In partnership with ATN, Sports Innovation Lab is releasing “fitness communities,” a new way to analyze consumer spending data across health, fitness and wellness
The fitness industry is changing rapidly. Many brands are incorporating new technologies to keep members loyal and increase incremental revenue, while expansion, consolidation and bankruptcy filings are changing the face of gyms and studios across the country. One trend driving the industry’s transformation is a growing interest in new health and wellness solutions. This goes beyond supplements to include everything from GLP-1 weight-loss drugs to the latest recovery offerings.
Amid this backdrop, Athletech News is partnering with Sports Innovation Lab, an insights, analytics and data company that works with the biggest brands in sports, media and entertainment, to provide fitness industry stakeholders with key data on their consumers and the industry at large.
Through the partnership, Sports Innovation Lab and ATN will develop in-depth consumer profiles of fitness and health enthusiasts. Known as “fitness communities,” these profiles will give brands next-level insights into their current and potential customers.
“Fitness enthusiasts are not all alike,” said Sports Innovation Lab co-founder and CEO Josh Walker, who oversees the company’s proprietary market intelligence platform. “Working with Athletech News and receiving their ongoing expertise on this population will strengthen our understanding of ‘Fluid Fan’ behaviors, which benefits our customer base through better data and addressable marketing audiences. Brands have a new powerful tool to reach this market.”
Fitness Communities Based on Observed Spending Data
The fitness industry continues to change, but dominant consumer behaviors will always inform how marketers reach the right customers. Some consumers love taking classes and need group fitness to motivate them to work out; families and higher-income fitness consumers typically want the benefits of an all-inclusive fitness center.
Fitness community profiles are based on consumer spending patterns and are designed to help brands target the right customers.
Class Curators
These active fitness enthusiasts are spending on boutique fitness classes such as F45 Training, SoulCycle, Orangetheory Fitness, Rumble Boxing and The Class, and may also subscribe to Class Pass. Class Curators are:
- 9X more likely to own a wearable device than the general population
- 7X more likely to go skiing
- 6X more likely to attend concerts
Luxury Lifters
For Luxury Lifters it’s all about a premium health club experience. They’re spending with luxury fitness facilities like Equinox, Life Time and Chelsea Piers Fitness, and/or purchasing premium subscriptions to enjoy added services. Luxury Lifters are:
- More likely to be Gen X or Baby Boomers making more than $200K/year
- Spending more on sports tickets and live events than any other community
- Spending with book retailers like Barnes & Noble and independent bookstores (30% of this population)
Gym Goers
Your traditional exercise enthusiast, the Gym Goer prefers a no-frills, traditional gym to give them a more classic workout. They’re purchasing memberships from large brands like Gold’s Gym or local gyms. Gym Goers are:
- More likely to be male, without children in the household
- Frequently shopping on social media such as Instagram and Facebook
- 3X more likely to spend on “sportainment” establishments such as Topgolf or Chicken N Pickle
Deal-Driven Fitness Fans
Most often found in high-value, low-price (HVLP) gyms, these consumers typically come in the new year, are seasonal in their fitness purchases and often looking for a deal. They may make exercise an always-on part of their routine, but throughout the year they continually purchase new and different fitness/wellness products and subscriptions – especially if there’s a deal to be had. Deal-Driven Fitness Fans are:
- 3X more likely to purchase hydration beverages
- Frequent QSR visitors, spending with Taco Bell, McDonald’s and Chipotle
- More likely to have tween/teen children in the household
Game-Changing Data for Fitness Brands
In the weeks and months ahead, Sports Innovation Lab and ATN will be rolling out key insights into the spending behaviors of these fitness communities, creating an actionable new source of data for fitness and wellness marketers, executives and entrepreneurs.
These insights will leverage Sports Innovation Lab’s Sports Data Cloud, which covers hundreds of health and fitness brands, allowing us to create customizing audiences for each category including workout classes, home fitness, luxury and premium health clubs, subscription workouts, athleisure wear, equipment and more.
For more information on how you can leverage Sports Innovation Lab data to create custom audiences that meet your brand’s marketing goals for your New Year’s campaigns and beyond, email [email protected].
