Fitness has been on my mind recently. Perhaps because I ran the Alan K. Blum 5K at Promotions East with Mike Cornnell and Meredith Edelman, but more likely because I wrote about exercise products in Promo Marketing’s May issue. I had to cut a few tips from the magazine, but I’ve added them below to help you get your fitness sales in shape.
1. Be Color Specific
Aaron Gunderson, national accounts for Pro Towels Etc., Pittsburgh, noted that white is the most popular color for fitness towels, but color-specific organizations prefer their distinct hue. “White allows for logos with multiple colors to be showcased, while the colored towels offer a unique printing option to showcase artwork,” he said. “We have recently added pink to our color options and it has been a great success in Breast Cancer Awareness events,” he added.
2. Towels are Tops
Towels last longer than the day of the event or even just a few months after. “When was the last time you threw a towel away?” asked Gunderson. “Fitness towels help commemorate that big race you ran in, the charity walk you participated in, or that New Year’s Resolution that you’ll stick to next year.”
3. Cater to Current Members
To boost membership, gyms and health clubs need to make their current members feel appreciated while marketing to newcomers. Lauri Timmons, marketing communications for St. Louis-based Ariel Premium Supply, noted a membership-boosting promotion that used data-tracking pedometers. “A fitness center handed out Ariel’s ID Clip Pedometer as a referral gift to boost membership,” she explained. “Members that brought in a friend and had them sign up received a pedometer. With the ID Clip Pedometer that features a retractable 24″ cord, suitable for any ID badge or swipe card, tracked their progress at the center and also kept their keycard safe.”
4. Focus on the Promotion’s Goal, not Specific Products
This tip is true of all programs. Martin Lockhart, vice president of sales and marketing for Atlanta-based Justin Case explained how it relates to fitness programs. “Don’t focus on specific products. You have to build a branding or marketing strategy from the target market back,” he said. “Every company can gain success through goodwill and the promotion of a healthier lifestyle. Just make sure the items used are relevant (to both the end-user and corporate message), functional (the item has to be used) and have a lifestyle (fashion) component.”
