Nike and Gymshark are two of the biggest brands in activewear, and they both see a massive opportunity in fitness.
At the Connected: Health & Fitness Summit 2025 held this week in Los Angeles, Calum Watson, global partnerships director at Gymshark, and Tal Ziv, vice president of strategic business ventures at Nike, took the stage to share how their respective brands are marketing to gym-goers across the world.
ATN breaks down the key takeaways from their conversation, including the importance of social media as a consumer research tool, why in-person events are must-haves in 2025 and why the market for fitness apparel is poised for growth in the years ahead.
For Gymshark, It Goes Down in the DM
Co-founded in 2012 by pizza delivery boy turned billionaire Ben Francis, Gymshark has set the activewear world on fire over the last decade-plus, becoming the clothing brand of choice for gym-goers across the globe, especially Gen Z.
The U.K.-based brand is known for having a strong presence on social media – Gymshark’s Instagram account has 7.5 million followers and the brand has partnered with fitness influencers including Steve Cook and Nikki Blackketter.
For Gymshark, social media is more than just a marketing tool; it’s a way for the brand to gain rich intel about its target audience. Watson and other Gymshark executives often head into the comment sections of the brand’s various social media pages to find out what consumers really want.
“Some of the some of the … enlightened moments from my career where we find true human insights, a lot of times, it’s been in the comment section,” Watson said.
Watson believes social media can be a “gold mine” for brands when it comes to understanding their customers.
“I think a lot of brands and businesses tend to overlook the comment section on social media, but when you actually really delve into … the DMs coming through in your Instagram accounts, your customers are reaching out,” he said. “They’re giving you real-time feedback.”
The Importance of IRL Events
While mining social media comments is helpful, both Ziv and Watson stressed the importance of in-person events, especially following the pandemic.
According to Ziv, Nike is placing a bigger emphasis on creating events and experiences around fitness and wellness.
“We haven’t been as consistent as I wish we would have in our ground game, and that’s something we’re trying to get back into,” he said.
In 2023, the sportswear giant launched Nike Studios, a chain of in-person boutique fitness gyms with locations in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas.
Beyond that, Nike is placing a particular emphasis on run clubs, which have exploded in popularity with Gen Z-ers and Millennials since the pandemic. The brand just announced the launch of Swoosh TC, a nationwide network of distance running clubs with hubs in Utah, Oregon and Arizona. Swoosh TC came on the heels of Nike announcing its 2025 After Dark Tour, a global women’s race series featuring evening running events in major cities across the world.
“Run clubs are massive opportunities,” Ziv said. “They’re all over the place and a ton of fun.”
Gymshark is embracing in-person events, too. Last weekend, the brand held #LiftMiami, a two-day event that saw around 11,000 people descend on Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood to sample Gymshark gear, work out and meet famous fitness personalities including popular bodybuilder Chris Bumstead.
Watson highlighted the importance of events like #LiftMiami in helping bring the Gymshark brand alive for consumers.
“That’s a massive event that costs us millions of dollars,” Watson said, but he believes it’s worth the cost in the long term.
“For the marketeers out here, you need to look beyond just the return on investment and the short-term metrics of success,” he advised. “When people talk about community building, you’ve got to have skin in the game. You’ve got to build it over time.”
Bullish on the Future of Fitness Apparel
Both Ziv and Watson see a bright future ahead for activewear brands seeking to reach fitness and wellness enthusiasts.
Last year, Nike partnered with recovery tech brand Hyperice to unveil the Nike x Hyperice boot, a high-top shoe that combines heat and air compression massage for athletes’ feet and ankles, along with the Nike x Hyperice vest, a chest sleeve that offers heating and cooling for warm-ups and cool-downs. The Nike x Hyperice products are expected to become available to consumers this year.
“We’ve tried tech before and we’re not great at it ourselves, so let’s partner with the guys that know what they’re doing,” Ziv said of Nike’s philosophy in linking up with Hyperice.
Watson noted that while the Gymshark team was visiting a gym in Houston, Texas, recently, they noticed teenage powerlifters who were wearing what he described as “$1,500 Jordan off-white” sneakers to squat heavy weights. While Jordans aren’t the best squatting shoes in the world, Watson says the story speaks to the desire young people have to marry fitness and fashion.
“There’s definitely a level of expression that’s being seen in the gym space,” he said.
Watson expects to see mainstream fashion brands attempt to enter the fitness and wellness space, pointing to Hermès, which launched a workout clothing line and pop-up gym experience in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood back in 2021.
“I think there’s going to be some really interesting cross-overs in the future as more and more brands from outside the industry start to come into the industry,” he predicts.
Eager to hear more elite marketers discuss their strategies for the future of fitness and wellness? Register now for the ATN Innovation Summit 2025, a can’t-miss two-day event to be held on June 17th and 18th in New York City featuring the biggest names, brands, and ideas across fitness, health, and wellness.
