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By the end of the decade 3bn of us could be insufficiently active – a figure not far short of the world’s population, minus Asia, right now. It is something that Simon Rowe describes as a looming “horrible inactivity pandemic”. That figure soars to 80 per cent among adolescents, and it has got major sporting brands fearing for the future. We’re all getting fatter, lazier and less sporty, according to the World Health Organisation, while watching more hours of sport than ever before. And that’s bad for business. Without the runners, swimmers and casual sports players the economic toll of inactivity could hit $300bn, according to the WFSGI Physical Activity Impact Report. Pentland Brands’ portfolio includes Speedo, Berghaus, Ellesse, Canterbury of New Zealand, Mitre and Endura, and therefore relies on buoyant participation numbers in sport to exist as an organisation. Fatter, lazier, less sporty “When you think about the sports goods industry,” Rowe, Pentland’s vice president of sports marketing, tells City AM. “If four out of five people aren’t doing sport, what does that mean for a commercial entity like ours to be able to supply sports products? It’s incumbent on us to really ensure that it’s not just focused on certain categories or groups or genders.” Rowe, who is also chair of the physical activity committee at the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry, says sponsors going forward should therefore encompass a range of agreements as part of a wider deal. “Ten to 20 years ago deals were focused on media value and brand awareness but a little lacking in depth,” he adds. “The depth is what’s going to drive partnerships going forward. I will be unapologetic in finding niche partnerships and big ones. Take the British and Irish Lions jersey, it is a big partnership that enables us to reach more consumers, but actually that depth is really key. “Can I tell my story to that audience and get them excited? Or can I remove barriers? Or can we ensure that there’s something in there that makes sure that more people get a chance to play the sport that we love?” Canterbury depth One of Rowe’s brands, Canterbury, last week became the first organisation to renew a deal with England’s top-flight women’s rugby competition, the PWR. The agreement will see all registered players provided with boots and a piece of kit, after they were forced last year to ask organisations to give them footwear to play in. And Canterbury are the latest in a long line of organisations to commit or recommit to women’s sport, joining the likes of Barbie maker Mattel and Gallagher in agreeing deals. “It’s one of our proudest deals,” the former rugby agent adds. “It is a winning sport. You’ve seen it with the Red Roses, the growth of the game, the World Cup, the euphoria around it. “We’re rooted in rugby; if we don’t have the game we don’t grow commercially. We’re a commercial entity and we’re unapologetic in that the money goes back into the game. “For us it was a really easy decision to make, because what we saw in year one was a real engagement from the players from PWR in supporting our journey, and then vice versa for us in supporting the players on their journey.” It seems like the Environmental, Social, and Governance principles that were on the rise five years ago are starting to fall out of fashion across the world of business – though many would try and dispute that. But the likes of Pentland Brands relies on a more active, healthier population to function at its peak. That is something it appears we are not, and it may only be getting worse. Rowe warns that the pandemic is coming, but it looks as though it’s already here.
