Marketing – Fit Communications

Marketing to Women

May 16, 2017

It’s been four years since we started Fit Communications. After working our tails off for other people for decades and we were finally both living in the same city, we decided to create something that we loved. We’re health nuts. We go to the gym religiously, we eat healthy all the time, we sleep as much as we can and we laugh more than any two humans possible. As we both were formerly high performance athletes, we thought why not combine our marketing and communications experience and education with sport and health to create Fit Communications. So that’s what we did…and loved it.

In our third year of business, we really started honing in on this whole ‘girls and women in sport’ thing. I got the privilege to blog for the Female Coaching Network out of the UK representing female coaches heading to the 2016 Olympics. We created the Fitness Journal for Girls. We started creating events for girls to participate in sport in Winnipeg. We started inspiring women across the country to strive to make each day a little bit more positive and healthy. All of this was so inspiring and rewarding.

In 2017, we decided to expand our reach. We LOVE sport and health, and we are not ditching on it one bit, but we are wanting to reach more women with our knowledge and positive messaging. We both have degrees in psychology and sociology, we both love inspiring girls and women, and we both love marketing and business. So, we decided to expand our reach to really help businesses market to women. Marketing to women. For women. By women.

Let me share a few quick stats with you:

85% of all consumer purchases are made by women
Women purchase over 50% of traditional male products, including automobiles, home improvement products and consumer electronics
Women influence up to 80% of all car purchases
Moms represent a $2.4 trillion market
35% of mothers feel ‘pigeonholed’ by brands
38% of women ages 20-40 don’t have children by choice or by chance
59% of women feel misunderstood by food marketers
Roughly 75% of women identified themselves as the primary shoppers for their households
Women make 70% of all travel decisions
91% of women said that advertisers don’t understand them

With such a huge amount of consumer power, we want to help businesses speak to women in a way that they feel understood. Women – when was the last time you saw a commercial for a vehicle that made you feel like they were speaking to you? How often do you go to a website and they bombard you with ads to the point that you shut it down? And why is it that if we’re the ones doing over half the buying of men’s products, that they don’t ever speak to us? We’re confused too. So, we want to help businesses get through the clutter. Advertise and market to women in a way that makes them connect to their business’s brand and increase the bottom line.

So as much as we love sport and health, you will start to see new stuff from us. We’ll still give you great info to make you and the people in your life achieve their healthiest self. But now we will also start inspiring you more with women in business, women that are “killing it” and brands that are “getting it”. We hope you love this new side of us as much as we do.

If you are a woman who owns her own business and wants to be featured in our Fit Communications blog, email us at info@fitcommunications.ca. If there is a business that you think is either knocking it out of the park or totally clueless on how to market to women, let us know! We’d love to help them or sing their praises.

Olivia ‘The Predator’ Gerula to Fight in Montreal

January 19, 2016

OliviaGerula_Jan16

Winnipeg’s own two-time world boxing champion Olivia “The Predator” Gerula will be lacing up her gloves once again, on January 21st in Montreal, Quebec against Lucia Larcinese. Although there is no title of the line, these two powerhouse fighters will be meeting each other in the ring, and fighters’ pride is definitely on the line.

After a devastating loss at the October 22nd High Stakes Havoc fight card in Winnipeg against Ohio’s Carla Torres for the WIBA World Title, Olivia has been back to work at Elite Boxing & MMA with Coaches Kent Brown and brother Kelly Brown, refining her skills and working angles. Gerula is dead set on earning a rematch. Her ‘predator’ nature had her rushing in and smothering Torres’ punches in the first round. Gerula admits it was definitely not her best performance but is still at a loss about the fight overall.

Gerula is coming into her 19th year of professional boxing around the world, and her experience and talent is what keeps her on top. Coach Brown has stressing on Gerula to find her range and to stay in the pocket for the Montreal fight card this Thursday night.

Olivia’s goal for the sport of boxing has been clear since day one – she wants to leave a lasting impression on the sport of women’s professional boxing. From her fights around the world to breaking boundaries for women in sport to making boxing history, she is well on her way.

Wishing Olivia best of luck this week in Montreal! Can’t wait to see you on top again!

Why Sponsor An Athlete

June 8, 2015

Derek Jeter, Michael Jordan, David Beckham and Anna Kournikova are all names we associate with exceptional athleticism and sport greatness. We associate some of the world’s biggest brands with them as well – think Nike, Gatorade, Gillette and Adidas. Both the tremendous athletes involved and the exceptional brands benefited from this sponsorship relationship. So in a world of numerous marketing and advertising opportunities, why should YOUR company sponsor an athlete?

To begin, athletes draw huge attention from both media and a wide variety of fan demographics. With the right athlete and strategy in place, your brand can receive excellent exposure. When an athlete is properly endorsing a product or service, he or she is seen as an authentic and real user of the product. In doing so, fans of the sport, team and athlete overall will begin to recognize the product and feel a sense of connection. When your consumers feel connected to your product, they build loyalty and your sales will increase.

Endorsement of your product or service by an athlete (or team or athletic event for that matter) initially creates brand exposure. Whether you are trying to gain traction in a new market or increase sales in a current market, additional exposure is key. The benefits to your brand and business include increased recognition, thought, loyalty and finally purchasing of your product or service.

Think of when Nike brought on Michael Jordan in the 1980’s. Nike was already a very established brand, although bringing on Michael Jordan and creating the complete Jordan Brand line, including the Air Jordan’s basketball shoe phenomenon, has made their company and brand further explode. Michael Jordan will take home $80 million this year from his sponsorships, brand affiliations and business endeavors. The Jordan Brand line controls almost 60% of the basketball shoe line, which means $1.75 Billion annually around the world (including apparel).

So why was Jordan, and other athlete like him, so successful when it came to their sponsorship? Why did this work out so exceptionally well for Nike? The obvious answer of course is that Michael Jordan is one of, if not THE best, basketball players of all time. If he told everyone to wear this basketball shoe because it will help their game, people will buy.

But it is more than just success on the court that has made Jordan and the Nike brand so successful. Athletes bring so much more to the table than simply athleticism.

Athletes bring a sense of knowledge and affiliation of the sport to their audiences. They connect to their audiences like no other. They have a loyal fan base of not only them as individual players but their entire team as well. For example Canadians cheer for Desiree Scott as a tremendous soccer player on Team Canada, but we also cheer for the entire team. This additional brand exposure is so helpful.

The individual athlete that your company chooses to sponsor brings forth their individual personality, physical attractiveness, personal background, role model qualities and relationship with fans. Their social media followers, event goers and ambassadors to the sport now come to YOUR brand too.

Choosing an athlete that your customers can feel connected to is important. Someone who represents your target market and can relate to your customers. At the end of the day you need to choose an athlete who represents your desired image and who can help sell your products. If you customer were a young mother versus a 21-year-old basketball player, you would of course choose very different athletes to sponsor. Properly identifying your customer and then choosing your athlete strategically is key.

The great thing about athletes is their passion, drive and motivation to make everything they do a success. Their positive outlook and attitude comes to life both on and off the field. They can connect with both their established fan base and yours, in turn increasing your brand awareness and sales.

If your company is looking to sponsor local or national athletes we would love to connect you with some exceptional people. Give us a call…we’re super nice!

Healthy Marketing & Communications

March 17, 2015

When we first set out to start Fit Communications two years ago, our plan was simple – spread the word of health every day. In today’s ever-changing marketing and communications world, this objective could spread like wild fire. We began to see how many companies and organizations were in the area of health and wellness, many of who needed help spreading the word about their positive message of health. But what do marketing and health really have in common?

If you are on social media, the information out there about the topic of health can be at times overwhelming. Between Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, various blogs and other platforms, the amount of information can be exhausting! But if you change your mindset from exhausting to a learning opportunity, the messaging can be tremendously helpful.

The thing about marketing is this – whether you are selling the next U2 album or looking to increase student numbers at a university, the principles remain the same. Figure out what your company or organization’s unique selling proposition is. What can YOU say that NONE of your competition can? Is it price? Service? A unique product? It is important to really be able to say something that nobody else can say.

Once you can pinpoint this unique selling proposition, your brand can begin to come to life. Telling the true, authentic story about who you are and what you represent. What do your customers or clients really think of you? This is not the message you WANT them to think, rather the reality of it all. Your brand elements, logo, tagline, and messaging should all evoke a feeling of truth amongst your wide range of audiences.

The same speaks for companies in the area of health. Let’s take a fitness facility for example. There are so many options to choose from, but what can your gym offer that not everyone else is doing? It has to be more than just location – the day that a competitor pops up next door, you’re done. Do you have unique equipment? Classes? Style of training? And what makes your yoga studio or cross fit gym better and/or different than your competition? And once you have nailed that down, you need to test it on your customers. Does it feel right to them? Do they have a sense of connection with your brand promise?

Whether you are selling nutrition supplements, gym memberships, or trying to gain more exposure for your nutrition blog, providing great content, products and a service that your customers and viewers can connect with is key. Utilizing a strategic marketing and communications company like us can really help you get through the noise of mass messaging and key in to your goals and objectives.

Get Girls In Sport – Fast and Female

October 14, 2014

As you may have guessed from reading our blog, we are extremely passionate about girls and women in sport. We are excited and inspired by Chandra Crawford, 2006 Gold Medal winner at the Winter Olympics in Cross Country Skiing. She shares our passion for sport and is making the dreams of girls and women across our country into reality. Founded in 2005, Crawford’s not-for-profit Fast and Female (www.fastandfemale.com) will hold its first Winnipeg event on October 24, 2014 in conjunction with the 2014 Canadian Cyclocross Championships held at The Forks October 24-26. (http://www.fastandfemale.com/programs/fast-female-champ-chat-winnipeg-mb/) According to Crawford, ”we believe in the power of sport to improve self-confidence in girls. We believe in keeping girls healthy, happy and active through their teens.”

The Fast and Female Winnipeg event is intended for girls ages 9 to 19 involved in sport. The Fast and Female mantras are “spread the love” and “dominate the world”, which speak to both making the sport environment positive for girls and empowering them to unleash their full confidence and courage in anything they pursue in life.

The event will feature an evening of amazing inspiration, empowering physical activity (cycling or dryland), a fun dance, and autograph sessions with mountain bike world champion Catharine Pendrel and others. Parents and coaches are invited to attend the seminars that will address effective nutrition and sport psychology for female athletes. The event is open to individuals involved in ALL sports, and is hoping to attract up to 50 participants.

By age 14 girls are two times more likely to drop out of sports due to a lack of access to sporting opportunities, social stigma, decreased quality of experience, cost, and lack of positive role models. Chandra hopes to inspire girls across the country to stay in sport, and communities to further encourage program development for this age group.

There are specific ways to keep girls in sport. We need to change the attitudes about physical fitness. Girls need to know what it “really means” to be physically active – levels of intensity, duration etc… Also, they need to know that you don’t need to be an “athlete” to be fit. They need to learn about sports and games and rules of different sports so that they have more confidence to try different ones. Finally, it has to be challenging and interesting (keep it new and exciting) and that it’s not about being perfect but it is about having fun.

A few great examples of this happening in Winnipeg are Winnipeg Women’s Kickboxing (WWK) program for girls ages 11 – 14. The kickboxing club started this program knowing that there was a lack of sporting opportunities for girls and is having great success. Another sport is synchronized swimming – a sport which both of these FitComm Girls have loved. It has introductory programs for tweens and teens. It is a great sport that encourages fitness, creativity and fun. It is never too late to join. For more information on each of these please contact WWK’s Trisha Sammons at 204-930-6780 or Synchro Swim Manitoba at execdirector@synchromb.ca.

No matter what sport or fitness regime girls choose, it needs to be supported by friends and family. Know that not only will it increase their physical fitness and make them more apt to live a healthy adult life, but it will also improve confidence and self-esteem. These are all positives that every girl and woman should have in their lives.

Media Links:

Global News: www.globalnews/video

My Toba: www.mytoba/sports

Social Media for Athletes & Coaches

June 17, 2014

Manitoba has some terrific athletes doing incredible things. Be it hitting the Olympic and international competitive stages, raising money for charity, or being a role model for younger up-and-coming athletes, there are some big names coming out of Manitoba on the sport scene. At Fit Communications we work closely with athletes and provincial sport organizations and understand the environment of sport in our province. As part of this, we do presentations for athletes and coaches with regards to social media. How to live your brand online. And when we first set out on this journey, we found a lot of athletes, in Manitoba and across the globe, doing social media right…and many doing it all too wrong. So this week’s blog is dedicated to ‘The Top 12 Do’s & Don’ts of Social Media for Athletes’.

1. Think before you tweet or post. Pause for a second before and think about how your grandmother would feel about what you just said. Once you tweet it, there is no turning back. You never know when someone might share something you said. In fact, assume they will.

2. Always remember that as an athlete you not only represent yourself, but your club, coach and teammates as well.

3. Speaking of them, do not tweet or post anything they say in confidence or in private. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas and what happens in the locker room should stay in the locker room.

4. While it may feel better to vent using profanity, avoid it at all costs. If you can say it with profanity…you can say it better without it. That will serve you well in the future.

Avoid replying to or ReTweeting Twitter users with vulgar names. Do you really want to be associated with @BigPhatBooty or @herpesboy? Also Just because you hit the Retweet button doesn’t excuse you from a bad tweet. Those words you are sharing from someone else’s account now become your words. If you retweet something that has profanity, sexual, insulting or offensive, it is a reflection of you, not the person who posted it originally.

5. Of course you would never violate any rules or laws, but in the unlikely event you do, don’t share it with the world on social media. There are hundreds of stories of careers ruined and scholarships lost over stupidity on social media.

6. Speaking of hate, don’t spew it…ever…on any topic. If you don’t like your club or your coach, you are free to make a move. Stop complaining about things you have no intention of changing.

7. Avoid controversy. Politics, race, religion and sexual orientation are generally a slippery slope.

8. Be Positive. People connect with those that are optimistic, full of energy and good things. Share things in your life that are positive like a trophy for winning MVP, or a birthday bash picture, a wedding, a new car, etc.
In social media, we always hear about the “bad” things. But there are more positives that happen then people realize. Share the good. If you do that, you’ll grow your network, improve your relationships and stand out. It is a fool proof system.

9. One of your Twitter followers or Facebook friends may be in a position to hire you one day. Think to yourself if what you are writing would make them think you are someone they would want to hire. Even if you don’t compete in a major conference or a revenue sport, don’t be fooled into believing nobody is paying attention. The first thing employers do nowadays is Google search potential employees.

10. Don’t be a bully. It’s simply not nice. There can be devastating consequences for the one on the receiving end. Everything from lowered self esteem to suicide. If you see it taking place, do something about it. It’s your obligation as a human being to do the right thing.

11. The internet is forever. Even if you take it down, the damage is already done.

12. A picture is worth a thousand words. The old adage still rings true. Instagram is such a big tool in today’s social media world. It is an awesome tool. If your team travels a lot for games, share your story with pictures. People love to see the trip and the journey that sports can take you on.
But also be warned, that pictures can harm you more than words, too. Do yourself a favor when you go to a party, leave your phone in the car. Or keep your fingers away from the camera app. Let’s go back to the mom rule – would she approve of this picture you are about to take? When it doubt, don’t do it.

If you would like to learn more about our social media seminars for athletes and coaches, we’d love to chat. Find out more here and then give us a call…we’re super nice!

How to Grow Your Fitness Business

May 27, 2014

Whether you are a crossfit gym, boutique gym, kickboxing gym or yoga studio, you are in the business of fitness.

Because these fitness businesses rely on repeat business, marketing is important to make new customers aware of you and keep current customers coming back. You need to develop a marketing strategy and consider ways that you can reach potential customers to increase membership and build your brand recognition.

Here are some ideas to try:

Free Trial.

This is a great way to get people in the door. Most people prefer to “try” before they “buy”. This is especially true with fitness centres. Many people are unsure of what to expect and may be intimidated by such facilities. Offering a free trial allows people to use the facilities without making a commitment first. They will see how great the workout or experience is and will be able to time, they will be able to work your gym into their routine and be more likely to purchase a full membership. During the trial, you can have your staff promote how fabulous your facility is!

For a fitness business, a website is an important introduction to the facilities and services you offer. Customers have a chance to check out the facility without the time and effort of coming in. Because most people look up facilities on-line, a website is often your only chance to catch a customer’ attention. Include pages that introduce the classes, trainers and instructors and perhaps have a blog with posts about health and fitness topics.

If you have a website, does your website work for you? Does it flow? Does it make sense for your business? Does your copy hit home? Is there too much information or too little? We can help with all of this. From starting from scratch or revising an existing website. Make the most of your website as it is today’s business card.

Social Media.

Customers will often look first at the places that come to mind immediately when looking for a fitness facility or business. Have them know your business by getting their attention using social media. Create profiles and accounts for your business on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn to reach people across a wide range of ages and locations. However, not all platforms may be right for your business. Also, if you don’t know how to do any of this, or how to make it work well for your business, we can help! Using social media to grow your business isn’t as simple as just setting up a profile and posting once a week. You will likely have to do it much more often to be effective. You need to have a strategy.

Keep Customers Happy.

Once you have customers or clients, keep them happy. Engage them with new promotions or classes. Use the power of their networks through a referral program and ask them to follow your business on their social media. Both referral programs and word of mouth marketing need a strategy. You can’t simply expect people to refer your business. You have to have a plan in order to create this environment. Again, we can help!

We are in the business of helping fitness and sport businesses grow. We started our company because we have a passion for this and the experience in marketing to help these businesses reach their goals. If you need help getting any of these ideas implemented, give us a call. We’re super nice!

Fit Communications

Alli & Andrea

204.770.2203

Spreading the Word of Health Everyday – via our Facebook Group!

May 13, 2014

At Fit Communications, we are in the business of “healthy marketing”. What that means is that we are communications and marketing professionals that specialize in the niche area of sport, fitness, health and wellness. We want to help companies and organizations that are in these areas of business promote all the good that they are doing and build their business. Whether it be design, marketing and communications planning, advertising plans and creative, or guerilla marketing techniques such as events, newsletters and social media, Fit Communications is THE go-to team for your healthy business.

Whether it is a health food or supplements store, yoga studio, amateur sport club or boutique gym, we know how to market it! We have extensive backgrounds in healthy living and lifestyle, and have coupled this background with our education and work experience to create Fit Communications.

We want to spread the word of health every day. We want Manitobans and Canadians to be the healthiest they can be. We know that so many people and their businesses share this passion, however, they may not know how to “get the word out”. That is where we come in. We want these businesses to thrive because we share similar philosophies, passions and goals.

As a part of our goal to spread the word of health and support our community, we have created a Facebook Group.

The Fit Communications – Healthy Marketing & Business Group is for individuals & businesses in the business world of health. Our aim is to have a place where like-minded business professionals can come and share ideas, events, discussion and work together to help spread the word of health each and every day. We want this Group to be a place to come find out information on nutrition, fitness, community and various other health related pieces.

If you are already a member of this group, please feel free to add any of your health conscious and business savvy friends to the group. We want to ensure it is a place to spread great information while promoting what YOU are up to. If you are not yet a member, here in the link to get yourself started – https://www.facebook.com/groups/492001384261580/. Join Us!

Your Brand

January 28, 2014

Your Brand. It says a lot about you. The way you are perceived by the world. It can be big shoes to fill, and a lot to live up to. And it must be an authentic representation of you and your company. The way you work. The way you live. The way you do business. And once you have that message clear as day figured out, you can begin to tell your story to the world.

I was working with a client this past week on a branding exercise, where we were trying to sort through all the possible messages to tell their target market. They are a sport organization whose goal is to increase the overall knowledge of their sport, and in turn, increase membership. Sounds simple. But in amateur sport there are so many competing sports trying to do the same thing, that it is easy to get lost in the massive market of larger sports like hockey or soccer. So how do we stand out?

I posed a question about brand ambassadors for the sport. Who could tell the story of the sport the very best? The flood-way was opened with a rush of names! Olympian after Olympian. National and International champions again and again. Remarkably intelligent and successful human beings who, at one time, participated in the sport. The boardroom went from lack luster to one of excitement. Telling countless stories of inspiration and success. And there we had it – your brand is in the stories you tell. The faces and stories that make you inspired and dedicated each and every day. THAT is a real, authentic brand.

A key factor when working on branding exercises is to determine the ‘real you’. By this I mean not who you want to be, rather who you truly are and how customers perceive you. And moreover, what is your company’s unique selling proposition. What can you say about yourself that none of your competition can say about them? For example, if you are a health food store, hanging your hat on ‘great customer service’ will be difficult – most businesses can or will say that about themselves. Perhaps you have products that no other store carries, or your prices are lower than all of your competition, or you have a speaker series that is unique and teaches your customers something new. Whatever that unique piece is, you have to hang your hat on that. With the above example, this sport has sent more athletes to the Olympics from Manitoba than any other sport. THAT is huge. THAT is something to hang your hat on. The remarkable success of your people.

To get to the essence of your brand, you need to be talking to your customers. What comes to mind when they think of you? The authentic nature of your brand is key. You can then ensure it is in your every day business culture, your marketing and communications, and your life. Self define, be authentic and transparent, story tell consistently, and live up to it all.

So where do you go from here? Give us a call…we can help you sort through the confusion of branding and determine your special spot. And from there, ensuring it is lived and breathed by everyone who is part of your organization. As Steve Forbes once said “Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business.” So let us help you do it right!

Healthy Marketing

November 19, 2013

It is no secret that the business of health is at an all-time high. Whether it be the latest trends in diet and nutrition, the latest craze in workouts and fitness, or the newest fad for mental health, it is a big business. And it’s growing each and everyday. There seems to always be a new diet or fitness trend that people are jumping on board with. We have seen yoga take off since Lululemon became a household name. Barre classes have become a hit over the past 3 years or so. I think many of these classes and crazes seem to get attention and have become more popular than just hitting the gym for some cardio.

While we wish that the increased focus on health in Canada was resulting in healthy Canadians, it is not. More Canadians – adults and children – are more overweight or obese more than ever. Our rate of cancer is now 1 in every 3 people. Our visits to the hospital are higher now than ever before.

There is an obvious disconnect. There are a plethora of businesses doing great things in terms of promoting health, wellness, nutrition and fitness. However, many of these businesses don’t have the tools within their organization or skill set to adequately promote the good that they are doing. We are not talking about larger businesses such as Shapes or Good Life Fitness that have extensive marketing budgets. These businesses are sometimes smaller ’boutique-style’ gyms or yoga studios, health food stores or health practitioners and cannot afford the large price tag that comes along with large advertising and marketing firms.

That is where we come in. Our lives have been focused on sport, fitness, health and wellness ever since we can remember. We have combined this passion with our work to form Fit Communications. We know that you don’t have to spend $50,000 on an advertising campaign to do marketing. There are lots of guerrilla marketing tactics local businesses can use to get started.

We utilize healthy marketing to help businesses in the niche area of sport, fitness, health and wellness get their message out. Our idea being that they are doing such a great thing to help people become healthier, let us give them ideas and plans on how to get more people coming through the door.

Our hope is that through our communications and creative ways to spread the messages of these businesses to Winnipegers, we will be creating happy, healthy, engaged communities.

So if you know of a small business doing great things that may need our help, please let them know about us. We’d love to have a chat!