How can you succeed in digital innovation for the fitness industry?

The fundamentals of living healthier lives has not changed in thousands of years - movement, nutrition, rest and joy. While that appears simple - it has become increasingly more difficult to accomplish in the modern era with digital technologies that add comfort to our lives. Because living healthy requires living in some discomfort - our brains are not programmed to chase discomfort - instead we chase comfort: watching Netflix on your couch for an hour is something your body wants to do more than going to the gym for an hour. Digital technologies can also help us improve our health behaviors by providing accessibility, community, motivation and personalization that wasn't available before.

Make sure you have offline touchpoints of experts who understand the psychographics of the users you are trying to attract and retain in a digital world. In my experience, this has proven hugely helpful to understand issues with acquisition and/ or retention, drop off including attrition and/or lack of engagement, effective user targeting and messaging, etc.

The first critical step is to understand customer's needs, values, preference and behaviors. This can be done by market research, forums, data from wearable devices, various social interactions, etc. Secondly, develop strategy that aligns with business objectives. Design solutions that are customer-centric, integrate with wide-variety of wearable technologies, gamification and leverage AI. Prototype solution and get it out in the market, engage and obtain feedback from consumers. This will allow continuous innovation. Consider strategic partnerships with healthy meal providers to tailor individuals and provide "one stop shop". Fitness can be an emotional journey for some, by leveraging digital innovation, it can be made fun and motivating.

In my opinion Leverage data and analytics to offer personalized workout plans, nutrition recommendations, and progress tracking. Cater to diverse needs and preferences by providing a variety of workout options, from high-intensity interval training to yoga and meditation. It’s important to understand your customer and target audience before deciding which channel can benefit the most in achieving your goals

“Digital technologies can also help us improve our health behaviors by providing accessibility, community, motivation and personalization that wasn't available before.” Absolutely love this! At #mechi , that’s exactly what we are providing. Leveraging physical play via hobbies to improve health

Define your digital strategy to align with business objectives, vision, and mission. Specify scope, priorities, resources, and metrics. Consider external factors like competitors and regulations. Ensure flexibility to adapt to changing needs.

Market Research: Utilize AI tools to conduct market research and identify trends within the fitness industry. Share your findings with the LinkedIn community to validate your strategy and gather insights. Experience Sharing: Be transparent about your strategic goals on LinkedIn. This could involve sharing milestones or seeking advice from industry veterans to refine your approach.

Une stratégie numérique efficace repose sur son alignement avec les objectifs organisationnels tout en restant flexible face aux changements. Cette approche garantit une cohérence dans les efforts d'innovation et une adaptation rapide aux évolutions du marché. En intégrant cette dualité entre alignement et flexibilité, les entreprises peuvent optimiser leur utilisation des ressources et saisir les opportunités émergentes tout en demeurant fidèles à leur vision à long terme. Ainsi, la stratégie numérique devient un outil dynamique qui guide l'innovation tout en permettant l'adaptation aux exigences changeantes de l'écosystème commercial.

User-Centric Design: Employ AI to create intuitive and user-friendly digital solutions. Use LinkedIn to showcase early design prototypes and gather feedback from potential users. Collaboration: Connect with other fitness professionals and tech developers on LinkedIn to discuss emerging technologies and design best practices that could enhance your solutions.

Dans le marché concurrentiel du fitness, la croyance en la co-création et le prototypage comme des vecteurs d'amélioration des solutions est fondamentale. En permettant aux utilisateurs de contribuer au processus de conception, les entreprises peuvent créer des produits et des services plus pertinents et attrayants. Dans un secteur où l'innovation est constante et où les besoins des clients évoluent rapidement, cette approche permet d'anticiper les tendances et de répondre efficacement aux attentes changeantes. En intégrant la voix des utilisateurs dès la phase de conception, les entreprises de fitness peuvent garantir des solutions qui correspondent réellement aux besoins de leur public et renforcer ainsi leur compétitivité sur le marché.

Technology Integration: Leverage AI for seamless integration of your digital solutions into users’ lives. Document the implementation process on LinkedIn to share lessons learned and best practices. Testing and Feedback: Use LinkedIn to recruit beta testers. Encourage detailed feedback to refine your offerings before a full-scale launch.

Implement your digital solutions by launching them to the market. Follow lean and agile methodologies, releasing in small batches and measuring impact. Utilize tools for automation, scaling, and integration. Monitor and maintain solutions for security, reliability, and updates.

L'automatisation et l'intégration jouent un rôle essentiel dans la mise en œuvre des solutions numériques. En automatisant les processus de gestion des données et en intégrant les différents systèmes et canaux, les entreprises peuvent optimiser l'efficacité de leurs opérations tout en offrant une expérience utilisateur fluide et cohérente. Cette approche permet non seulement d'accroître la productivité et la rentabilité, mais également de garantir une adaptation rapide aux besoins changeants du marché du fitness. Ainsi, en investissant dans l'automatisation et l'intégration, les entreprises peuvent renforcer leur position concurrentielle et offrir des solutions numériques innovantes et performantes à leurs clients.

Learn from other industries and remember one size fit for all never works in digitalization so always be agile but at the same fragile as world is changing rapidly so be ready for change what works today may not work tomorrow

Having done projects in the fashion sector, I'd say listening to customers is onr of the most important elements of a successful digital strategies. With it, you get to constantly improve and serve them better.

Community Building: Use LinkedIn to create a community around your brand, offering a platform for users to share their progress, challenges, and successes. Continuous Interaction: Implement AI chatbots for customer support and engagement. Share updates and engage with users regularly on LinkedIn to keep them informed and involved.

Engage you target audience by awareness campaigns as the trend is not a thing which can flow itself, in the ERA of the Digital world we have lot ways to engage our customers by awareness programs like in Amazon’s lot of Brands are doing DSP ( Demand Site Platform ) with that we can do the 3P targeting to 10,000 websites by which brand broader their reach.

Des outils tels que des plans d'entraînement personnalisés, des conseils nutritionnels adaptés et des séances d'entraînement virtuelles peuvent fournir une valeur réelle aux utilisateurs, les aidant à atteindre leurs objectifs de remise en forme. En outre, la création d'une communauté en ligne où les clients peuvent partager leurs progrès, poser des questions et se soutenir mutuellement favorise un sentiment d'appartenance et renforce la fidélité à la marque. Ainsi, en offrant un contenu informatif et en favorisant l'interaction sociale, les entreprises de fitness peuvent établir des relations solides avec leurs clients et les encourager à rester engagés dans leur parcours de remise en forme.

Feedback Loop: Use AI to analyze customer feedback and usage data continuously. Share ongoing updates on LinkedIn about how this feedback is shaping future innovations. Adaptability: Stay engaged with the LinkedIn community and fitness industry trends to quickly adapt your solutions to meet evolving customer needs.

AI can enable wearables to provide more personalized and accurate recommendations and feedback, helping users optimize their workouts and achieve their fitness goals. We'll continue to see the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into fitness wearables in 2024. The global Digital Fitness market size was is expected to expand at a CAGR of 25.49% during the forecast period, reaching USD 29089.68 million by 2027.

In the fitness world, personal touches and fun elements are crucial. Tailoring workouts and meals to individual needs, adding gamification, and fostering a community can make a big difference. It's about adapting and growing together, ensuring the journey remains engaging and heartfelt for everyone involved.

While we need to remember to keep up with trends, innovate and experiment with tools such as AI, we also can’t forget to reach out to digital industry colleagues to hear different perspectives and point of views to see if they’ve faced similar challenges that were successful (or not) and what they’ve learned. Don’t start from ground zero if someone else can share their learnings and lead you to new perspectives. Asking questions and having a growth mindset as a strategist can help us adopt a consumer mindset. As a consumer, we often look to reviews for purchasing decisions. In both scenarios (as a strategist & as a consumer) we are seeking feedback, fact checking and building an hypothesis with evidence. Keep an open mind to any outcomes.

Ethical AI Use: Ensure the ethical use of AI, prioritizing customer privacy and data security. Use LinkedIn to communicate your commitment to these principles. Sustainability: Consider the environmental impact of your digital solutions. Engage with sustainability experts on LinkedIn to explore eco-friendly practices. Inclusivity: Design your solutions to be inclusive and accessible to a diverse range of users. Share your inclusivity efforts on LinkedIn to encourage feedback and demonstrate social responsibility.