To deepen its brand recognition, Speedo dives into the social media pool

For many beachgoers, the name Speedo conjures images of underdressed guys strutting past their sand castles. But among competitive swimmers, the brand is the be-all and end-all for gear-suits, caps, goggles, watches, fitness equipment, you name it.

With that in mind, Speedo teamed with communications firm Syrup to build its own online hub for swimmers ranging from professionals to those just starting out. The Speedo Pace Club, which has a mobile component in addition to its main website, includes workout logs, check-ins at pools around the country, blogs by prominent swimmers, expert training tips and more.

The Pace Club underwent a “soft launch” July 20, says Ben Abramowitz, creative director at Syrup. The official launch with media support was Monday. “For a soft launch, numbers have far exceeded our expectations,” he says.

Kicking off

Around the start of the year, Speedo approached Syrup looking for a long-term, online branding strategy. Pace Club was one of a handful of ideas the agency brought back to the company, which latched onto it right away.