@atlanticgym SO EXCITED for Apple Harvest Day today! Hope to see everyone out.
@gym_momentum Pretty Psyched to be coaching vault at National Team Camp this weekend. Be Ready to Rock!!
Don’t be afraid to allow your enthusiasm to show through. [Read more…]
I found this article in AMERICAN EXPRESS OPEN.
Successful social media marketing isn’t just measured by the size of a company’s fan base. Even more important than how many fans and followers your company can gain, is how many it can actually keep. [Read more…]
This is a re-post from a 2011 but the subject is fresh in my mind. I have edited and added to it so even if you read it last year, it is worth reading again (imho).
This last weekend I went to see the Kellogg’s Tour of Champions in Boston. It was a great show and the athletes in all disciplines looked great. What started me thinking about this was a podcast by GYMCASTIC a week ago where they interviewed Paul Rugerri. Men’s gymnastics needs a better marketing plan. (or maybe it just needs a plan). On a recent trip to Italy I was surprised how the general public had a basic idea of their men’s olympic team. Yes, it was a “prime time” event on TV but also these men were on TV talk shows and reality shows. They were used in commercials. Let’s face it, Men in gymnastics have beautiful bodies. I am not advocating the sexualization of our sport but at least they are Men and not Boys.
Just my thoughts. 11/13/12
In the end- it all comes down to marketing.
There have been some great products which failed because of poor marketing. There have been some incredibly crappy products that made millions because of good marketing (and some luck).
In my opinion- such is the state of Men’s gymnastics in the USA. I have just returned from USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade show that was held with the VISA Championships. As a coach of women’s (girls) gymnastics, I don’t often get a chance to see a men’s competition. After watching the first day of competition I was so impressed. What a GREAT PRODUCT on the floor. The sad part was- there were very few spectators to see it. OK, it was a Wednesday night. Maybe the 2nd day, Friday night, would bring in more spectators. It was better, but still not good.
Face it- Gymnastics is the original X GAME. The original extreme sport.
You want to see people fly? We’ve got that.
You want to see people flip? We’ve got that.
You want to see guys risk their lives? Yea, we’ve got that too.
For girls gymnastics, we want to market the “All American Girl”. But that doesn’t work for guys. We don’t want the “All American” image. We want to Rebel, the bad ass. Look at the movies that are popular, look at the TV shows and even comic books. The Bad Boy image works.
Market that Image everywhere-
As a coach and former gymnast, I know (and believe) that gymnastics is the real base for all sports. Especially X-Game type stuff. THIS SHOULD BE OUR CALLING CARD.
Let’s see the men’s team roll up to workout on motor cycles. Go into the gym and show Shawn White how to do a triple-triple.
OK- time for me to breathe again
10 Lessons in Marketing Brilliance
During the height of her popularity, Paris Hilton once fired this retort at critics: “It will work. I am a marketing genius.” Sadly, those of us who aren’t as blessed must face the fact that creating a campaign that captures lots of eyeballs and produces millions in sales is about as likely as Hilton’s big Hollywood comeback.
Every year there are marketing initiatives that hit on that winning combination of:
Here are 10 marketing lessons from 2011. The rest is up to you.
1. Go Guerrilla. Warner Brothers had a bill board to promote the movie Contagion that actually grew bacteria and mold to spell out the name. The NEWS about the marketing was as big as the NEWS about the movie. For things to go viral you need to break the mold (pun intended).
2. Pay Attention to what is going on. You can score big if you keep up with current events and speak to what is on peoples mind.
3. Find a way to turn your best customers into brand evangelists. Reward your current customers for getting the word out.
4. Get Personal. Relating to customers is vitally important for any marketing effort. Tap directly into peoples emotion and what they care about. Show how your gym is perfect for how they feel.
5. Raise the Stakes. Give your customers a reason to care, and helping them, help you. If at a birthday party at your gym, the parent of the birthday child gets 3 or 4 kids to sign up for class, give them the party for free.
6. Be Exclusive. Two words: INVITATION ONLY. Have an invitation only event at the gym. Make it THE place to be.
7. Have a Conversation. Talk to your customers. If you engage in dialogue with customers you will do better than one who prefers to lecture.
8. Make it SHARE worthy. Social Media is all about the “pass-along value”. We used to cut out news paper clips of our children to pass around. Now sharing is just a click away.
9. Solve a Problem. It is always a good bet to focus on how a product or service helps customers rather than bragging about your best features. EVERY TIME there is an article in your newspaper or on line on child hood obesity- You should be able to take that to the bank. Want to be a better down hill skier- Try gymnastics. Want to be a better soccer player- Try Gymnastics.
10. Knock it Out of The Park. Few (if any) companies can rival Disney’s Ad spend, but no matter what budget, a traditional, well executed campaign with one stunning narrative can be more effective than one that’s fragmented across contests, Facebook fan pages and other channels.
With all marketing, make sure you can track your investment. If you can’t track if it is working, it is not marketing, it is a contribution.