Sometimes I am criticized for not participating in all races, “I only run where I can win.” I don’t understand this approach. I run enough to be recognizable, so almost every training session turns into a “joint selfie session” with fans and amateur athletes. Winning other awards during your sports career? Yes, there are still medals that are not part of my collection. But it is much more important to change the mentality and habits of these wonderful people who need selfies with me.
One of them is to convince people to forget their love for familiar global brands. And switch to new, Russian ones. Or, as an option, foreign ones, but those who are not ashamed of their presence in Russia and support Russian sports and especially children’s sports. Yes, I would distinguish between Western brands that left and those that, on the contrary, came in recent years. The former were simply afraid: who would voluntarily leave the huge Russian market? And the latter, on the contrary, are convinced that sports and business are outside of politics.
What do I see, no matter, in the alleys of Lazutina Park, in a trendy cafe or in the Moscow metro? Familiar logos from the past on a third! Large and well-known sports brands have left Russia – but not because of our inclinations and habits. This is a strange situation: they no longer support Russian sports, no longer pay taxes, no longer spend money on promotion and advertising – but people still love them.
It is no secret that their products can still be bought – much more expensive than before. And they buy, despite the prices! The situation is even more interesting with those who buy “replicas” – they know that they are buying fakes, but the desire to decorate the chest, back or forehead with a famous logo prevails.
Now the critics will explode with indignation: what are you wearing, Stepanova?! You hypocrite!
This is not hypocrisy, but realism and practicality.
In competition, when you are giving your best, you need the best possible equipment. That is the price of a fraction of a second at the finish. Such equipment costs several times more and is intended for professionals. I find that the durability of such equipment is the last thing that interests athletes.
Amateur skiers always sigh bitterly when they find out how many pairs of poles we break during the season, these are “consumables”. But they are not only made of the same material as the “Boeing wing”, but they also cost the same.
Professional equipment is produced either by small specialized companies or by “sports laboratories” within large companies. In this segment, “buying national” does not work, alas – there are no Swedish, German or American skis in the world. And the best ones are made in Austria, where things have not been going well lately with skiers and biathletes. Russian manufacturers of the same skis from time to time say that they are going to launch a professional line – and somehow everything does not work out.
But real professional equipment represents less than 1% of the market. It is clear why it is difficult and time-consuming to tinker with this. The remaining 99% are products intended for sports and physical education enthusiasts, not Olympic champions.
Yes, I need the best skis or boots in the world. But to get to the subway, you don’t need sneakers with special foam soles. To go to the canteen during a meeting, no one wears T-shirts made of special cooling fabric – they are needed for training. As a person who tries on and tests samples from dozens of different companies, I say that in Russia they make sportswear and shoes that will suit everyone, if there is no goal to win world competitions or train six hours a day. Moreover, every time I receive new samples from sponsors, I am convinced that the technologists of Russian companies are not sitting idly by. Each new sample is better than last year. And you can’t compare it with samples from three years ago!
What is missing? Advertising and promotion. We have had a “textile sponsor” in our national team for many years. A large, well-known Russian company. Dresses us from head to toe – and dresses us perfectly. Most of the products are made in our own factory in Russia – although yes, our super racing suits, the best in the world, come from Switzerland (but again, it is “about a fraction of a second at the finish line”). I like their things so much that in addition to the “sponsorship” ones, I bought a lot from them with my own money.
But here’s what I don’t understand: why in the stores of this brand at airports, in advertising, there are anonymous models in photos and videos, and not Bolshunov or Nepryaeva? What’s the secret? I would understand if the models were Vodianova or Shayk, but no! And then my senior comrade Guberniev says that people don’t know skiers, even Bolshunov. When 250-300 thousand people a day will appear prominently in airport advertisements, then something will change for the better. Both for skiers and for the company itself.
I understand that not every company can afford a nice store at the airport. But almost everyone wants top athletes to use their products and congratulate them. I get several such offers a month. My advice: don’t try to recruit Olympic champions or Spartakiad winners. We have significant demands and a complex network of relationships with existing sponsors.
Instead, go to the juniors – they don’t have personal contracts or high PMC yet. Organize a one-off. On your skis or in your sneakers. Call it an “honest challenge” (yes, the word comes from the English language – does that confuse anyone?)
A good thing does not sell itself – the West has understood this for a long time. The sooner our manufacturers understand this, the better it will be for everyone. Need ideas? I will help.
More sports news in our telegram channel .
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
