The Power of Social Media: How it Shapes and Brings Brands into the Digital Age.

Since the surge of social media playing a huge component in our daily lives, many companies and individuals have surged to high levels of popularity. In this day and age, anyone and everyone can go viral just from one post or video alone. One company that has surged into popularity in very recent times due to his hard work and dedication alongside social media would have to be Corks own Gym+Coffee

Started up by Cork natives Niall Horgan and Diarmuid McSweeney alongside Karl Swaine in January of 2017, the company has surged into a household name and is near impossible to not see someone wearing an item of theirs. As with many companies, when the quarantine hit 4 years ago, many quickly turned to social media as a quick way to promote their brand and companies. But as we know, one video can change everything. With online shopping increasing due to strict Covid restrictions many companies saw an opportunity through Tik Tok as a way to promote themselves and get their name out their to a wider audience that may have been unfamiliar with them. Since creating their Tik Tok account, Gym+Coffee have amassed over 100,000 followers and over 2.9 million likes, with their most popular video having over 137,000 likes and 2.8 million views. The video is a short 6 second clip that features former One Direction star, Niall Horan, who walks into the shot wearing one of their hoodies with the classic Gym+Coffee logo on the arm, and says "hello". Instagram is where they have their bulk of followers, and receive the most engagement from their followers. With their 191,000 followers on Instagram, Gym+Coffee are clearly most active there, interacting with followers, reposting people that tag them in posts/stories and replying to comments left under their posts. At the time of writing this, they have 24 posts published within the last 24 hours, combined between posts and stories, averaging 500-1,000 likes per post. On their Instagram reels, they average anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 views per video, with the most popular having 2.8 million views, in which a woman is showcasing a fleece which had been restocked following the Christmas period. From a number of comments left underneath the post, the restock didn't last long as they sold out almost immediately. The post helped them reach a very wide audience which benefited them.

A scroll through their highlights on Instagram will lead you to many different stories but also different activities and programs which were run throughout the company through the years, but also the different aspects in which the company showcase. In June 2023, a podcast was launched on Spotify in which they sat down with either an influencer, athlete or brand ambassador. An episode released in August, included Irish gymnast and Olympian Rhys McClenaghan. A highlight on their Instagram stories in which I found quite interesting was their "As seen in" highlight, in this particular highlight, they are showing to their followers different articles and companies that their products have been mentioned in. Some of these include the likes of GQ Magazine , Men's Health magazine UK and HELLO! Magazine . Which combined, have over 7 million followers on Instagram.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing involving endorsements and product placement from influencers, celebrities or athletes.

Since the surge of social media, influencers in many different aspects and niches have started posting content also, in hopes of one day going viral and being successful. From my own experience on social media, there has been a huge rise in fitness influencers taking over platforms, with some amassing over millions of followers among their different social media platforms. But one of Ireland's largest influencers, just so happens to have started out creating fitness videos. James Doyle, better known by his nickname "Protein Bor", flew to instant fame on Tik Tok in the summer of 2022, when he posted a video showing off his gym progress over the space of 12 months. The video currently sits at 4.4 million views, with 155,000 likes. Since that video took off, James has flown to internet fame as one of Ireland's most followed creators, with a combined 1.3 million followers between his Tik Tok and Instagram accounts combined. James often has collaborations with large gym related brands, such as Myprotein . With someone of his large following, not just Irish but worldwide, it would almost seem like a no brainer for Gym+Coffee to collaborate with him. They could benefit by having their products pushed out to over 1 million people, many of which may be unfamiliar with the brand. James would benefit as he would receive financial gain from the business, but maybe also have a signature product released amongst their vast product range.

Similarly enough, Elverys Sports are excelling when it comes to advertising on social media. At the time of writing, they have over 16 posts on Instagram, posted within the last 24 hours, from their posts and stories combined, which is going out to their 86,900 Instagram followers. Elverys have partnered with Greg O Shea, who frequently partners with them, posting to his 860,000 Instagram followers. They have also had a jersey sponsorship with the Mayo intercounty team since 1998. Which is seen during matches, and on their Instagram account when posted, which is potentially seen by their 50,800 followers.

Conclusion

I believe that it is definitely appropriate to say that Gym+Coffee have been excelling in the digital era and social media marketing. It is clear that they have done their research and are aware how to reach the consumer via social media and ads. This has lead to them become one of Ireland's leading brands in athleisurewear.