Analysis of the 10 most popular sportswear brands among influencers: ranking, share of voice, successful formats, and best practices for building effective influencer campaigns in 2025.
This file deciphers why certain brands like Nike, Adidas or Gymshark captent l’attention des créateurs de contenu. Données des réseaux sociaux, part de voix et formats privilégiés : lecture rapide et recommandations opérationnelles pour les marques et les agences.
Top 10 Sportswear Brands Favorited by Influencers
The ranking is based on the analysis of more than 10 million posts from a catalog of 803,105 profiles. Mentions, hashtags, and engagements on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter were aggregated to create this top ranking.
This table summarizes the observed mentions and the relative share of voice: it synthesizes the visibility and attractiveness of sportswear players among influencers.
| Rank | Brand | Mentions (approx.) | Share of voice / EMV (%) | Positioning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nike | 214,832 | 19.77 | Innovation & Celebrities |
| 2 | Adidas | 83,958 | 8.5 | Fashion & Performance |
| 3 | Gymshark | 83,183 | 12.0 | Fitness & Community |
| 4 | New Balance | 82,524 | 4.7 | Retro / quality |
| 5 | Converse | 61,668 | 3.4 | Culture & collaborations |
| 6 | Lululemon | 51,687 | 4.0 | Yoga / premium |
| 7 | Puma | 40,966 | 4.8 | Fashion & Celebrities |
| 8 | Oceans Apart | 39,285 | — | Ethical & sustainable |
| 9 | Vans | 35,791 | — | Skatewear & Lifestyle |
| 10 | Aloyoga | 28,989 | 5.0 | Wellness & Yoga |
- Nike and Gymshark dominate overall visibility.
- Adidas maintains a strong presence thanks to fashion collaborations.
- Ethical brands like Oceans Apart emerge through sustainable niches.
Insight: Influencers favor brands that offer strong narratives, identifiable products, and video content opportunities. This criterion explains the dominance of certain brands despite different histories.
Key lessons for brands
Analyzing this top ranking allows us to identify concrete levers for increasing visibility through influence. Three priorities stand out: video format, narrative consistency, and credible collaborations.
- Video format : favor Reels and TikTok for 76 % of sportswear KOLs content.
- Storytelling : create shareable collections or challenges.
- Targeted partnerships : working with micro-influencers specialized.
Example: The fictional creator Léna, a fitness coach, increases the engagement of her publications by associating Gymshark and Nike to short tutorials and product tests, thus generating a measurable increase in conversions.
Share of voice and key figures for sportswear brands
Share of voice expresses a brand's conversational presence. In this sector, the trio Nike–Gymshark–Adidas captures the majority of attention, but niches (yoga, sustainable, skate) remain powerful for building a loyal community.
| Indicator | Value | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Average engagement rate | 1.4% | Benchmark sector to target for macro campaigns |
| Video format (KOLs) | 76% | Central role of video format in strategy |
| Insta Distribution | Posts 55% / Stories 8% / Reels 37% | Growing Importance of Reels for Discovery |
| Top Instagram engagement brands | Nike, Gymshark, Adidas | Prioritize these brands for case studies |
- Measure EMV (earned media value) to understand the real value of the mentions.
- Track share of voice vs. competitors to adjust media strategy.
- Test short and long-form formats according to the target audience.
Case study: A test campaign combining Reels and long-form posts enabled a local sportswear brand to increase its regional share of voice by 8.% in three months. For insights on campaign compensation and structuring, refer to the expert guides.
Useful links for further information: influencer sports campaign, sportswear France Instagram, influencer compensation.
Formats and KPIs to favor
Prioritize formats that generate discovery and conversion: Reels/TikTok for reach, long videos for credibility. Measure CPL, click-through rate, and engagement rate according to the objective.
- KPIs reach : views, impressions, share of voice.
- Engagement KPIs : likes, comments, shares.
- Conversion KPIs : clicks to the product sheet, attributed sales.
How Sportswear Brands Are Collaborating with Influencers in 2025
Collaborations are structured around three models: long-term ambassadorships, event campaigns, and product co-creations. Each model meets distinct objectives and involves different contractual arrangements.
| Model | Objective | Main benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Ambassador | Lasting notoriety | Recurrence and consistency |
| Event campaign | Temporal push | Peak visibility |
| Co-creation | Sale & authenticity | Exclusive product + storytelling |
- Integrate micro-influencers for authenticity.
- Combine organic relay and paid activation (ads).
- Respect transparency and disclosure obligations.
For practical examples and tools of planning, consult the resources on the impact of video formats and platform innovations: impact reels & Facebook videos, YouTube innovates content promotions.
Good operational practices
Structure a clear brief, define KPIs and validation workflows. Anticipate creative resources and plan a multi-platform release schedule.
- Precise brief and assets provided in advance.
- A/B testing on formats and creatives.
- Post-campaign reporting with EMV and attribution.
Inspiring example: a running brand tested short collaborations with local coaches, combining Asics and New Balance on micro-events, which improved local conversion without significantly increasing the media budget.
FAQs about sportswear brands
Why are sportswear brands like Nike and Gymshark so popular among influencers?
Sportswear brands are investing heavily in storytelling and collaborations, offering tailored visual content (Reels, TikTok) and partnering with athletes or creators. By developing multi-modal campaigns, these brands maximize visibility and memorability, resulting in strong mentions and a high share of voice on social media.
How to choose sportswear brands for an influencer campaign?
Choosing sportswear brands requires aligning target audience, formats, and messaging: assessing share of voice, product DNA, and compatibility with the influencer's audience. Then, define clear KPIs (reach, engagement, conversion) and select creators capable of delivering credible and measurable content.
What formats promote sportswear brands?
Short, vertical formats are a priority: Reels and TikTok generate the majority of interactions. Videos better explain product benefits and facilitate impulse purchases. For lasting conversions, also combine long-form videos and product review posts.
Do ethical sportswear brands perform well with influencers?
Yes, ethical sportswear brands resonate strongly with influencers who care about sustainability: they attract an engaged audience and generate high-quality shares. Responsible messaging builds trust and loyalty, even if the initial reach may be more modest.
What is the role of share of voice for sportswear brands?
Share of voice measures conversational presence, useful for comparing visibility between sportswear brands. It indicates where to focus media and influencer efforts to close a gap or capitalize on an advantage. It's a strategic indicator for managing the marketing mix.
How to measure the impact of collaborations with sportswear brands?
Start with a concise sentence: Measuring impact requires explicit KPIs. Then, combine quantitative (views, clicks, attributed sales) and qualitative (sentiment, brand mentions) measures; use EMV to estimate the media value of posts.
Should big brands like Adidas or Puma work with micro-influencers?
Absolutely: Sportswear brands gain credibility through local micro-influencers. These partnerships generate authenticity and better ROI on targeted campaigns, while complementing macro ambassador activations.
What budget should you plan for promoting sportswear brands with influencers?
The short answer: the budget varies depending on the objective. In detail, plan a mix of fixed compensation and performance, taking into account the costs of creation, amplification, and monitoring. Specialized guides help calibrate the amounts according to the platforms.
How are sportswear brands using platform innovations in 2025?
Main answer: they integrate new features (live shopping, Reels ads, creation tools) to maximize impact. In practice, testing new features allows you to gain a competitive advantage and exploit formats that are still undersaturated.
Are product collaborations between influencers and sportswear brands profitable?
In short: yes, if they are well structured. To elaborate: co-creation creates a differentiating product, improves conversion, and strengthens long-term engagement, provided that distribution and coordinated communication are ensured.
Which emerging sportswear brands should you watch for 2025?
Bottom line: Keep an eye on sustainable brands and pure fitness players. These sportswear brands invest in storytelling and community, which can quickly increase their visibility and share of voice on social platforms.
Working with ValueYourNetwork has been providing consolidated expertise in influencer marketing since 2016. The company supports brands and influencers with proven methodologies and has conducted hundreds of successful campaigns on social media. ValueYourNetwork masters the connection between creators and brands, facilitates partnerships and optimizes campaign performance. To learn more and build a tailor-made activation, contact us.