PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Sweden’s best cross-country skier, led by Frida Karlsson, is involved in the launch of a new social media platform.
The app allows fans to take a behind-the-scenes look at the stars’ lives. The athletes share in the advertising revenue.
“I like to share my journey in a more personal way. If I can inspire young people to dare to bet on their dreams or just find joy in cross-country skiing, then it feels fantastic,” says Frida Karlsson in a press release.
The former national team skater Anna Dyvik working with the new platform Wimt. She describes the app as a way for fans to get closer to the athletes.
New source of income
– It is a social media platform for sports, where part of the advertising revenue goes to the athletes. In this way, we create a completely new source of income for the athletes, while bringing them closer to their fans. The content is unfiltered, personal and genuine, says Dyvik.
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On the app’s preview, you could see, among other things Ebba Andersson’s cohabitant Gustaf Berglund fry pancakes in the underpants, Lynn Svahn eat only rice for lunch during the Tour de Ski and Johanna Hagström pick up skis outdoors.
The advertising revenue is divided percentage-wise between the athletes, depending on how much they spend. Several companies have already been interested in advertising in the app.
– Many clubs and athletes are interested and believe that Wimt is a good idea. At the same time, there have also been many large companies that wanted to participate and advertise initially, for example Ica and Lyko, says Dyvik.
“Common scope”
Dyvik explains that the app’s layout means that the big riders can help the younger and less established riders with their reach.
– It is a problem to finance one’s investment as a younger and less established rider. At Wimt, riders can help each other build up a common range. If Frida Karlsson draws a lot of people to the app, they will also see other riders’ posts in the same feed. Which means that the other riders can also share in the advertising revenue, says Dyvik.
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How will you be able to compete with large established platforms such as Instagram and X?
– It is a big challenge to bring about a change in behaviour. But if there is interesting content on the app, we think people will want to hang out there. The riders themselves feel incredibly tough. There is a clear motivation to publish a lot of content, says Dyvik.
“A challenge”
Eva Ossianssonan expert on social media, believes that competition with established platforms can be a challenge, but she is nevertheless positive about the idea.
– It is usually a challenge to create new platforms with a relatively “narrow content”. However, being able to follow athletes’ lives and take part in events can be interesting and there is definitely an interest in feeling involved as a “fan”. Creating a specific app for this can work for a targeted target group with a strong interest, says Ossiansson, brand doctor at the University of Gothenburg.
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Ice hockey club Brynäs IF is also part of the app’s launch. The idea is for more clubs and sports to join.
The app launches today.
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