10 Tips for Building a Great Brand in the CrossFit Community
Posted on Jan 30 2012 by Steve
By Steve Liberati, creator of Paleo Kits - Real Food for Real Athletes.
As one of the fastest-growing fitness movements in the United States – going from 18 gyms in 2005 to more than 3,000 gyms to date – CrossFit has become one of the premier modalities in today’s fitness industry. Originally designed for military special-force ops and law enforcement officers, the responsible application of CrossFit principles can change the lives of everyone from stay-at-home moms to teenagers, retirees and former triathletes.
Last year, the CrossFit Games welcomed over 30,000 spectators to the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. The purpose of the Games? To find “The Fittest on Earth.” Several days of grueling workouts and extraordinary feats of strength succeeded in separating the “good” from the “great,” and with Reebok as the title sponsor, the continued growth of the CrossFit brand is virtually guaranteed.
Active in social media and hungry for the latest and greatest product and service designed to enhance their fitness-oriented lifestyle, CrossFitters are now perceived as the ideal “niche” market for many budding entrepreneurs. As CrossFit continues to grow at a rapid rate, droves of companies and individuals will continue to emerge with the intent of capitalizing on this tight-knit community of fitness enthusiasts, many of whom are thought to have “disposable income.”
You may have come up with your own million-dollar, CrossFit-centric idea in the fog of a post-WOD coma (hey, we’ve been there!) But before you take a second mortgage out on your house to make your dream come true, here are some tips to follow for building a great, purposeful, powerful brand in the CrossFit community (or an any industry, for that matter).
1.) First and foremost – don’t fake it. If you’re confident you have a product that will help CrossFitters, and you’re passionate about its development, take a cue from the CrossFit model – build support from within. If you haven’t already, join a box; get active in that box; learn from and contribute to the online conversation (whether via the message boards or your own blog); and when you feel the time is right (and you’ll know when that is), solicit help from other CrossFitters to help build and support your vision. The biggest mistake you could make is to try to market to a community you aren’t truly active in.
2.) Don’t oversell it. If your plan is to market a post-workout recovery drink to help optimize a CrossFitter’s performance, don’t make crazy, over-the-top claims. It’s not likely that your drink will improve an athlete’s Fran time by 3 minutes (unless your drink was formulated in Balco Labs and endorsed by Barry Bonds – no thanks!) but that’s all right! Developing a product that adds even the slightest edge to an athlete’s performance and nutritional profile is, for most athletes, worth the investment. This is a community that’s always seeking new ways to optimize performance – and if your product is legitimate, the edge it offers will be appreciated.
3.) Be original. Create a product or service that will bear your own distinct style and personality. Don’t try to fit your brand image in to what you perceive the community “wants.” That’s not authentic. Likewise, make sure your business concept isn’t already being utilized to-a-tee by another company within your niche. A thriving concept is tempting to try and duplicate, but it’s rare for a new company to build a loyal brand of followers or create a profitable and highly reputable company when the trail has already been blazed. Create your own path!
4.) Make a great product or service. Facebook advertising makes it easy and relatively cheap to put your new product or service in front of the target market of your dreams. But is your product truly word-of-mouth worthy? More importantly, is it “mouse-worthy?” To find out whether your company will be worth the mouse click, ask yourself: Is the quality of your product – and your confidence in it – great enough that you could build an audience of raving customers without spending a dime on advertising? CrossFit is a grass-roots fitness program that grew online – mostly through word-of-mouth (and mouse). If your product or service is truly remarkable in the eyes of CrossFitters, and you’ve paid attention item #1 on this list, it will spread like wildfire throughout the community without you having to blow your budget on advertising – and you’ll have more money for startup costs and for investing back into your business!
5.) When the time comes, hire a great Branding firm. While you can save some money initially by designing your own logo and building your own website, this is not where you want to hold back when the time comes for the next phase of brand-building (again, you’ll know when this time comes). Don’t expect a stock image to do the job of a custom logo! To properly brand your product or service, and to really bring your creative idea to life, you’ll need the right look and feel. This is where a great branding firm comes into play. (We hired White Penny, and we can’t recommend their work enough.)
6.) Be passionate. You need to love what you do and strongly believe in what you are trying to sell. If you don’t absolutely love it, don’t expect others to love it for you. Passion is what will keep you working on your brand far into the night after a long day of work. Doing it for the love will transcend any amount of monetary reward, and this enthusiasm will become evident in your work and your voice. When you find others just as passionate to share in your mission, you’re well on your way to building a powerful brand.
7.) Don’t cut corners. When a great idea hits, it’s natural to worry that someone else might introduce your awesome idea before you do. This is normal – but it’s not a reason to cut corners and approve unfinished work. It’s true that you may only get one chance to make an impression, and you want to sell someone on their first experience with you. Take your time and do it right!
8.) Don’t make hasty decisions. This is a continuation of item #7. Despite how great you might think your idea is at that first moment of inspiration, there is a good chance you might change your opinion the very next day. Think matters through, and gather as much feedback as possible before “pulling the trigger.” Be willing to consider all advice objectively. Again, think it through. A good rule of thumb is to sit on your idea for at least 2 days before making a final decision.
9.) Go solo. Although at first you’ll need to solicit help from your box, your training partners, your regional CrossFit community and your close professional networks and contacts, please don’t start your business venture with a friend or family member. These partnerships rarely work – and more often that not, they cause your relationships to suffer.
10.) Build alliances. Teamwork is name of the game, and it’s part & parcel to your success. Participate in regional events. Support a cause you’re passionate about. Plug other companies you like (those doing great work) and watch the love come right back to you.
The CrossFit community is an active, thriving, connected group, and they recognize quality and passion when they see it. The desire to serve that community with an entrepreneurial spirit should be carried out with patience, thoughtfulness, originality and as much passion as a CrossFitter pours into his/her sport.
Steve Liberati originally created Paleo Kits to serve as healthy meal options for local at-risk youth. Now, sales of Paleo Kits (and all Steve's Original products) support the training and mentorship of those youth through Steve’s Club and Steve’s Club National Program, a 501 (c) (3) organization. More information at www.StevesClub.org.
