Art's Blog

What to Eat? - Free Poster

Here's a simple poster you can download for free.  You also can download from this page on our site.  Just navigate to "FREE POSTERS."

Download What_To_Eat

YOU are Health Care!

Listen.  Your political leanings toward health care reform don't really matter any more.  Here's the truth.  This is really important...

As a health and fitness professional.... YOU ARE HEALTH CARE!!!

Now, more than ever, the American public is going to take their health and lifestyle decisions a bit more seriously.   Over the next few years, Americans will no longer have instant access to the medical system through their private insurance providers.  As a result, they will eventually figure out they need to stay healthy in the first place. 

 How?  - Proper nutrition.  - Productive Exercise.  - Positive Motivation.

And where will they get that?  YOU!

Start here.....

Here are just a few of your new customers and clients:

Obesity

• Percent of noninstitutionalized adults age 20 years and over who are overweight or obese: 67% (2005-2006)
• Percent of noninstitutionalized adults age 20 years and over who are obese: 34% (2005-2006)
• Percent of adolescents age 12-19 years who are overweight: 18% (2005-2006)
• Percent of children age 6-11 years who are overweight: 15% (2005-2006)
• Percent of children age 2-5 years who are overweight: 11% (2005-2006)

Arthritis

• Number of noninstitutionalized adults with diagnosed arthritis: 51.2 million
• Percent of noninstitutionalized adults with diagnosed arthritis: 23%

ADHD

• Number of children 3-17 years of age ever diagnosed with ADHD:  5.0 million

Cholesterol

• Mean serum cholesterol level for adults age 20 years and over: 200 mg/dL (2003-2006)
• Percent of adults age 20 years and over with high serum cholesterol: 16% (2003-2006)

Diabetes

• Percent of noninstitutionalized adults 20 years and older with diabetes (diagnosed or undiagnosed): 10% (2003-2006)
• Percent of noninstitutionalized adults 20 years and older with diagnosed diabetes: 7.7% (2003-2006)
• Percent of noninstitutionalized adults 20 years and older with undiagnosed diabetes: 2.5% (2003-2006)

Digestive Diseases

• Number of noninstitutionalized adults with diagnosed ulcers: 19.3 million
• Percent of noninstitutionalized adults with diagnosed ulcers: 8.6%

Smoking

• Percent of adults 18 years of age and over who currently smoke cigarettes: 21% (including the president!!!) - AR

(stats taken from the CDC and are typically considered conservative).

Too Old to Boogie? by Art Rothafel

Check it out.  Some sources say this is the most successful viral marketing campaign for a commercial brand in internet history (coming up on 6,000,000 views on YouTube alone).   I have to admit, it's a home run. 

Talk about taking a stodgy old brand and totally rejuvenating it into something entirely new! (while even keeping their little theme whistle).

Listen... some of the older gym brands are facing the same challenge.  Gold's, World, Powerhouse, 24-Hour Fitness, LA Fitness are rapidly becoming legacy brands.

Should they rejuvenate their brands?   Your comments are welcome...

Ooops... Jillian!

According to documents filed in L.A. County Superior Court, the Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Calorie Control dietary supplement is "worthless."

Such a shame to see a trusted trainer go this way.  That's my opinion. 

I think she started with good intentions.. but... just like Dr. Phil.. got sucked into a Magic Pill Marketing Scheme that, well... frankly is just plain stupid!  It's getting really "old!"

The suit alleges, "Sadly, Michaels has decided to exploit her fame and goodwill by collaborating with Thin Care and Basic Research to promote a weight-loss  supplement that purportedly will cause weight loss by itself, without any additional effort on the part of the consumer."

The suit asks for an injunction prohibiting the sale of the product, plus damages.

What's Jillian got to say?: Her company released the following statement:

"Unfortunately, anyone can file a lawsuit in California. All it takes is a $355 filing fee. That research was reviewed by some of the leading weight-loss experts in the world before Jillian would put her name on the product.

The lawsuit will be handled in the courts like all other lawsuits, and we are confident we will prevail."

Jillian just needs to get real and start private-labeling our credible products!

Value Proposition

Clubs with pro shops have been creating value propositions for years. 

Here's how it goes using just one of our products:  the Daily Journal.

In the pro shop the 8-week Daily Journal retails for $25.00 and is placed in a high traffic area.

However, when a trainer sells a session package the Journal is included for Free.  So, of course the bundle's perceived value just increased by $25.

Same thing with Value-Added Membership packages.  Purchase the membership and you get the Daily Journal, the Reference Manual and the Cook Book.  Retail value of $75.

Then, of course, there are other packages that include apparel, supplements, skincare, etc.  

You get the idea.

What's even more interesting... is how a few very smart fitness marketers are using this same concept with their FitProStores.  They actually carry the inventory AND have a FitProStore. 

They sell against their own web stores by showing their clients the retail price of the items and make it a point about how they will receive the journal or supplements, etc at a special discount price if they purchase the training bundle right now.

None of this is new.  It's been going on in retail for decades.  But, it's new for the web and the FitProStore concept.

Very clever!  It is astounding how much creativity is going on in the fitness business!

Million Dollar Legs.... by Art Rothafel

 At marketing and branding conferences we talk about "legs."   It's not what you think. 

It's about this:      Does the brand have "legs?" 

In other words, how far can we stretch the brand... in order to imprint on the consciousness of the target market.

It typically takes some time but there are some clear examples of brands with "Million Dollar Legs!"

Gold's Gear.  So successful line extending its brand on apparel and other gear that I've been told that it's well over $2,000,000 in additional sales each year.  Apparel, Equipment, Coffee mugs, etc...

Van Halen & AC/DC: Still rockin' to this day, these brands continue to sell an enormous amount of licensed merchandise to all age groups. Stickers, T-shirts, mugs, even logo guitars.

College /University:  Listen... merchandising and loyalty branding is not lost on higher education.  Walk into any college or university store and you'll find branding "legs" on all kinds of things.  They totally get it when it comes to branding!

Harley Davidson:  Probably the grand daddy of them.  Here's a brand so powerful... that Harley enthusiasts actually tattoo the company logo on their bodies!

So, here's the question.  Does your brand have legs?

20 Years in the BIG HOUSE...

I hate to be so negative, but, I've been fighting the battle against bogus products for so long that I just love it when the scammers get caught and sent to the BIG HOUSE.

 

Frank Sarcona was convicted last October of 29 felony counts regarding his stupid Lipoban product, which purported to absorb fat.  

This 58-year-old scumbag, scam artist reaped huge returns -- $10 million on Lipoban, and millions more on other products.  Lipoban cost about $60 a bottle. 

 

This isn't the first time this Sarcona has tangled with the law over his bogus weight-loss products.  He's been selling this kind of junk since 1984!   So now he gets 20 years in Federal Prison.  Good!  Throw away the key!