With the UK being home to over seven thousand health and fitness clubs with an approximate ten million members, the easing of restrictions has been welcomed by many. Within Europe only Germany boasts more health and fitness club members which demonstrates the competitive nature of the UK market and the potential opportunity for brands that comes from setting themselves apart. In this article, we look at what fitness brands can do in order to position themselves as market leaders across all media channels.
Sharing your success stories
Consumers will always be drawn to fitness brands if they can see that the product or service is having a positive impact on people’s lives. Individuals want to feel related to and if they can visually see the progress a fitness brand can bring to an average person, in terms of physical and mental wellbeing, it will inadvertently allow them to feel encouraged into joining their community
Utilising Instagram influencers
On a daily basis when you are looking through your Instagram feed, more and more social media influencers are promoting health, fitness, and nutrition companies through their channels. These individuals are all part of a new generation of online influencer, which the savviest fitness brands are already tapping into.
An example of this is with leading UK fitness company Gymshark which by many, is seen as the innovators and visionaries behind the relationship of fitness and influencer marketing. An online health and fitness influencer can have bigger reach than traditional media outlets andtheir followers are likely to be precisely the target audience that fitness brands are looking to attract.
Becoming a voice of authority
If your fitness brand places focus on the wellbeing of its customers then it is vital that consumers invest, believe, and respect your organisation as an authoritative brand. Positioning individuals in the media is a great way of gaining respect from consumers and also cementing the reputation of your brand as a trustworthy industry leader.
In order to gain that respect, key spokespeople from your organisation should be writing thought leadership pieces on a regular basis on the subject(s) that they specialise in. It is also important to keep on top of the news agenda, as this will help to provide your spokespeople with the opportunity to react and respond to relevant news stories which are been covered in the media.
Exploring cross promotion
With so many different markets in the fitness industry, there are many opportunities for brands to cross-promote their services with other brands operating in the same sector. This tactic not only enables both brands to gain access to the database and social media channels of the other but, in doing so, it also allows both businesses gain a greater level of exposure amongst a new audience.
Specialist food company MuscleFood has carried out cross-promotional activity with brands in the running events sector and protein market, as well as with gyms and online personal trainers. MuscleFood always offers strong promotional discounts and competition prizes when it does this type of activity. Both brands, meanwhile, benefit from a greater level of exposure. Through cross-promotional activity, MuscleFood has been able to gain a very strong presence on social media, surpassing over 350k followers.
Securing celebrity ambassadors
Many brands within the health and fitness space choose to utilise celebrity ambassadors to help build the profile of their brand and promote their products or services. When it comes to brands identifying a suitable celebrity ambassador, it is imperative that they choose someone who aligns with the company values but can also relate to the target market.
Global fitness & wellbeing client Therabody has recently signed partnerships with two footballers known for their athleticism in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold. Wellbeing is a priority for both players and using the best technology on the market is one way of achieving this.
If you’re interested in learning more about how PR can make your fitness brand stand out, get in touch with us today.
