Evolving Without Losing Your Identity: 6 Strategies For Sports Brands

When it comes to repositioning a brand, the hardest part is often the most obvious: understanding who you truly are. Stefan Ostertag, Chief Marketing Officer at Schöffel, opened the talk by showing four dramatically different Schöffel pictures. The first one showed a mountain biker mid-jump, the second one featured a serene hiking scene, and so on. While each image was visually striking, they didn't connect as a unified brand message. Ostertag admitted

Just by looking at these pictures, it’s not really stringent and focused

He acknowledged that Schöffel’s brand expression had been inconsistent, attempting to appeal to various outdoor segments without a clear identity. This lack of focus led the company to reassess its core—focusing not only on what it wants to be, but also on what it shouldn’t try to be.

The team began by asking two key questions:

• Who are we, really?
• And just as importantly, who are we not?

These couple of questions triggered a strategic pause. While the brand had experimented with high-adrenaline outdoor visuals and messages, the leadership realized that these didn’t match Schöffel’s DNA. It became clear that portraying extreme athletes and action-driven imagery, while popular, felt forced and ultimately inauthentic for the company. Ostertag explained: 

Nobody believes us when we try to be cool, edgy, or extreme,.That’s not Schöffel.

This realization marked the beginning of a realignment that focused not on reinvention for its own sake, but on rediscovery.

After the internal reflection, Schöffel partnered with Jung von Matt, a renowned agency, specifically their Swiss team. What stood out in this collaboration was not just the agency's expertise but the shared values and mutual understanding between the two companies.

Rather than working with multiple agencies, Schöffel chose a partner that already understood its business, values, and culture. The focus was on co-creating a future direction, not just fitting into a creative mold. The partnership was described as “eye-level, collaborative, and partnership-oriented,” a refreshing change from typical agency-client dynamics. Ostertag shared

They didn’t try to push us in their direction, and we didn’t try to push them in ours.

This clarity and mutual respect gave Schöffel the foundation to explore bold strategic decisions without losing sight of their essence. Together, they worked through not just design and marketing but a full brand audit that included market trends, customer analysis, and values alignment.

The result was not a glossy campaign but a clear brand platform, one that everyone from marketing to product development could still align around.

A key element of Schöffel’s rebranding was the decision to approach it from the outside in. Instead of starting with internal goals or product roadmaps, the team focused on understanding the customer—what they value, how they think, and where the world is headed.

This shift was a response to past mistakes, where previous brand updates were largely strategy-driven and pushed from within. This time, Ostertag and his team asked

Who is our end customer? What are their motives? What’s happening in the world?

To answer these questions, Schöffel:

• Researched global megatrends with the Zukunftsinstitut
• Analyzed customer motivations
• Reviewed data from customer behavior studies and sports barometers

They discovered a shift in outdoor activities: mental and emotional well-being had become primary drivers, replacing physical fitness and performance. “The number two reason people hike now is for mental balance,” Ostertag said. Mental wellness had become increasingly important.

This insight revealed an opportunity. While other brands focused on performance or environmental activism, Schöffel identified an underrepresented space: emotional wellness and mindfulness. Instead of chasing the adrenaline-driven crowd, Schöffel chose to cater to outdoor enthusiasts seeking restoration, clarity, and a deeper connection to nature.

To sharpen their focus further, Schöffel used a demographic model developed years ago with Fritz Claassen Institute in Hamburg. Out of 35 demographic types, six were identified as the brand’s most relevant audiences.

These were mapped along two axes:

• From experience-oriented to result-oriented
• From low to high adventure drive

Many brands cluster in the top-right quadrant, appealing to highly adventurous, result-driven consumers. Initially, Schöffel tried to play in that space too. However, they quickly learned that it wasn’t authentic, and worse, it was already saturated. Ostertag admitted

We also wanted higher, faster, further, lighter, sexier, cooler. But at some point, we realized: nobody believes us.

The sweet spot turned out to be on the left side of the matrix, in two key groups:

• Nature Lover: Prefers calm, slower-paced outdoor activities like hiking and touring.
• Outdoor Adventurer: Seeks more action but still values experience over performance.

Together, these two groups represent about 70% of the outdoor market, yet they are often overlooked in favor of flashier, niche demographics. These customers value loyalty, trust, peace of mind, and nature as a restorative force. Ostertag noted

This customer is incredibly loyal. He may not be as flashy, but he stands for everything we do, reliability, quality, and enjoyment.

By narrowing their focus to these groups, Schöffel could serve its base more effectively and differentiate itself in a cluttered marketplace.

After identifying their customers and values, the team analyzed Schöffel’s position in the competitive landscape, examining key factors like:

• Quality
• Activism
• Experience
• Innovation

They found that most competitors focused on high innovation and performance, with some emphasizing social or environmental activism. However, one area remained untapped: health and mental wellness. Ostertag shares

This was a surprising but exciting realization. No other brands have health and mental wellness as their core focus.

This insight formed the basis for Schöffel’s new positioning. While continuing to deliver on quality, sustainability, and innovation, they decided to center their brand story around well-being, recovery, and balance.

This approach aligned with Schöffel’s legacy and resonated with the evolving customer mindset: focusing not on competing, but on owning a meaningful space that reflected their true identity.

Once the strategic direction was clear, the next challenge was to make it tangible for customers. How could they see and feel the shift, not just hear about it?

Ostertag highlighted three key elements:

1. Color: Schöffel previously operated in a black-and-white visual world. Through market audits, they realized that the color green, associated with nature, calmness, and growth, was surprisingly underused in the outdoor apparel industry. Schöffel paired green with neutral gray, symbolizing rocks and mountains, to reflect the landscapes their customers love. Ostertag explains

There are fields that are totally unoccupied. Green fits us perfectly. It's all about nature. ​​​

2. The Seam: The introduction of "the seam" as a brand identifier was one of the most symbolic decisions. With 220 years of tailoring experience, the seam represented strength, connection, and heritage. Ostertag noted

We’ve been doing tailor art for 220 years. It stands for our history." The seam became a key visual element, influencing the logo and brand touchpoints.

3. Tagline and Messaging: The brand’s messaging shifted to reflect its new emotional positioning. One standout tagline was: "Higher, faster, further? I’m out." This wasn’t a rejection of ambition, but a declaration of values, appealing to those who want to disconnect from pressure and reconnect with what matters.