ASICS trusts insight to launch groundbreaking programme

In summer 2019, leading global sportswear brand ASICS approached Greg at TFE Insight for support to bring its founding principle – A Sound Mind in a Sound Body (or Anima Sana in Corpore Sano) – to life. ASICS wanted a clear understanding of existing studies in the area of exercise and mental health, to learn who was talking about the issue, which organisations were already engaged and what competitors may be doing.

It began with a detailed conversation about the company’s vision and values. This meant from the start, we were working towards clear shared goals. And then Greg began to research the topic, looking first at scientific studies proving the link between mental and physical health. This gave us the data we needed to confidently say that, in general, movement was proven to help mental wellbeing. It was the vital foundation for all the work to come.

Much of the activity in the sector turned out to be based on fairly limited direct evidence. There were many well-meaning apps and programmes available, but none could conclusively say that they’d been proven to be effective. There were, however, lots of people actively involved in the area – promoting healthy physical and mental lifestyles and talking about the link between the two.

Greg put together a detailed report summarising the science and highlighting key charities, corporations and individuals active in the space. He also looked at the strengths and weaknesses of competitor activity in order to ensure that ASICS’ messaging was distinctive and, above all, authentic.

As part of the process, he proposed bringing together some experts in the field to develop a guided programme which could be rigorously tested to prove that this particular intervention worked. And so ASICS Movement for Mind was born.

Over the next three years (and counting), Greg helped develop ASICS Movement for Mind, producing content, editing audio, managing a team of external experts and supporting an independent, randomised control trial into its effectiveness. The results of this trial were announced in late 2021 – you can read all about them here (with content and the report put together by TFE Insight).

Now, ASICS Movement for Mind is entering its population-wide study phase. ASICS is working with corporations across the UK and the Netherlands to encourage employees to sign up to follow the free programme and monitor their mental wellbeing. It’s one of the largest studies of its kind ever undertaken. The new study site is available here – please feel free to sign up and take part!

ASICS Movement for Mind remains a key part of ASICS’ strategy to stay true to its roots as a brand grounded in physical and mental wellbeing. It’s been covered in international media and proves how ethical businesses can effectively develop their messaging to the benefit of everyone involved.

If you would like to discuss how your charity, organisation or company can also benefit from detailed, rigorous insight to create something special, please get in touch.