FanCode Shop, a leading online retailer of sports merchandise, partnered with the Indian allrounder, Hardik Pandya, for his newly launched brand identity and a performance wear collection in July.
The inaugural collection, which is only available on FanCode Shop, reflects Pandya’s vibrant personality and commitment to fitness. The lightweight, breathable materials are intended for optimal comfort and performance, catering to both athletes and casual gymgoers.
Pandya played an active role in the collection’s production, rather than simply contributing his name. He offered design concepts, materials, and colours, ensuring that the collection mirrored his style and beliefs. This significant participation demonstrates Pandya’s dedication to this enterprise.
FanCode Shop, the line’s official retail partner, brings extensive experience in sports apparel and licensing to the table. The platform, which is FanCode’s well-established retail division, has established itself as the official merchandise partner for important competitions like the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and the forthcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.
To learn more about the partnership, SportsMint Media conducted an exclusive interaction with Mr Yannick Colaco, Co-founder, FanCode.
Mr Colaco discussed a variety of topics, including Hardik’s engagement in the product, leveraging the world champion’s fame, and more.
1. Could you tell us about the category of the product and how extensively it will grow?
The new product falls under the fitness category. The usage of the product depends from person to person, whether an individual wants it for professional reasons or uses it as an outfit for the gym or yoga.
2. Did India’s triumph expedite the product launch?
I’ll be very honest, we’ve been working with Hardik for close to a year on this. The decision to launch was based on the product being ready, and our product was ready by the end of June. We were ready to launch it, but obviously, he was playing, and we needed him for the launch. Of course, he is the world champion, but I don’t think that takes away from the fact that he’s such a great athlete as well.
3. Is there a specific audience in terms of income or affluence that FanCode is targeting?
One of the most important things we believe in sports merchandise is selection and affordability. Our starting price would be around INR 899, and prices go higher with jackets and more. However, it’s very clear that for fans you have to make things affordable. You can’t just have one very expensive product. We need to have products that can be worn not just while playing or so but we need to think of wearability as well. With products, we will be having the range and selection is going to be quite broad.
4. How will FanCode aim to tap into Hadik’s popularity and explore globally?
We will begin with the Indian sports enthusiasts and with this range. We will continue working together in terms of building this and expanding but right now, we want to be focused on this performance wear range with considering Indian and Hardik’s fans.
5. What was the conversation between you and Hardik in the initial stages?
He was always clear that he wanted to build the HP brand. We wanted to bring a sports athlete brand to life through merchandise. We always spoke about this and it was a great fit. This isn’t about collaboration but rather bringing Hadik’s brand to life. So that’s really how the conversation started and that’s how we built it over the year.
6. What’s your opinion on the HP brand leveraging FanCode’s audience for this product?
Absolutely. I mean, FanCode is a platform, right? When we put FC Barcelona or Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) products on our platform, those are the brands. Our job is to take the sports brands that fans love and bring them close to the 160 million fans on FanCode.