- M&S is targeting busy family-age customers with the launch of a major marketing campaign to promote its new women’s activewear range – Goodmove
- M&S is the market leader for sports bras (25% share) and is looking to grow in other categories, as athleisure continues to outperform the overall clothing market
M&S has kicked off 2020 with a new digitally focussed campaign to support the launch of its activewear range – Goodmove (full launch today). Available both online and in-store, Goodmove is a fun and inclusive new range featuring over 150 products spanning everything from performance wear for sports enthusiasts to innovative outerwear for those enjoying the great outdoors.
M&S Clothing & Home is changing to deliver more products designed to cater for today’s family-age customers, making activewear a clear area of focus. Over the past three years, the athleisure market has significantly outperformed the overall clothing sector and the macro drivers behind its growth show no signs of going away. Alongside British consumers increasing focus on health and wellbeing, a switch towards more casual fashion and the rise of home working have both contributed to the growth of athleisure, as consumers opt for a more flexible wardrobe to suit their different lifestyle demands.
M&S is currently the UK’s second biggest activewear retailer but is the market leader in sports bras with over one in four British women turning to the retailer for this specialist product. With the launch of Goodmove, M&S intends to use its authority in sports bras, coupled with its longstanding reputation for garment innovation, to grow its position in other activewear categories.
Whilst the activewear market has seen an increase in premium brands in recent years, the majority of women are less brand focused and see comfort and fit as the top priority when shopping for activewear. This insight has driven the Goodmove range, ensuring M&S’ leading innovations help deliver an activewear offer that combines exceptional comfort and a flattering fit – with features such as its InsoliaTM footwear endorsed by the UK College of Podiatrists through to seamfree technology.
The extensive Goodmove range spans a number of product areas (see images and examples below); including M&S’ most sustainable trainers to date, gym bags, sports bras and a hero focus on leggings with five new styles named - Go Easy, Go Move, Go Train, Go SeamlessandGo Perform.
The new leggings are a great example of the exceptional value Goodmove offers at every price point starting with its stylish £15 Go Easy legging made from breathable, stretch cotton for all-day comfort through to its £45 Go Perform legging, designed for high-impact training with targeted muscle support and an engineered fit. These leggings are central to Goodmove and represent a quarter of the range buy and will be supported by dedicated leggings experts in-store who have detailed knowledge of all of the key innovations and features to help customers make a more informed choice.
A DIGITAL FIRST CAMPAIGN
Online has been the fastest growing channel for the women’s activewear market, with over one in three (34%) purchases made online. This compares to just 17% of M&S’ activewear sales providing the retailer with a clear growth opportunity, which supports its wider ambition to grow Clothing & Home sales to one third online.
The digital-first approach has led the thinking behind the Goodmove launch campaign – which goes fully live across channels from 3rd January and will run for the whole month. The upbeat campaign has both a brand and product angle; playing on the word “Good” to drive consumer awareness of the Goodmove name, but also showcasing specific products from the range that can help achieve anything from a ‘Good Shot’, to ‘Good Balance’, a ‘Good Morning’, a ‘Good Friends’ moment and even ‘Good Times’. Using a mix of emotional and physical language helps convey how the Goodmove range supports the mind and body and the benefits of an active lifestyle – summed up by the campaign tag line ‘Goodmove – For However You Move’.The M&S team has developed a clear identity for Goodmove – with its own logo and a fresh and contemporary charcoal, yellow, white and turquoise colour palette that spans all marketing activity from advertising through to product labelling.
To bring the campaign to life online, M&S has recruited women from across the UK to act as ‘Active Advocates’ who will put Goodmove products to the test in a range of activities from a half marathon, to the daily school run to yoga lessons. There will be a strong focus on the most visual and engaging channels including Instagram - where posts will be shoppable - alongside Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest. The campaign aims to have a bit of fun and tap into January’s consumer mindset – with an upbeat ‘Goodmove’ Spotify playlist also launching today.
The campaign will be unmissable on M&S’ website and in M&S stores – with stand-out window displays, takeover zones with mannequins dressed head to toe in Goodmove in high footfall parts of the shops and extensive video content that tells the stories behind the products. Alongside the print and digital marketing plan, M&S is continuing to use out of home digital signage in key locations such as bus stops and outside shopping centres, as a way to reach busy family customers when they’re out and about.
Jill Stanton M&S’s Womenswear Director said,“Activewear has become a staple in today’s wardrobe – not simply because we work out more but because the nation is embracing a more causal and flexible way of dressing. As the UK’s biggest clothing retailer and the market leader for sports bras, launching Goodmove is an opportunity for us to drive growth through a really relevant product offering. We’ve developed Goodmove to be everything we know customers want – comfortable, easy to wear, great value and exceptional quality, backed by an easy shopping experience. Activewear really plays to M&S Clothing’s heritage strengths for fabric and product innovation and those features are at the heart of the range - from quick dry fabrics to blackout technology on all performance leggings.”
Nathan Ansell M&S’s Clothing Marketing Director said,“Goodmove is the start of a new conversation with our customers around activewear – repositioning it as a wardrobe essential for today’s busy families. As a marketing team, our starting point was for whoever you are, we want to help you get up and go and move the way you want and that’s driven a campaign that feels confident, fun and inclusive. Launching as the customer mindset has shifted to the New Year, we want to help the nation get moving in 2020 - with products designed for however customers chose to move - from a walk with the kids to a high intensity class at the gym.”
Good Move is available in sizes 6 - 24, with prices starting from £12 for a sports bra.
Ends
Hero Product Information
 GOOD MOVE WATERPROOF COAT £99 |  GOOD MOVE JACKET £45 |  GOOD MOVE PADDED COAT £149 |
 GOOD MOVE T-SHIRT £12.50 |  GOOD MOVE SWEATSHIRT £25 |  GOOD MOVE T-SHIRT £12.50 |
 GOOD MOVE HEAT TECH TOP £29.50 |  GOOD MOVE HEAT TECH TOP £29.50 |  GOOD MOVE MERINOTEC TOP £25 |
 GOOD MOVE GO PERFORM LEGGING £45 |  GOOD MOVE GO MOVE LEGGING £25 |  GOOD MOVE GO SEAMFREE LEGGING £35 |
 GOOD MOVE MEDIUM IMPACT SPORTS BRA £15 |  GOOD MOVE MEDIUM IMPACT SPORTS BRA £12 |  GOOD MOVE MEDIUM IMPACT SPORTS BRA £15 |
 GOOD MOVE TRAINER £49.50 |  GOOD MOVE TRAINER £45 |  GOOD MOVE TRAINER £49.50 |
 GOOD MOVE BAG £45 |  GOOD MOVE BAG £45 |  GOOD MOVE BAG £45 |
2020
