How Health & Fitness Companies Can Increase Their Market Share
In the plus size industry, it’s almost automatic to think of only fashion oriented professions such as designers, models, stylists, photographers. However, there is another field that targets the overweight/obese consumer on a massive level and their approach is not always fashion-friendly. In fact, I would be bold to say that I think this portrayal started the trend of showing plus size people in main stream media in a not so flattering fashion.
Nonetheless, I’d like to share with you how I think that anyone who has a weight loss, fitness, nutrition-based company to take a second look at how they can improve their marketing message and gain a whole new market share they’re thoroughly missing out on.
The first thing is really taking a look at who your clients are with fresh eyes. There are many athletic men and women who are absolute health & fitness fanatics. They’re constantly in the gym and you see them in ads and commercials for NordicTrack and Bowflex looking all tight and chiseled in the right places. Are those types their only customers? I don’t think so.
Wouldn’t it be interesting if they featured an average size mom who worked from home and didn’t want to deal with the hassle of going to the gym? Bowflex is known for its great payment plans so a stay-at-home mom would find it even more appealing to get a total body workout in the comfort of her own home and fits within her budget.
Cha-ching!
Now let’s take a look at some of the diet supplement commercials like the Hydroxycut that features an obese woman who is wearing a bikini five sixes too small looking sad as ever in the before picture and then up pops a cheery, skinny girl usually with a new hair color pulling her jeans at the waistline to show you how much she’s shrunk. Don’t you automatically think of the fabulous Photoshop work that was done to achieve this?
Let’s be real, not many plus size women will be caught dead in a bikini that’s way too small! A better option in my opinion would be to feature a woman who embraces her curves but would like to lose a few pounds for her upcoming wedding or class reunion. I’m not promoting diet supplements but this is something that most women can relate to.
Cha-ching!
Fitness/Dance DVDs and nutrition-based companies tend to follow-suit using the same old marketing messages. Yes, they may work to an extent, but I can guarantee that they are losing lots of money simply by not approaching their target market in the right way. Walk Away The Pounds, Weight Watchers, and Curves are a few great examples of health and fitness companies that are clear with who their ideal customers are.
There is a fine line of instilling hope into your customers. Featuring models or athletes can be inspirational for the plus sized market but particularly if you’re in the health & fitness industry, you run the risk of not being connected with who your customers really are. Represent what is real and what truly could be. You and your customers will be a lot happier for it.
Do you agree or disagree?
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Tell them sister. Tell them. Do business owner’s know that we curvy women have money too! I go to Nordstrom’s and look for Ralph Lauren’s brands first because I like his style and he always has up to size 22Ws! Oh yeah! The real woman’s size.
Blessings and again nice meeting you on #smbiz tonight. By the way, I loved my trips to St. Thomas and St. Croix. Had a dear friend down there – a Rhymer. Know the family???
Princess Ayo (@CarrollAyo)
You totally hit the target Kimmoy! Perfectly…I’ve been 250 lbs. not understanding what fitness and health could do for me. And now I’m on the other side of the fence. I’ve been a personal trainer for over 11 years now but will always remember how I felt and what I thought about it before fully comprehending and embracing the benefits, joys and lifestyle of fitness and health. I can tell you that most of my fitness colleagues don’t get it.
Most weight loss products and fitness services are marketing to the fitness goer and the plus-size market is NOT a fitness market. It is clear. There is a huge gap and I think there needs to be more sensitive and smart fitness business owners who really get-it and authentically speak to and cater to this market.
I think the point of some of the ads is to prey on the depressed and unhappy plus size woman. They think we all strive to be a size 2, not realizing that more often than not, we have accepted not being skinny and just want to lose weight for health reasons. I’m working to change how the media views plus size women in my blog.
This is one the goals of The Curvy Coach, to help industries such as those in health, fitness, fashion, and media to understand who we are and how to market to us effectively.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts ladies!