Fitness Buffs

By Melissa SeposShe's the neighbor who gets up to run at 5:30 a.m., the mom who heads to kick-boxing class after dropping off the kids at school and the dad who plays in the basketball league from work. Fitness buffs are not just your garden-variety triathletes or Olympiads. Indeed, the fitness demographic is as diverse of a population as it is profitable. Last year several million consumers—about 30 percent of the U.S. adult population, according to statistics—spent more than $4 billion on exercise-related products.Who They AreFitness buffs include people who regularly participate in recreational sports or exercise. Most tend to be moderate exercisers seeking to stay healthy, while some are weekend warriors who compete on local sports teams, golf, ski or play tennis in their spare time. Some focus on looking good and staying healthy. Others are more interested in participating in competitive sports. These 30- to 50-year-olds have a household income of $60,000 and often have children. Most subscribe to fitness publications. Men typically get sports magazines, such as Sports Illustrated or publications that focus on a specific activity or interest. Meanwhile, women tend to read general-interest health and fitness publications, such as Self, Fitness and Health.ResourcesPublication lists have a strong pull for those looking to market to exercisers. Note there are separate and distinct markets for women and men.Women: Today, a growing number of marketers are targeting female fitness enthusiasts. Why? Men's workout wear is more mainstream, found in department stores and sports stores, while women still struggle to find quality products designed with the female body in mind. These women—age 27 to 50 with an average income of $40,000—have made a commitment to exercise, says Becky Santaniello of list company Catalyst Direct Marketing. Product quality is important to them, as is a convenient shopping experience. The combination makes catalog shopping an ideal choice for these buyers, she says.The market is burgeoning, and many catalogers are trying to reach women exercisers, including Athleta, Title Nine Sports and Road Runner Sports. In addition, apparel fitness sections have been added by Gap, J. Crew and J. Jill. Steve Perkins, director of publishing list management for Millard Group, says Self magazine frequently is used by direct mailers and retailers. The magazine has 700,000 subscribers ages 20 to 45. As mentioned, many of the female-targeted publications are lifestyle-oriented. "Sports Illustrated Women initially offered a spectators' view of professional women's sports," says Bob Lumpford of Millard. "SIW has evolved into more of a lifestyle publication for active women, while still providing comprehensive coverage of professional women's sports."Age segmentation currently is the most-used method for separating the female sports market. SIW subscribers have a median household income of $63,000 and an average age of 34. Men: While they comprise the largest part of the fitness demographic, men are reached through the fewest number of lists. That said, men usually subscribe to one general-interest men's magazine, such as Maxim or GQ; one sporting magazine, such as Sports Illustrated or the Sporting News; and one magazine about their particular recreational interests. These publications' lists can lead marketers of music, books, vitamins, apparel, equipment or gadgetry to several million men's doors.What They'll BuyFitness enthusiasts are good candidates for offers for clothing, travel, books, music, vitamins, organic foods, exercise videos, health club memberships, and sports and fitness equipment. Perkins says Self knows that its readers are interested in looking and feeling good—that means cosmetics, hip clothes and social responsibility. The Self list is used by non-profits, particularly medical fundraisers, such as the Susan G. Korman Breast Cancer Foundation.Self readers, Perkins continues, respond well to offers from Express retail stores, which has been mailing a $25 discount, for hip fashions. The cataloger Victoria's Secret also has been mailing the list. Health and beauty products, particularly cosmetics, do well. Customers of Title Nine Sports, Santaniello says, respond well to myriad offers—not just sports-related merchandise. In particular, mainstream apparel and fundraisers, especially for liberal political causes, do well with this market. In general, men are better targets for retail offers, as there are fewer men's apparel catalogs, among them REI, EMS and Patagonia. Sales of fitness equipment (aside from videos) is dominated by male purchasers. Men in particular buy golf clubs, racquets, bikes, sports shoes, fishing rods and all sorts of related gear. The biggest areas of interest are fishing, golf and skiing. Regardless, the more gadgetry, the better.

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Fitness Buffs

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Melissa Sepos