| JUNE 2022 | 25 INNOVATE than if they are in regular street clothes or something they provided themselves. It’s like when you put on a costume, you get into character. When you put on the uniform you get in that character and bring all the energy you need to win the game.” Some uniforms are so powerful that even non-fans recognize them. Take, for instance, the white and navy blue pinstriped uniforms worn by the New York Yankees; a jersey that’s hardly been updated since the team formed in 1903 and stands as one of the most-iconic of all time, topping every media site’s list of most-recognizable sports uniforms worldwide. Then there’s the slew of sports teams with signature colors whose uniforms make them easily recognizable, from the Los Angeles Chargers’ powder blue to the Denver Broncos’ orange crush look and the old creamsicle-colored jerseys of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And mirroring team colors are cheering fans wearing jerseys and other memorabilia to show their support. “A good uniform is one based on the area of the country, and also the colors of the team,” Brugger says. “Your players want to be able to feel good in that uniform and it’s easy from a distance to look at a uniform and say, ‘that looks good.’ “But what makes a good uniform is you want the players to feel great in that uniform. The way the fabrics feel, the types of uniforms they use and wear, when you’re talking to a client, it has to fit with that area. We work with a lot of traveling leagues, and these leagues may play in the Northeast, and they may also play in Florida, so [where your team travels] is an important question when you’re determining a uniform to fit with that team.” Brugger adds, “Speaking of that, it’s not uncommon that our player uniform will be slightly different for the fans, because when it comes to teams selling uniforms to them selling in the stands, it has to be something [fans] will want to buy and wear also.” The global sports market is projected to nearly double in size to $708 billion in 2026, up from $355 billion in 2021, according to the Sports Global Market Report 2022 published by The Business Research Company. What this boost in popularity means, in part, according to Allied Market Research, is that consumers are growing more health-conscious and thus becoming interested in fitness activities like team or individual sports. According to prepandemic data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly six in 10 (57%) high school students, or 8.6 million students, played at least one school or community sport in 2019. Likewise, in the same year, nearly onefifth of U.S. adults (19.3%) exercised or participated in sports or another active interest, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Know your client and what their needs are,” Brugger says. “If they want everything with personalization on the back, that’s a lot of detail, and that’s a fun project. There’s nothing more rewarding than going to the local event center and seeing all those uniforms you put on all those happy players, but you have to know what you’re doing ahead Branding Opportunities For Sports Teams Sporting events offer myriad opportunities for teams to be noticed and draw attention to supporting businesses, too. Different branding opportunities for team wear include: Uniforms for home games, away games and “other” team uniforms, such as those worn for professional photos, team ceremonies or meet-and-greets Branded team apparel for fans, such as t-shirts featuring the team name and jerseys just like those worn by the players themselves Opportunities for sponsors to have their logos featured on team uniforms; for recreational sports teams in particular, local businesses from autobody shops, to delis, landscaping businesses and everything in between can support teams and have their own branding featured, garnering more business for them and more local team support
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