Dive Brief:
- To captivate young shoppers heading back to school, Dick’s Sporting Goods has teamed up with Roblox to launch a virtual experience dubbed “School of Sport,” the company announced on Wednesday. Users can participate in various challenges, quests and obstacle courses, also known as “obbys.”
- Roblox users enter the virtual experience through The Locker Room, where they will receive their own locker and style points that can be redeemed to buy shoes, clothing and accessories for their digital avatars. Within the School of Sport, Roblox users can also socialize and collect stickers, badges and style points by completing certain tasks.
- Roblox users will also be ranked on a community leaderboard based on the style points they accumulate, and they can use the stickers they’ve collected to customize their digital school supplies, such as notebooks or water bottles.
Dive Insight:
Dick’s Sporting Goods rolled out the School of Sport experience alongside a new back-to-school Sport Your Style campaign, which aims to encourage teenagers to embrace their styles, the company said.
“It is important for us to continue evolving the way we engage with consumers. We are excited to make our entrance into the Metaverse with ‘School of Sport,’ creating a space to share sport and style while also connecting with our younger athletes,” Ed Plummer, chief marketing officer at Dick’s Sporting Goods, said in a statement.
The campaign and collaboration with Roblox have arrived during a busy back-to-school shopping season colored by rising inflation. A recent survey from Deloitte predicted that back-to-school shopping will reach $34.4 billion for K–12 students and $28.3 billion for college students. More than a third (37%) of Deloitte survey respondents said they planned to spend more during this year’s back-to-school shopping season despite rising costs, but 77% said they will switch to brands that offer lower prices and better inventory options.
Roblox has emerged as a popular platform for retailers looking to connect with younger shoppers. In addition to Dick’s Sporting Goods, Roblox has attracted the likes of teen retailer American Eagle, Victoria’s Secret’s new tween brand Happy Nation, and apparel stalwarts Tommy Hilfiger, Gap and Forever 21. Forever 21 even introduced its Barbie Summer 2022 collection within the Forever 21 Shop City on Roblox in June.
For brands and retailers seeking to reach younger consumers, Roblox presents the opportunity to sell digital goods to consumers and cultivate an online community, but they must be mindful of how they approach the multi-generational user base that Roblox provides.
