SGMA on TV: Promoting Fitness Products

SGMA ON TV: PROMOTING FITNESS PRODUCTS
SGMA Sends Fitness Message to Consumers in 20+ TV Markets

WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 8, 2007 – The airwaves were abuzz with a message about fitness. That’s one way to describe what took place on Friday, January 5th when the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) conducted a TV/Radio Satellite Media Tour (SMT) to promote fitness products to television viewers across the country. The television programs where these interviews were shown were the morning TV newscasts on the affiliates of NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and Warner Brothers stations. With millions of Americans pledging to implement New Year’s resolutions of “getting fit and in shape,” this SMT supported this widely held belief with appropriate product suggestions.

The SMT was broadcast from Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex, located on the premises of Walt Disney World in Kissimmee, Florida (greater Orlando area).

SGMA’s Director of Media Relations Mike May was the host of this SMT. In his role, he explained the various attributes of each product. May, a veteran of more than 300 “live” TV spots and five SMTs, was joined on the broadcast by Canadian Olympian Karen Cockburn, a two-time Olympic medalist (bronze in 2000 and silver in 2004).

The following stations accepted the broadcast feed: WPBF (ABC) in West Palm Beach, FL; CN8 (Regional Cable) in Philadelphia, PA; WEAU (NBC) in Eau Claire, WI; KGUN (ABC) in Tucson, AZ; WZTA (FOX) in Nashville, TN; WHNS (FOX) in Greenville, SC; KRQE (CBS) in Albuquerque, NM; WFTX (FOX) in Fort Myers, FL; KEZI (ABC) in Eugene, OR; WJZ (CBS) in Baltimore, MD; WAVE (NBC) in Louisville, KY; KTVK (Independent) in Phoenix, AZ; XETV (FOX) in San Diego, CA; KUSA (NBC) in Denver, CO; KSHB (NBC) in Kansas City, MO; Good News Broadcast (radio — national); WIBQ (radio) in Tampa, FL; KIMT (CBS) in Mason City, IA; KMEG (CBS) in Sioux City, IA; WTVW (FOX) in Evansville, IN; WLOX (ABC) in Biloxi, MS; KWTV (CBS) in Oklahoma City, OK; and WITI (FOX) in Milwaukee, WI.

In this SMT, the following products were featured:

1.) SF60 Spring Free Trampoline (from Spring Free Trampoline) – the world’s first oval trampoline, with a 6-foot FlexiNet safety enclosure;

2.) iPool (from Fitmax) – an indoor fitness pool, small enough to fit in your garage;

3.) CSE4.6 Elliptical (from Horizon Fitness) – features eTRAK technology which allows you to compare your current workout to your average workout;

4.) Healthengine Activity Pedometer (from Accusplit) – state of the art pedometer which can count up to 1,000,000 steps a day;

5.) GDCC200 Functional Training Center (from Body Solid) – it has a dual-independent weight stack system which allows you to perform hundreds of cable exercises;

6.) 3000 Entertainment Treadmill (from Nordic Track) – it has a built-in flat screen TV plus speakers for your iPod or MP3 player; and

7.) Game Elliptical (from Pro Form) – this game bike allows you to workout and play video games – Fat Blocker (similar to Tetrus) and Calorie Destroyer (similar to Space Invaders); you must pedal at least 6 miles per hour to play the games.

During each SMT, all seven products were featured. With such concentrated exposure, those products received thorough coverage. On average, each interview was three to four minutes long, which was enough time to cover the important aspects of each product, i.e. manufacturer, product name, attributes, and price.

On this SMT, the first interview started at 6:20 AM (connecting to WPBF in West Palm Beach, FL) and the final spot was just over four hours later (connecting to WITI in Milwaukee, WI). With access to a satellite truck, every interview was a ‘one-on-one feed’ with each individual station.

The keys to the success of these SMTs have been that each one features “live” product demonstrations and a celebrity athlete. Television stations want interactive interviews that educate, enlighten, and entertain their viewers. Some of the celebrity athletes involved in past SMTs have included boxer Mark Breland, former World Series MVP Luis Gonzalez, ex-world skateboarding champion Andy MacDonald, NFL All-Pro Simeon Rice, and major league centerfielder Steve Finley.

“This public relations initiative is a dynamic way for SGMA to showcase some of the newer, more innovative products in the sporting goods industry,” said SGMA President Tom Cove. “As an industry trade association, SGMA is well-positioned to be an outlet for this kind of consumer information.”

Since January of 2003, SGMA has produced five TV Satellite Media Tours. Four of them were conducted from The Super Show® (in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006) and the other one was held at the ESPN Zone in Atlanta, Georgia on November 26, 2004 (the day after Thanksgiving, the biggest shopping day of the year).

SGMA has plans for additional SMTs this year. The next SMT will, most likely, take place on Tuesday, June 12 at the SGMA Spring Market in Las Vegas, NV. Again, each SMT is limited to only six or seven products. Space is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Interested companies should contact SGMA’s Mike May at their earliest convenience at 561.427.0657 or mmay@sgma.com.

The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, owner of the SGMA Spring Market and the Sports Research Partnership, is the global business trade association of manufacturers, retailers, and marketers in the sports products industry. SGMA enhances industry vitality and fosters sports, fitness, and active lifestyle participation. More information about SGMA can be found at www.sgma.com.