Bridging Strategy and Culture: Where Sports and Lifestyle Brands and Dance need to Connect

Throughout my career in both dance and the corporate industry, something seems to be missing.

I’ve seen some of the most talented dancers I know unable to connect with sports and lifestyle brands, when, if you knew them and what they are able to deliver, this isn’t just a missed opportunity for the dancers but also Creative Directors and Brand Strategists would be gutted to miss the serious commercial and cultural impact. 

This has been gnawing away at me for years.  

Before I realised, it is not a missing piece. It is a lack of understanding. 

A lack of understanding between professional dancers and brand marketing teams and experiential agencies. 

Now I know when I say “a lack of understanding” that you might be offended by that statement.

That’s truly not the case, I just don’t think we have gotten to know each other yet. 

Contents 

1. The Corporate Reality for Sports & Lifestyle Companies

2. The Creative Reality for Professional Dancers

3. Where the Disconnect Happens 

4. How to Close the Gap 

The Corporate Reality for Sports & Lifestyle Companies

If you’re a Brand Manager or Marketing Executive at a global sportswear or lifestyle company planning to make your next brand activation hit on a different scale. It’s most likely that you  operate in a world of strategy, marketing, lifestyle, media, budgets, experiences, timelines, sales - the list goes on. 

There are so many moving parts to consider whilst seeming perfectly streamlined to the outside world. It’s no wonder you don’t have time to deeply understand the ins and outs of the dance industry. 

When you’re planning your next big brand activation you have to consider: 

1. What aligns with our identity? 

2. How can we create one of a kind experiences? 

3. Will this convert to sales? 

Budgets, KPI’s, schedules, deadlines - the list could go on and on. 

The Creative Reality for Professional Dancers

Dancers usually grew up dancing, that means by the time they hit their 20’s, they’ve probably already got 10 years experience. 

How many 20 year olds do you know with a decade of work experience? 

Dance is not something they have fallen into, it’s something they chose to do, day in day out to work on their artistry and to perfect their craft. 

Dancers are rooted in community and culture and have incredibly creative brains.They understand audiences, cultural shifts, social trends and create experiences that truly move and connect with people. 

They don’t have space to think like a Creative Director. They aren’t trained in corporate strategy or marketing lingo - and they shouldn’t have to be! 

Where the Disconnect Happens 

Now we have chatted a bit about the different sides, here are the main 3 issues I see with connecting both professionals. 

1. Budget and Timeline Misalignment  

   - Rehearsal time isn’t properly allocated 

   - Professional dancers rates are transparently built into budgets

   - Travel, accommodation, per diems and catering are overlooked

   - Creativity is rushed to meet pressing deadlines

2. Building dance and movement into the brief 

   - Dance and movement are often added at the execution stage, instead of being embedded from the point of creating the brief. 

3. Role Misunderstanding  

   - Dancers don’t always understand how Executive Producers and Creative Directors operate and marketing teams and experiential agencies don’t always understand the creative process. 

This can make all the difference in avoiding last minute project tension and frustration! 

How to Close the Gap   

When sports and lifestyle brands and professional dancers find each other and collaborate in an authentic and purposeful way, brand activations can be created like no other. 

We’ve talked about the gap, this is where XB3 thrives! 

XB3 Dance Productions was born out of this lack of connectivity, born with a desire to connect the two worlds and bring forward meaningful brand experiences with dance and culture  at the heart. 

XB3 fits in both of these spaces. XB3 is deeply rooted in the dance community, we work with professional dancers and choreographers every day. We know how they operate and we know when given the right tools that can make unforgettable experiences happen. 

We also are Executive Producers ourselves. We understand logistics, budgets, timelines, stakeholder management, strategy, marketing and deadlines. 

Think of us like your on-demand performance department: part creative, part logistical, all precision.