SportsArt reaching directly to consumer with "Change Your Life" contest

Consumers may change their lives using Brand X fitness equipment they bought at Store Y, but do we ever know it?

If SportsArt Fitness has its way, we will, and both the consumer who changed his or her life and the store that sold the equipment could win something by telling the world about it.

On Oct. 1, SportsArt will kick-off a contest called “Change Your Life with Exercise and SportsArt Fitness,” which will encourage consumers who bought its equipment between October 2006 and March 2007 to send in essays telling the company how it changed their lives. A change could mean massive pounds lost, but it could also mean getting fit to run a first marathon, or for an elite athlete, it could mean using indoor equipment to supplement a training program and winning a big event. The essay must be received by June 30, 2007.

“We want the consumer to know that exercise is not just about losing weight,” said director of marketing Scott Logan. “It can be about rehabilitation from hip surgery or picking up your grandkids or training for your first marathon.”

Consumers could win a Caribbean cruise, a 42-inch plasma screen TV, a Giant mountain bike FCR 2, Polar F11 HRM monitors or Brooks Adrenaline shoes.

“We wanted to do a consumer program, but wanted to funnel it through our retailers,” Logan said. “We hope this will help them sell-in product more easily.”

One store in each of four regions could win a weekend for a winning salesperson and the store’s owner in Las Vegas, Nev., to drive super race cars for a day, including Ferraris or Lamborghinis.

The contest will be promoted with full-size window displays in SportsArt stores, as well as tear pads in the stores and hang-tags on the equipment. Additional information will be on the website, where Logan said they have seen traffic go up more than 300 percent in the last two years.

“This should create some excitement,” Logan said, “and also help retailers get the public in the door and then sell them equipment too.”

SNEWS® View: Having many access points to reach the consumer is the best way to go. At stores, on the web, on equipment… consumers will hear and see the equipment name and read about the contest, which could help them decide between two pieces they are considering. In addition, the contest could add motivation to a consumer to stick with a fitness regimen, since studies have shown that any kind of external motivation, especially for beginners, can help them stick to it. We’ll be excited to hear about the outcome and read some of the essays next summer.