and stick on the news camera lens! We added the pincers in front because I always wanted a robot that could bring me a Diet Coke, and I KNEW I wasn’t alone on that! #mattel #tycorc
334 Comments -
Mark Hochgesang
Ironically, Nike's Olympic ad tagline sums up John Donahoe's disappointing tenure at the Swoosh. In less than 5 years, the CEO has authored two significant layoffs, gutted employee morale & spurred Nike's stock price to plummet by over 100 points from its high of 177. Donahoe’s decision to eliminate sport categories, let go of experienced employees, over-index on direct-to-consumer sales & become reliant on consultant strategies has resulted in sluggish sales & a weakened brand. Nike’s product innovation pipeline has dried up & consumers no longer view the brand as cool. Additionally, upstart competitors like On & Hoka have gained market share. Notable female athletes such as Simone Biles, Allyson Felix, Breanna Stewart & Sloane Stephens parted ways with Nike instead of renewing their contracts. In any other company or sports team, a change in leadership would have been made long ago. Donahoe has proven he can’t WIN. Phil Knight & the Nike board have become enablers & must make a CEO change before irreparable damage is done to this once-great company. Shareholders, employees, former employees & consumers deserve better. Just Do It! #nike #lackofleadership #failedceo #justdoit #heavyhittersports
1,411149 Comments -
Tonya Topp
This silly-and-spooky lighted witch Halloween sign is the perfect addition to your Halloween décor. With an upside-down witch and the words "Happy Halloween" printed on it, this sign has colorful 3D elements that will grab the attention of anyone passing by. The 10 LED lights provide an eerie glow and function on a timer, so you don't have to worry about turning them on or off. Perfect for hanging, place this Happy Halloween LED sign on a wall inside or outdoors on a covered porch or other protected area. Uses 2 AA batteries, not included. Measurements: 23-3/4" long x 7-3/4" wide Material: MDF Features MDF sign printed with "Happy Halloween" Features 10 LED lights on an automatic timer Hang inside or in protected outdoor areas Uses 2 AA batteries, not included
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Barrie Brown
Excellent Retail Experience without AI My LinkedIn feed is full of AI tips, life saving, business enhancing, time saving, how to improve the customer experience, maximize the value of each customer, etc. For $.04 Ace Hardware in Los Gatos, CA has a customer for life. Received a $10 off coupon for a purchase over $50. Needed to buy some Meat Church Blanco seasoning, etc. When to the checkout with my four items. The new checkout employee informed me that my total was $49.96 and thus ineligible for the $10 discount. I looked around at the impulse buy items and just didn't feel like animal crackers. Then the seasoned employee, next to the newer employee, asked if I had any sale items (protecting the store margin). The season employee then told the other employee to sell me a screw for $.04 thus making me eligible for the discount. They also made sure that i knew that I could buy the screw for $.04. $.04 to save me $10.00. Great experience! Savvy employee taking care of the store and the customer. Try and get an AI powered POS system to make me feel great! And in an ironic twist I have a prompt from LinkedIn to have this post rewritten with AI! #acehardware #customerforlife
245 Comments -
Kristen DiFate
Great insights and super smart business moves for any company thinking about leaning into the running market. TL;DR: "REI's run business has consistently grown double digits, and it is growing “significantly faster” than total REI." More interestingly: "[...R]oad running footwear now accounts for roughly 60 percent of [REI's] running sales, with trail running accounting for the remaining 40 percent." That's an interesting flip from pre-pandemic data for this outdoor giant, and reiterates amazing growth in the running industry. Lululemon knows this, too, as they've also invested heavily in running (have you *seen* the #further campaign? #amazing).
33 Comments -
Tyler McCourt
🚀 Almost 400% funded on Kickstarter within 24 hours! 🚀 I want to take a moment to thank my amazing engineering team who helped turn my vision into reality. 🙌 Introducing Dott – a wearable device that lets you display GIFs at live events like music festivals, amusement parks, and more! 🎉 The idea started in college with a simple question: Why isn't there a wearable for GIFs? Fast forward, and now we have a device packed with cool features like Hot/Cold Find My Friends, where a ❄️ shivering emoji becomes 🔥 as you get closer to your pals. Plus, event organizers will have an admin portal to sync with the crowd and send real-time notifications. 📲 Stepping into #hardware has been more challenging than expected, but totally worth it. Grateful for all the support we've received so far! 💡 Final thought: If you have an idea, it's a bigger risk NOT to chase it. So GO FOR IT! Check out Dott on Kickstarter: https://lnkd.in/eBVNy9NH #innovation #startup #wearables #tech #entrepreneurship
273 Comments -
Georgia Grace Edwards
"...The other good news is that there will always be a market for new, innovative and high performance product. Just look at the continued success of On, Arc'teryx and Vuori or the emergence of newer brands like Wild Rye, Gnara and LIVSN." This synopsis on the saga that has been the outdoor industry since I entered it, which recognizes that what we are doing at Gnara with our GoFly Technology is both important and working (from a PE-backed retail CEO with successful exits to Walmart and Dicks Sporting Goods, who also happens to be a personal mentor I look up to in this industry, no less) means a lot. #femalefounder #outdoorindustry #patentedtechnology #inclusivedesign #innovation #entrepreneurship #startup
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a.n. faison
The founder of Spanx is launching a shoe company Sneex sells a hybrid high heel with the "comfort of a sneaker" and "fun of a heel." The design of the Sneex shoe addresses several pain points of typical high heels: → wider toe box (to avoid squeezing) → more equal weight distribution between ball of foot and heel → closed the gap most high heels have between the toe and the heel (for more support and stability) I was looking at their website and came across a video where founder Sara Blakely described the process of creating this shoe. Almost everything she said resonated with me based on our journey to date: ✔ "little did I know just how challenging it would be" ✔ "it's next to impossible to convince people in the shoe industry to do things differently" ✔ "I invested 8 years to create this shoe" ✔ "I was told no by 9 factories" ✔ "I almost gave up" My first thought when I saw this new shoe was "why?" Why would someone with so much success decide to get into an industry where it's so difficult to get off the ground and margins aren't great? Then I realized that this is really a passion project for Blakely (and that she didn't realize how tough the footwear space is until she started building in it.) These shoes sell for $395 to $595, which should make it a lot easier to be profitable. I'm sure many consumers will be turned off by the price, but I think going premium is a smart strategy. What do you think of this shoe? Would you wear it? Would you buy it for a woman in your life? #footwear #startups #entrepreneurship
2025 Comments -
Paul Fish
Sometimes the simplest toys can be the most fun, and sometimes the most innovative part of a project is the process leading to an insanely fast schedule. This brand includes both! Shout outs to Benjamin Dermer, Fraser Paterson, Gerry Cody & Craig Drobis. Toy Stories Chapter 17: Nano Speed! In one of our many meetings with the inventor relations team, Ben Dermer pulled out a pullback motor with wheels and commented on how he had lost it and then recently found it in his apartment. Then he demoed it and it raced faster than anything we’d seen. “Who is that from,” we asked, but it wasn’t an inventor item. It was simply a sourced part. No problem! Our Design team led by Fraser Paterson got cracking, and soon found out that these pullback cars were not only insanely fast, but you could also use them in motorized boosters, so they were literally in two ways the fastest micro vehicles ever. Triple loops were executed flawlessly with plenty of blazing speed to spare. We soon had the cars running through crazy configurations that would’ve made the most steadfast Hot Wheels enthusiast blush. The Design team simultaneously worked on a wide variety of themed collectible vehicle designs, from fire engines to racecars, some licensed (e.g., NASCAR), and some original designs, but all fitting around the pull-back motored chassis with a consistent width and track clearance so that ALL vehicles would work in all sets at insane speeds. However, what was really insanely fast was the development schedule. We presented the concept at the Spring 2013 Brand Directional Outline meeting, and the partners decided they wanted it for Fall 2012. We had only two weeks to go from concept drawings to Looks-Like/Works-Like models for Fall Customer Previews. We pulled all the tricks to find the right balance of real performance and fakery to get the job done. Our in-house vehicle design team and our in-house creative services team worked side-by-side to create a video to tell the story, just in case the models didn’t. But the models performed admirably, and we got it all done in time to dazzle our retailers and set ourselves up for on-time delivery the following fall. Another great team effort! And, just as important, another great toy on my desk that I still play with to this day! We went through some crazy times during my short run at Spin, and our efforts always delivered great toys. #spinmaster #nanospeed
6910 Comments -
David Callahan
Over the past few weeks, I've been giving some deep thought on Nike. There has been several recent articles about the end of Nike's dominance after a very soft earnings report in June. Here are some headlines - "From swoosh to stumble, can Nike regain it's stride"; "Nike shares tumble as it loses ground to upstart rivals"; "Nike is in a slump" It got me thinking about whether Nike is permanently losing meaningful ground to these other brands, or whether it is another moment in the history of Nike's ebb and flow of a point of market share here and a point there? A Look Back: Nike, founded in 1964, has weathered countless challengers over its 60-year history. From the permanent battle with adidas to Reebok's aerobics craze in the 80s (eventually purchased by Adidas) to Under Armour's rapid rise in the 2000s, Nike has consistently faced - and ultimately outlasted - fierce competition. The Current Landscape: Today's challengers, Hoka and On Running, are making waves: - HOKA's revenue grew 59% in 2023, reaching $1.4 billion - On hit $1.3 billion in sales in 2022, a 70% increase Impressive numbers, but let's put them in perspective: - Nike's 2023 revenue: $51.2 billion - Nike's global market share: 38.68% (Q4 2023) - On Running's global market share: 0.34% (2022) This post isn't intended to be a "love fest" about Nike. Nike has lots to work on, no denying that, but it is a question of whether the way this moment is being cast is actually right. Is Nike, for the first time in 60 years, in a moment of existential crisis for survival? Some Key Differences: 1. Product Diversity: While Hoka and On focus primarily on running shoes, Nike offers everything from soccer cleats to skateboarding gear. During the Michael Jordan era (which still is around) a major share of revenue developed around basketball. Other than Adidas, there is not another major competitor that has as diverse a product line as Nike. 2. Marketing Muscle: Nike's budget for advertising and promotion in 2023 was $4.06 billion - more than Hoka's total revenue. 3. Brand Power: The Nike swoosh remains one of the most recognizable logos globally. Looking Ahead: Can niche running brands truly challenge Nike's empire? History suggests it's unlikely. And, every upstart brand will also go through similar rough waters that accompany growth. How these brands navigate these waters will really determine their market share staying power in the years and decades to come. I will say this, my kids (all under 13) will walk right by the flagship stores of many of the coolest athletic fashion brands in the space right now to get to the Nike store. These kids are more than a decade away from flexing their spending power, but my kids and their friends are looking to rock Nike over most everything else. Scott R. - thoughts? https://lnkd.in/de4BiAsC
4413 Comments -
Douglas Sheridan
Being a Leader has a lot of responsibilities and being one for a public company that trades in the multiple billions is indeed an important role! Running a business that off boarded numerous employees-some who had many years of service makes such excessive compensation untenable! His lowering of 11% due to less stock enhancement pales in comparison to his lack of quality leadership and letting one of the great American brands operate without distinctive innovation plans and allowing decades long category leadership be so easily taken by smaller players! Maybe it is time to elevate other talent from within or run an industry talent search and get the Swoosh going in the right direction! It could also be a committee of industry talent that should be added as a senior advisory staff- bring in new ‘non-Nike’ ideas! But paying such an enormous amount for a leader who has not led the way - is not fair to employees or investors! #nike #innovate #leadershipchange
92 Comments -
Bobby Stephens
Had an insightful conversation with Shoshy Ciment of Footwear News on the topic of loyalty, resulting in a highly informative article by her. Grateful to have been a small part of this key discussion. Check out the article below to learn more about loyalty programs from Foot Locker, UA, Kith, Naturalizer and more. Link: https://lnkd.in/eXSNTr_K
432 Comments -
Wes Allen
Ideally, I would start with “Outdoor Retailer is dead, long live [Powerful brand name for this new show]!” My time in SLC was not what I expected—both in positive and negative ways. As I already alluded to, Emerald should strongly consider changing the name. The event that wraps up today in the Salt Palace is not recognizable as the heritage OR. It’s not the same brands, the same feel, the same buyers, or even the same smell. It’s something else: smaller, younger, rougher around the edges. Anyone who came to the show thinking they would get the old show was disappointed, which I think is a huge issue. Because the event itself wasn’t disappointing if you had different (or in my case, lower) expectations - it was pretty energetic, relatively well-attended, and to my eye, full of potential if a couple of other changes happened. Second, there is no way that this show should be in the middle of June. I’ll say it again: June is full, please come back again next month. The reps and retailers have spent the last 4 weeks looking at lines, and now we need to write orders with our major brands. OR isn’t about big brands anymore - it’s more of a show for peripheral brands. And while I did find four small companies to buy from, I did that at the expense of being back in my office. Meanwhile, I saw very few independent buyers from other states (because they are all in the same spot in the buying process). I did see a fair number of buyers from two other silos. There were badges from local Utah shops, and then there were the huge corporations. Most of the retailer badges I saw were from Wal-Mart, Sam’s, Urban Outfitters, TJX, Academy, and the like. Most of the attendees were people not directly involved in the buy/sell process. Tons of media, many service providers, and people just walking the show made it a little tough to get into booths in the afternoon. But the Emerald team that put this show together should feel great about the progress that they have made. It’s a way better scene than had been described by people who had gone to recent iterations. And you can see how this thing could work. Will I go back to OR? If it continues in its current timeframe, I don’t know that I would. Now that I am at home, looking at a pile of order forms I am already behind on, I am very stressed. Would I go to that show in July (or January for the winter season)? Yeah, I think that I would. My big orders would be done, and I would be looking to gamble a little with my remaining open-to-buy. It was fun, the vibe was good, and it felt like a place where I might find smaller brands that I could sell. Plus, I would suspect that a later-in-the-season show might attract other people to whom I am connected. Just don’t call it Outdoor Retailer. #outdoorindustry #outdoorretailer #specialtyretail
14443 Comments -
Jeremy Padawer
Adult collectors have recently become the #1 demographic in the toy industry, surpassing preschool and 6-11 year old consumers. It's not because the kid's segment is shrinking. 1) Adults are engaging their fandom. 2) Collectors are embracing toys as a viable asset sub-class alongside trading cards, comic books, and original art.... So, it doesn't surprise me that we're hurdling toward the very first MILLION DOLLAR assets within the toy category. Compare toys to comic books where the highest graded grails will smash through $10 million this decade (Action 1, Superman 1, Amazing Fantasy 15 Spiderman debut, Marvel 1, Batman 1, Detective Comics 27)... or compare to trading cards where the highest graded grails will break $50 million (1952 Topps Mantle PSA 10 pop 3 or PSA 8 T206 Wagner pop 1)...or non-sport trading card games (PSA 10 Pokémon Pikachu Illustrator $5+ million, CGC 10 Magic The Gathering Alpha Black Lotus $3+ million)... or even traditional pop art where Warhol's Shot Sage Blue Marilyn sold for $194 million in 2022. Pop culture is no joke. It's investible. I'm not a proponent for putting all of your eggs in one basket. Diversify. Don't put more than 10% of your assets into any one category (other than your personal home). But in a world that seems to agree on very few things, content, fandom and collectibility is widely embraced. Two ideologies can have vastly different perspectives, but agree on pop culture. Pop culture brings people together... And, rare, high grade toys have been under-appreciated as a sub-asset under investment level collecting. I do believe this 1979 Kenner Star Wars Rocket-Firing Boba Fett Mailer J-Slot V2 / 2 Missiles AFA Graded 85+ has a shot to be the very first $1 million action figure. Maybe not this go around... but you never know. 15 days left in the auction and currently at $360,000 with buyer's premium. Oh... and if anyone knows where I can get my hands on a 1969 Rear Loading Beach Bomb in Spectraflame Hot Pink... call me. That's a grail in vehicles, and my best bet for another million dollar item. PS - My opinion. No guarantees in life except for taxes and RIP. ❤️.
26352 Comments -
Brianna Reina Showell
https://lnkd.in/gR2MPvPB I can't wait to read all of the commentary on the the pre-Olympics spot Nike just dropped. The fact that it's so polarizing will undoubtedly spark conversation on both sides. That said...I LOVE IT. Does that make me a bad person??!! From my vantage point, winning on the highest stage must involve a level of selfishness that isn't always 'acceptable' in our day. Almost every decision you make has to be self-focused - from what you eat, to when you sleep, to basically scripting out your day minute by minute. You obsess each decision, each practice, each movement you make in that practice and you must to hone your skills. If you can't tap into that level of "crazy", it's likely you won't reach the highest level. But just because you can access that inner focus towards your sport doesn't mean you can't access empathy, kindness and solid character off the field/court/pool. I've always thought it interesting that FINE line people have to walk between brilliance and unhinged. We see it in founders and athletes alike - their belief in their product/vision is so strong in order to catalyze their teams, sometimes the line gets blurred. We celebrate them when it's on the brilliance side, then blame and shame them on the times it falls to the other side of the line. Well done Nike, for going back to the well - drawing from the spirit of Prefontaine and taking a big swing. Who's ready for the Olympics!!!?? 🙋♀️ #Nike #Olympics #paris2024 #marketing #winningisntforeveryone
546 Comments -
April Yu Zhang
Unlocking the Power of Sublimation for Custom Jerseys Ever wondered what makes a #customjersey stand out both in design and durability? The secret lies in the power of #sublimation. Let's dive into why sublimation is the go-to method for creating top-notch custom jerseys. 👩🎓 What is Sublimation? Sublimation is a high-tech printing process where dye is transferred directly into the fabric. This isn’t just a surface print— the dye actually becomes part of the fabric itself, leading to vibrant, long-lasting designs. 👩🎓 Why Choose Sublimation for Custom Jerseys? 1. Vivid Colors and Designs: Sublimation allows for unlimited color choices and intricate designs. Whether you want a simple logo or a complex pattern, sublimation brings it to life with unparalleled clarity and vibrancy. 2. Durability: Because the dye becomes part of the fabric, the design won’t crack, peel, or fade over time. Your custom jerseys will look as good after many washes as they did on day one. 3. Comfort and Performance: Sublimated jerseys maintain the fabric's original texture, ensuring they stay breathable and lightweight. Perfect for athletes who need to stay cool and comfortable during intense activities. 4. Customization Flexibility: Need different names, numbers, or sponsorship logos on each jersey? Sublimation makes it easy to customize each piece individually without additional costs. At Goal Sportswear, we’ve seen firsthand how sublimation transforms custom jerseys. Our clients love the limitless design possibilities and the longevity of their gear. It’s a win-win for teams and brands looking to make a lasting impression. Ready to elevate your team's look with sublimated custom jerseys? Get in touch, and let’s make something amazing together! 📧 :april@goalsportswear.com #Sublimation #CustomJerseys #Sportswear #TeamGear #GoalSportswear #Durability #VibrantDesigns #teamswag #temuniform #customuniforms #customprinting
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Bryan Porter
Sports licensing unexpectedly challenging. Here’s an insider look at FanShop: We sell NFL, NCAA, NBA & NHL drinkware on Amazon. Here are the challenges we've faced: 1. Extreme Seasonality: HALF of our annual FanShop sales happen between Thanksgiving & Christmas. They're great gifts. To sell in Q4, we start manufacturing in June. Building the right amount of inventory is almost impossible. We always have too much or too little. The year’s performance depends on a 30-day window. No pressure... 2. Licensed Inventory isn’t bank Collateral: FanShop inventory can't be borrowed against. Banks aren’t approved by leagues to sell the product. In the event of liquidation, the inventory is worthless to banks. Since licensed inventory can't be leveraged, it isn’t as cash flow efficient. 3. Team Performance: Inventory planning is challenging because team performance is a significant driver. Teams like the Eagles make a surprising run, will run us out of stock. An injury week 1 to Aaron Rodgers will leave us heavy. It's unpredictable. 4. Teams Change: Examples: • Re-location: Oakland Raiders → Las Vegas Raiders (2019) • Team Names Can be Cancelled: Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Washington Bullets. • Logo Re-Branding: All team logos get updated over time. When teams change branding, old inventory must be liquidated and new SKUs added. It adds complexity and headache. 5. Cross Category Competition: In the drinkware category, we compete against… drinkware. In FanShop, we compete against all categories. Customers searching “Dallas Cowboys” on Amazon might end up buying a bottle or mouse pad or shirt. This makes ranking highly on generic team search terms difficult. It also creates a tension where our listings are competing against each other on “Dallas Cowboys” searches. It usually takes more ad spend and deals to get all of our listings seen by customers. 6. Approval, Royalties & Minimum Guarantees: To sell licensed product, the licensor must grant approval. Getting approval typically requires proving your brand can increase overall sales in a channel. Not just take from an existing licensee. Approval is for a specific category (drinkware) and a specific channel (Amazon US). Typically 12-14% royalties are paid to the licensor. An annual minimum royalty guarantee is agreed on with each contract. If the minimum isn’t reached from sales, the licensee pays the difference out of pocket. Conclusion: So what’s the upside?😅 Licensed product has an incredible moat. The leagues are gatekeepers, they protect their brands from too much competition. FanShop is a different set of customers than those searching for water bottles. Fanshop customers search for their team first, then find your product. It’s great customer acquisition. Co-branding with pro-sports franchises imputes value to your brand. Your logo on the same product as the Dallas Cowboys star gives credibility, especially for lesser known brands.
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