Fitbit's Content & product Placement Led X Factor Partnership Aims To Inspire TV Fans To Stay Healthy (& Move Into The Mainstream)

Fitbit aims to inspire reality TV viewers to keep healthy via an X Factor partnership designed to take the brand into the UK mass market and add an emotional appeal to its previously functional positioning.

The tech/fitness brand, which has partnered with the 16^th series of the UK TV singing star series for 2016, is using its marketing campaign to connect to both existing and potential customers around the subjects of fashion and health in addition to fitness.

It sponsorship leverage programme blends in-show and digital/social platform product placement with additional and exclusive series-related content and data.

These strands are principally based around the contestants wearing its fitness devices through the programmes live rounds.

Wearing the devices both on TV and off-stage through the series, the singers will all take part in exercises aimed to help them manage their overall health and wellness through the long and sometimes gruelling series.

The Fitbit activity trackers will also enable viewers track their heart rate online as the pressure of the competition builds.

As well as receiving expert advice with a weekly personal trainer session, each contestant’s Fitbit experience is being detailed via a set of exclusive weekly videos released through the show and the brand’s digital and social channels.

Plus, Fitbit is aiming to bring fans into the action across its own social platforms and on its brand page at Argos with a consumer competition to win tickets to The X Factor live final in December.

The brand’s exclusive show-led content includes a range of ‘Fitbit + X Factor Exclusive Videos 2016’ running on the brand’s own channels from October through December,

as well as ‘Fitbit X Factor Steps Challenge!’

and the ‘Getting The Fitbit Factor’.

Content also encourages viewers to visit Fitbit’s website for the latest updates on competitions, videos and more.

With a show-specific objective of ‘bringing people together’ and an umbrella strategy of moving the brand mass market,

‘We are very excited to be an official X Factor partner this year, this is a first for us as a brand,’ explains Fitbit UK marketing director Lucy Sheehan.

‘Much like Fitbit, The X Factor celebrates feel-good moments that bring people together. Using a Fitbit tracker offers people the ability to monitor so much more than just steps, we can now look at our sleep productivity and maintain a healthier outlook on well-being. Plus with PurePulse technology, contestants will be able to continuously track their heart rate during dance practice, live show moments and even the impact on their resting heart rate as the pressure builds!’

Comment

Some off the activation strands may be fun an funky, but one can’t help but wonder whether there are any genuine synergies between sponsor and property here?

Quite how working out on a treadmill and belting out ballads fit together we aren’t exactly sure.

The X Factor partnership is part of a wider TV sponsorship strategy that aims to move the brand further into the mainstream.

Another part of this strategy saw Fibit become an official sponsor of the BBC’s Sports Relief in 2016: where it aimed to raise £500,000 for the charity event by donating a percentage of sales from a range of its trackers.

These are complimenting Fitbit’s existing marketing programme which creates different activities across various markets: from fitness communities and partnerships with properties such as Parkrun (one of the UK’s largest running communities).

‘We target fitness communities directly as the word-of-mouth buzz is crucial in growing trust in the brand,’ adds Sheehan.

‘We have been able to rely on our community to recommend us as a sales driver. Once you’re in the Fitbit ecosystem, you can invite friends to join and you can set up challenges with friends; there is real incentive for people to widen the community. We want to build our social values through collaborations and try to get Fitbit into the public lexicon. Standing for something like Sports Relief is a huge opportunity for us.’

While its US activity this year even included the marketers holy grail – Super Bowl spots.

Leveraging society’s growing need for and interest in healthy living, Fitbit’s health and fitness tracking devices have been steadily growing in popularity since the company’s launch back in 2007.

Around the world, Fitbit sold 21 million fitness trackers last year, which, according to IDC, makes it the biggest brand in the wearables market (ahead of Apple, Xiaomi and Garmin).

Its bands are now being sold in 54,000 stores across 64 countries.

According to Mintel, in 2015 7% of UK consumers owned a fitness band.

Links

Fitbit & X Factor Web Hub:

https://www.fitbit.com/uk/x-factor

Fitbit Web:

https://www.fitbit.com/uk

Fitbit Twitter:

https://twitter.com/FitbitUK

Fitbit Pinterest:

https://uk.pinterest.com/fitbituk/

Fitbit Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/fitbiteurope/

Fitbit Facebook: