Hardbody – Female Sports, Health and Fitness

I ran across this little nugget this morning.

A study from Arizona State University, University of Cologne in Germany and Erasmus University in the Netherlands found that campaigns utilizing real sized women, which includes ‘plus-sized’ models, “are unlikely to work on their intended customers”.

“We found that overweight consumers demonstrated lower self-esteem — and therefore probably less enthusiasm about buying products — after exposure to any size models in ads (versus ads with no models). Also, normal-weight consumers experienced lower self-esteem after exposure to moderately heavy models, such as those in Dove soap’s ‘Real Women’ campaign, than after exposure to moderately thin models.”

An interesting finding that came from the study was that the size of the reader relative to the size of the model is a factor in self-esteem.

- via agencyspy

This story supports the need for more Hardbody women in ads.

I’m constantly asked by women how they can get sponsorship or land an endorsement contract. One way is to get creative.

Check out what one high schooler did to get the attention of UFC Octagon Girl Arianny Celeste. His creativity landed him not only a prom date with Arianny but also an appearance on The George Lopez show.

This is a perfect example of how to generate buzz in a big way. The video shows UFC superstar Chuck Liddell working out nude with his girlfriend, Heidi Northcott. The two were spotted in nothing but Reebok shoes.

The MMA community was having a field day with this video when it surfaced and eventually ended up on TMZ. The piece cost Reebok next to nothing to make and it’s generating more buzz than most tv commercials would ever do. It gained so much attention that Jimmy Kimmel Live featured it last night.

Props to Reebok for the creative stunt.

I get asked on a weekly basis if I know any companies looking to sponsor models/competitors. Truth is, yes I do. A number of supplement companies approach me asking for my advice and input on competitors and models in the industry. Every company is looking for something a little different. Who I recommend varies on a number of things but usually I can assure you they have more to offer than a pretty face or rock’n hardbody.

The Arnold Expo is around the corner and more than 30 women have contacted me looking for booth work. Some of you might be great competitors but that doesn’t make you a great booth worker. Others of you may never crack the top ten in a competition but I’d recommend you to a company. Why? The reasons vary but it starts with defining what makes you more than a pretty face or woman with a hardbody. Lost as to where to start? Here’s a few things to consider.

First let me give you a brief background on myself so you know where I am coming from. Over the years, I have built relationships with supplement companies, magazines and industry decision makers to know a little bit about what they are looking for. I worked for one of the biggest ad agency groups in the world at the beginning of my career. I also headed up an interactive department for a small design firm before starting my own business 8 years ago. I’ve worked with multi-million dollar accounts to non-profits with no money. The size of an account doesn’t matter.

Every brand (in this case yourself) starts with asking relevant questions and having a strategy before you begin. Apply this line of thinking if you want to start to make money and be relevant in the fitness industry.

Ask yourself…
• What makes you different from other models/competitors?
• Do you have something unique to offer a company or magazine?
• You work out, compete or model and have a great physique. Ok. Now what? Thousands of men and women do but that doesn’t entitle you to anything. Why are you relevant?
• You want to work a booth… Ok. Why should I hire you?

Branding and marketing yourself is a HUGE topic but don’t be overwhelmed. Start simple… before looking for work in the industry consider the questions I mentioned above and have a clear answer for them. Develop a strategy and plan to make yourself more than just another pretty face or hardbody.

Last week I saw a number of people posting colors to their Facebook status updates. The more I saw it the more I asked, “What the heck is this?” The responses varied and most had no clue or responded with “something to do with breast cancer and women are posting the color of their bra.”  Turns out it, it does have to do with Breast Cancer Awareness.

The Chicago Tribune wrote about the movement.

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization was among those asked if it was responsible. Andrea Rader, a spokeswoman for the group, said it did not launch the effort but called it “a terrific tool for raising awareness.”

“We just hope people act on it,” Rader said. “Get educated. Get a mammogram.”

I like the idea and hopefully it does bring more awareness to breast cancer. It’s a creative way to to use Facebook.

This is a different approach to marketing a gym. A poster for Forma Total Gym in Brazil uses a modeling compound for people to shape their body.

Props to Ads of the Wold for the image.

This is a pretty amusing commercial from the folks at Reebok. The commercial is marketing their newest shoe, EasyTone. According to their web site the shoe is “designed to help give definition to your legs and butt.” Any hardbodies tried this shoe yet?

I ran across these stats last night and it’s rather interesting. When it comes to the various social web sites, informationisbeautiful.net shares that women reign supreme. Advertisers and marketers take note of these numbers.

Click for larger view.

I picked up ESPN the magazine’s BODY issue earlier this week. There’s a great article by Alyssa Roenigk that talks about women using their looks in the world of professional sports.  The piece is titled “FOR SALE BY OWNER” and the sub-head asks, “How much of themselves should female athletes reveal in the name of self-promotion?” The writer talks about female athletes baring all and how there’s a double standard when it comes to men. A number of things in the article could be applied to the fitness industry. A couple of things stuck with me and one was the following quote:

“Most athletes think, ‘if I do this and this, I will win-and if I win this much, I should have earned this much money and fame,” says Tom George, a senior vice president at octagon, the athlete management and marketing firm.

In the world of competitive fitness, figure, bodybuilding and now bikini just because you win doesn’t entitle you to anything. You may get a medal but that doesn’t equate to more opportunities and fame. It certainly can, but it doesn’t guarantee it. There are a number of women who win shows yet you never see them in a magazine. Why is that? Winning a show simply isn’t enough. While the fitness industry is primarily image driven just having pretty looks won’t cut it either. So what’s the answer?

There’s a quote that Alyssa cites near the end of her article from Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard. Amanda says, “to be marketable is to be memorable.” That’s a perfect way to think about getting noticed in the fitness industry. Make yourself memorable.

As you may or may not know, I have a monthly column (thanks to the good folks at WEIDER Publications) with Muscle & Fitness Hers magazine. I feel fortunate to give the fitness & figure women some ink in a quality, credible magazine. The magazine is printed every other month and the current issue features IFBB Figure Pro, Alicia Harris. Check out the contents of the new issue here.

Alicia Harris on the Sept/Oct 20009 Issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers

The Angle:
I receive a number of emails every week from women pitching their stories to me in hopes of getting in the magazine as well as featured on here. I’m not trying to sound rude but most of what I receive never makes it to either. Why? I don’t think the readers would find it interesting. I have to consider the audience, not so much here but more so for the magazine. Around 95 percent of what I include in my column is based on an interesting story line or angle. The other five percent is contest results. The stories are usually from conversations I have with women at shows or notice what they’re doing online. If you don’t compete and/or you’re not active online, chances are you won’t be in my column. That’s not the case with every magazine or writer’s column but generally speaking it is for mine. I’m less likely to include something in the magazine then I would be to share it here. That’s not to say it’s not a good story or worthy of being in print however the space in a magazine is limited and also time sensitive.

Example: Did you know IFBB Figure Pro Teresa Anthony is a contracting officer for NASA?

Timing:
Timing is as important as the story itself. If you feel you have an interesting story, think about the timing of when you share it. If your goal is to get into a magazine you’ll need to plan in advance. When I submit my column it is done 2-3 months in advance of when it actually hits the newsstand.

Example: If you’re holding a camp don’t tell magazine writers 3 weeks before you have it because there won’t be enough time to write about it.

It’s a challenge to write things that aren’t old news and played out online. If you’ve already told your story online that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If the story angle is interesting enough it will get covered. Many times stories break online first and they’re covered more in depth in print.

Pick up the current issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers you’ll get a feel for what I’m talking about on page 88. My column is called “Twist & Turns” and you’ll see the various stories that I thought had interesting angles and timed it to coincide with the Olympia.

Timing the right angle to pitch is essential magazine exposure.

The St. Charles Sun ran an article headlined, “Female bodybuilders: All about suit.” I don’t agree with the headline but I can’t fault the writer. You have to credit suit designer Amy Ardizzone, of Suits by Amy, and competitor Michele Wood for that conclusion. A competitor’s suit is definitely important but the most important thing? Nah, I would go that far.

A couple quotes from the article that place the importance on the suit…

“The suit is the most important thing,” said competitor Michele Wood of Chicago. “You have to have a blinged-out suit.”

Every leglift in the world can’t compensate for awkwardly fitting attire, custom suit designer Amy Ardizzone said of the fierceness of the competition.

“Your suit fit can mean first or last place.”

I give Amy props for starting her own business and convincing the writer that the suit is more important than the physique on stage. It’s not every day a suit designer gets an article devoted to their business.

I love this quote. “If you talked to people the way advertising talked to people, they’d punch you in the face!” Hugh MacLeod.

Think about this the next time you advertise a product or service. Consider this line of thinking when promoting yourself as well.

ADWEEK.com has an interesting article on social networking and it’s influence with women.  The article says, “75 percent of women reported that social networking sites have little bearing on their purchasing decisions.” That’s a fairly significant percentage for brands targeting women with social media.

I found this to be the most compelling piece in the article:

“Although women are socializing a lot more with each other, they are not interacting with brands more. The brands are falling behind in this game and they are not opening dialog with women in this arena,” said Wise. “We’re seeing a divide right now of where the women are leaping ahead of the brand and the brands are struggling to find how best to interact with them.”

Despite poor sentiments and engagement, the survey found that women are frequent users of social media. Over 75 percent reported more activity on social networking sites this year. Over half (54.1 percent) visited such venues at least once daily and 30.8 percent visited weekly. Less than one in 10 visited monthly (7.4 percent) or once every few months (7.7 percent).

Facebook dominated women’s social media use at 66.4 percent. MySpace followed at a far second at 16.3 percent. Twitter (3.1 percent) and LinkedIn (1.4 percent) were also mentioned.

It’s clear women are using social media sites but brands are failing to influence their purchases with them. It presents companies with not only a challenge but also the opportunity to be creative and engage women online with their brand. I can’t point to any company that’s done a good job of utilizing social media for women. Can you?

Props to new IFBB Figure Pro Christina Vargas for being featured in a new ULTIMATE NUTRITION commercial. I like the dramatic lighting of the commercial but wish they would have edited the first portion of her hitting the bag… it looks like she just bought a new pair of gloves and never punched before. The close up of her abs is cool though.

If the music sounds familiar to you, it’s because the same track is used in the Dennis James DVD. It looks like both spots may have been shot in the same gym as well.

You can see Christina during this year’s Olympia at the Ultimate Nutrition booth.

** Updated**
** See the comments from one of the industry’s top photographers Alex Ardenti regarding this piece. Thanks for the info Alex!

New Yorkers are being asked, “Are you pouring on the pounds?” It’s an interesting new campaign launched by the New York City Heath Department and will run for the next three months. Their approach is to make people aware that you can pack on the pounds by what you drink, not just by the food you eat. The campaign encourages people to “cut back on soda and other sugary beverages.”

New campaign in New York City.

A release today via nyc.gov states:
The campaign’s signature image – in which a bottle of soda, “sports” drink or sweetened iced tea turns to a blob of fat as it reaches the glass – is s a stark reminder of how these products can lead to obesity and related health problems. The ads urge New Yorkers to cut back on sugary beverages and quench their thirst with water, seltzer or low-fat milk instead. Many people may stir a teaspoon or two of sugar into their coffee, but few realize that a 20-ounce bottle of soda can contain 16 ½ teaspoons of sugar.

“Sugary drinks shouldn’t be a part of our everyday diet,” said New York City Health Commissioner Thomas A. Farley. “Drinking beverages loaded with sugars increases the risk of obesity and associated problems, particularly diabetes but also heart disease, stroke, arthritis and cancer.”

I like the approach because it educates people with facts. There are too many people unaware of the empty calories that exist in what they drink. Props to NYC for the campaign and I hope it does well.

I had the chance to spend a couple days photographing Jamie Eason for bodybuilding.com last week. While shooting with Jamie we chatted about various topics and one thing that continued to come up was marketing. Jamie is probably the best example, at least in recent years, as someone who has found success in a relatively short amount of time. How did she do it? She’s done a number of things to make a name for herself but one thing she mentioned really stood out…

Build a fan base.

Jamie has successfully built a fan base and it continues to help advance her career. She’s marketed herself and treated the industry as a business. In the process, she has built a large fan base full of men and women alike. She currently has over 76,000 fans on myspace. What’s so big about that? Any time she posts a bulletin – that’s several thousand people being exposed to whatever message she sends. Her following makes her more valuable to potential sponsors. If you’re a supplement company and she tells her fans, “hey I like xyz product”, chances are quite a few people will check it out. If you’re a magazine publisher and you put her on the cover or inside, you know that people will pick it up because she is in it.

Building a fan base is a very broad topic. The simplest point to remember in building a fan base is to differentiate yourself from the thousands of other women who are in shape and look good. Think about what makes you unique. What story do you have to share that others will find inspiring? How can you motivate people to live healthier?

It takes more than looking good if you want to have a career in the fitness industry.

Check out this video of IFBB Pro Jen Hendershott from FOX 8. Did you know Jen Hen was a kindergarten teacher?

This is a perfect example of how to market yourself. Pitch your story to local tv stations and you never know what might come of it.

Check out this creative and different approach to promoting a movie. Megan Fox is the leading lady in Jennifer’s Body, due out next month. I dig it as it’s unexpected and catches your attention. Think about how you can creatively promote yourself to get noticed in the fitness industry.

If you’re at work you may not want to play this too loudly.

If you’re a competitor or married to one, you know it’s not cheap. Don’t let that be an excuse not to compete. There are always ways to get creative and raise the money needed for a show. I ran across a story today where a Figure/Fitness team is holding a car wash and yard sale. Toni Wheeler, the team leader, is doing something to not only raise funds to compete but also promote health and fitness.

Wheeler has started a group fund for the team, and members are awarded points for each event in which they participate. The more points a member can accumulate, the more money he or she will receive for competitions.

Check out the full story here. Who wouldn’t want their car washed by a hardbody competitor?
Are you doing something creative to raise money for your team or yourself to compete? Let me know in the comments field of shoot off an email.

Most of you are familiar with the popular supplement line Muscle Milk. It’s been around for years and a staple in many competitors nutrition plans. Now the folks a Nestlé have taken issue with Cytosport, the makers of the popular supplement, and say that their brand is misleading.

The New York Times reports:

On June 9, Nestlé USA filed a petition with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to revoke Muscle Milk’s trademark for being “deceptively misdescriptive.” In response to questions from The New York Times, representatives for both Nestlé and CytoSport issued statements.

“Nestlé USA strongly believes in the nutritional benefits of milk,” the company stated. “Consumers looking at Muscle Milk, marketed as a ‘Nutritional Shake,’ are likely to be misled into believing they are purchasing a flavored or supplemented milk product, when, in fact, they are purchasing a water-based product that contains no milk.”

That’s all fine and dandy Nestlé but you’ve been aware of this company and you just now want to take issue with their trademark? Come on. You had no problem with them when they were the little company in the bodybuilding and fitness industry but now that the Muscle Milk products are showing up in grocery stores and convenient stores, you have a problem. I hope Cytosport shows their muscle and prevails over this bogus claim.

Most of you are well aware of who Jamie Eason is and if not what cave have you been living in?

I saw a photo of Jamie in 2005 shortly after her first NPC competition. She looked great and definitely caught my attention. I contacted Jamie via email and did a brief interview/profile with her for NPC NEWS magazine. Yes, she has a good physique and yes, she’s cute but the thing that impressed me the most about Jamie was her attitude. While working a booth at the Arnold Expo, she was friendly to everyone who approached her, was knowledgeable about the product samples she was handing out and made an impression. My point? There are plenty of hardbodies out there and a number of attractive women in the fitness industry. Take a chapter out of Jamie’s book and make an impression beyond looking cute.

Jamie has been on several magazine covers and is on another this month. The new issue of Inside Fitness has Jamie looking fit as ever. If you’re in Canada check it out, Terry Frendo is doing a tremendous job with this magazine.

Jamie on the current issue of Inside Fitness.

Jamie also posted on her twitter account that she has resigned with bodybuilding.com and will have her own column in Oxygen magazine.

Jamie Eason is doing things right and proof that you can make it in the fitness industry. She didn’t get there overnight but has definitely made a name for herself in the industry.

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