As sports continue their quest to be more accessible and inclusive, there’s potentially much to be gained by a greater focus on mental health, holistic well-being and rejuvenation.
Last month, I opined about the “Great Reprioritization,” with people placing much greater focus on work-life balance, a trend that has not wavered over the past several years.
I add that our latest July data shows some 74% of Americans agree with the statement, “It’s time to consider a four-day work week.” In fact, a majority (51%) strongly agree.
This is a big shift from what we’ve previously observed. In complete honesty, it flies directly in the face of the values that I’ve subscribed to and practiced throughout my career. But I needn’t wear my researcher or business owner hat to recognize that perspectives have shifted, and getting the most out of people means being flexible enough to meet your team in a place that is comfortable.
Turning back to insights driving sports marketing strategy, we’ve seen a deviation from traditional sports marketing messages of competitiveness, victory, and giving maximum effort. That’s not to discount those messages, or claim that they aren’t strong differentiators for the right brands and properties. But, as participatory and spectator sports continue their quest to be more accessible and inclusive, there’s potentially much to be gained by leveraging a greater focus on mental health, holistic well-being and rejuvenation.
The call-out for a four-day work week isn’t necessarily suggesting we aren’t going to work harder or smarter. But it may be acknowledging that sometimes getting away means totally getting away. And sports have always had the power to take people to a very private space, away from the madness of everyday life.
For example, we’ve seen an increasing number of golfers who have discovered the Zen-like, highly therapeutic benefit of just going out on a golf course, communing with nature and enjoying social time with others, without even worrying about the score. This phenomenon extends to more solitary recreational activities like running or cycling and to the pageantry of spectator sports that have invested significantly in building out extra environments, supplemental to the main event, that create an escape for attendees.
That said, as we make our way through the final weeks of summer it gives pause to consider the resonance of tying sports and recreational brands to what appears to be a societal shift placing greater emphasis on work-life balance. Blasphemous perhaps for a highly competitive person like myself, but I can’t help but listen to the data.