Brand

Marketing sport and fitness to women and girls

This guide has been designed to help you identify key steps and tools in planning a successful marketing campaign to attract more women and girls into the sport and fitness you provide. It will help you consider some important questions around: who to target, what to offer and how to communicate your message.

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Sweat in the City

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Case_Study_SITC.pdf

Sweat in the City (SitC) was an innovation research project to help to find out why 16- 24 year old women are half as active as men of the same age. With the help of a feminine brand, celebrity ambassadors and a chance to discover a ‘fitter and healthier you’, over 2000 young women across London were recruited and provided with a three-month free and mentored gym membership.

Overview

Sweat in the City was an innovation research project to find out why 16- 24 year old women are half as active as men of the same age.

Project detailsProject duration: 29 September 2008 - 21 December 2008
Organisation: 
Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation
Project name: 
Sweat in the City
AudienceAll women
Age group: 
16 - 24
Innovation
Innovation SitC incorporated elements designed to specifically appeal to young women and counter-act the barriers to participation. Removing the practical barriers of cost and inconvenience was the first step. Aspirational brand and tone SitC was designed to be lively, positive and easy to identify with. The association with the iconic Sex in the City was crucial. Many gyms were over-subscribed within days. The tone used in communication was feminine, young and friendly. The women felt the programme was designed with them in mind. Social and supportive Working out in a gym can be a lonely and daunting task, but the combined effects of online networking, special group sessions and a named mentor ensured that participants felt part of a team. Advice was provided on the website for people new to the gym making no assumptions about previous knowledge or experience. A warm welcome and high quality customer care The first visit – needs to exceed expectations as just walking through the door can be a daunting experience. A useful and timely induction – often inductions can feel rushed, or assume knowledge, and core confidence can be lost. Can be the difference between coming back or not. Friendly and available staff – on reception or instructors, staff should be friendly, professional and not intimidating.
Recruitment and promotion
Recruitment and promotion All the promotion was aimed at driving 16-24 year old women to the SitC website (www.sitc.co.uk) where the women would register for the membership places. Two ambassadors were recruited, Jessica Taylor and Carly Zucker, to help promote SitC. They were both similar age to the target women, plus they live healthy and active lives, making them good role models. Through Jessica and Carly considerable media coverage was generated, both traditional and innovative. Coverage included London radio and in national and regional newspapers (e.g. The Sun, Metro and The Evening Standard), as well as within online blogs (e.g. Daily Candy). A Facebook profile was created and, there was advertising in Bebo. a media messaging company (Blik) was also employed to promote the programme through young people’s mobile phones. Leaflets were created for partners, local authorities, School Sport Co-ordinators and the leisure centres to distribute to their audiences.
Location
Local
How was your project delivered?Gym-based/ aerobics
Funding
National Lottery Community Investment Fund
Partnership
Fitness Industry Association
Results
Lessons: 
Becoming – and staying – active A week after SitC finished, nine in ten participants said they intended to stay active (86%). Crucially, six months on, 72% were more active. Shaping up and improving fitness levels “I am really upping the amount I work out and the levels I do each time. Exciting stuff! I think my stomach feels flatter, and my thighs seem more toned but maybe its just an effect of being more positive about my body image” Increasing body confidence As the charts demonstrate, participant’s body image improved and their self-consciousness decreased markedly. Often women reject exercise because of body confidence – SitC proved that if provided with the encouragement to start, then being active can be an aid to confidence. Healthy choices Being active fostered other behaviours – choosing to walk to school or work or taking the stairs or even giving up smoking. Some physical benefits were a surprise to the women – increased co-ordination for example. The feel-good factor Despite motivations to join SitC being broadly physical, most participants discovered the benefits were in the mind rather than the body. Nearly nine in ten (88%) agreed that ‘SitC reminded me how good it feels to be active’. Willingness to try new things The opportunity to try new activities in SitC was useful in removing prejudices. The number of women confident about attending an aerobics class, or using machine in the gym, trebled from the beginning of the programme to the end.
Evaluation: 
Lessons learnt? Ensure all leisure centre/gyms have signed up to the programme well in advance so that staff can receive adequate training prior to the women coming through the door. If the programme was to run again, oversubscribe the free spaces. If a gym offered 10 places 20 would be given away but the first 10 to take up the induction would receive the free place. Ensure better monitoring systems are put in place to capture information about attendance and retention. Monitoring and evaluation As part of the registration process, participants completed an online questionnaire to establish a benchmark for their participation behaviour, attitudes towards exercise, their bodies and confidence levels. Immediately after the programme finished the participants were emailed again and asked to complete a post programme questionnaire. They were asked the same questions as previously, as well as additional questions about how they found the programme, frequency of attendance, staff, facilities and the support they received. A further six months later they were re-contacted and asked to complete a questionnaire about their present activity levels. In addition to the quantitative data collected, three focus groups were held with a sample of participants on the programme. These focus groups enabled us to obtain a deeper understanding of the barriers that this age group face when considering activity, as well as more about their motivators and drivers.
Themes

Rebranding and revisioning sport, confidence and self esteem issues, and growing and sustaining participation

Key links: 
Sweatinthecity
Fitness Industry Association
[email protected]

Women and girls in judo

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Case_Study_judo.pdf

The women and girls in judo project focuses on creating environments to encourage the retention of female members (including special needs members). To do this we have created a Female Club Model. We provide the opportunity for female members to practice together at club, area and national levels and develop and promote models of good practice in all technical areas. We also deliver seminars and workshops to encourage good practice and create a positive image of judo through promotions and merchandise.

Project detailsProject duration: 01 April 2009 - 31 March 2010
Organisation: 
British Judo Association
Project name: 
Women and Girls in Judo
AudienceAll women
Age group: 
0 - 15
Age group: 
16 - 24
Age group: 
25 - 40
Age group: 
41+
Innovation
The programme has changed the competitive grading scheme to a non-competitive scheme after decades which has made judo a more appealing sport for women and girls.
Recruitment and promotion
We recruited current members and promoted the new grading scheme through the British Judo Association (BJA) website, Matside Magazine, coach events and direct mail.
Location
National
How was your project delivered?Judo
Funding
The women and girls in judo programme was funded by Sport England.
Partnership
We partnered with Positive Futures to deliver the programme to hard to reach groups.
Results
Lessons: 
As we develop the programme we would like to recruit female coaches to develop and run the sessions at the regional level. We would also like to do some work with improving the attitude around female judo coaches. We would also like to promote this project more directly to potential coaches, and put in a coach development strategy.
Evaluation: 
The project has been a great success as we have seen an increase in females grading. When you compare the numbers from 2007/08 to 2008/09, there is an increase of 35% in senior female players and 24% in junior female players.
Themes

Working with hard to reach groups

During the project we identified and encouraged clubs and officials who cater for people with disabilities through club development and providing them with an opportunity to compete and participate in special needs events. We also provided workshops for coaches on working with special needs players.

Tackling drop-off

We continue to identify and consult clubs who have a high percentage of female members. We advertise and utilise the development officers' contacts to spread the word at a club level.

Workforce development

We have organised and promoted events to promote female continual professional development (CPD), coach revalidation, UK coaching certificate (UKCC) and Instructors Awards for females only.

We are working with the volunteer section of the BJA to build models of good practise to encourage more female into refereeing and table officiating.

 Promotion and marketing

We have begun a campaign to promote women and girls judo with new graphic designs for all of our promotional materials. We also set up stalls at all BJA's major events and send direct mail to members over the age of twelve.

We also email our contacts list and have been developing a Facebook page.  BJA continues to use role models at area and national events and seminars. Will be developing resource booklet of successful British female judo players soon.

Key links: 
British Judo Association
Positive Futures
Matside Magazine

Girls in Sport - Aberdeenshire Council

In order to reach the national physical activity recommendation of 1hr of moderate activity every day, we created the ‘Girls in Sport’ club at the Meldrum Academy.

Project detailsProject duration: 01 December 2006 - ongoing
Organisation: 
Aberdeenshire Council
Project name: 
Girls in Sport
AudienceSchools
Age group: 
0 - 15
Age group: 
16 - 24
Innovation
Our project was well delivered due to our enthusiastic staff, funding and the variety of our partners. We also launched the programme with considered branding and promotional tools which were targeted to the girls. The project was delivered using multi-activities so the girls were engaged and also were not put off by competitive sports or limited types of activities. To encourage girls to come back to the club we also introduced incentives which target girls specifically including hair, beauty, nutrition vouchers and products.
Recruitment and promotion
We designed a “Girls in Sport” logo to give the club its own identity. We also produced a leaflet which was distribution to all P7-S6 girls. In addition, the girls were sent an invitation in the mail to raise the profile of the club and inform the girls and the parents. To promote the club further, we design a Power-Point presentation to demonstrate girls taking part in physical activity. The presentation was shown on a flat screen TV in the weeks leading up to the launch to raise awareness of the club. We also updated the school web page and featured the activities on the Pupil bulletin.
Location
Local
How was your project delivered?Multi-sport
Partnership
We received support from Youth Sports Trust and SportScotland which was essential for the project. To deliver the Girls Get Active project we also worked with the Local Sports Centre, a graphic designer, local businesses, Community Sports Clubs and Sports Development Officers.
Results
Lessons: 
One lesson we learnt from the Girls in Sport Club is that training and time out to plan is essential. Although it takes a lot of time and hard work to set up club, it really works. We now have started to do joint planning between the primary and secondary school as a result of the success of the girl’s project. One other thing I would like to improve in the future is further cooperation from parents, especially in terms of car sharing.
Evaluation: 
• Increased levels of girls taking part in sport and physical activity • Increased girls' participation and attendance at extra-curricular clubs • Weekly 30-50 girls attending
Themes

Facilities

Transport was an issue for some girls from the furthest away primary schools, but they arranged for their parents to meet and set up a car pool to enable the girls to take part.

Participation

We have grown girls' participation in physical activity by offering a variety of multi-sport activities and have launched a rewards or incentive scheme.  The more sessions the girls attend, the quicker they can receive small incentives that have been selected specifically for girls such as hair, beauty and nutrition products.  Vouchers are also provided to girls with high attendance figures.

Key links: 
Aberdeenshire Council

Creating a nation of active women: A framework for change

Creating a Nation of Active Women provides the framework to address the crisis detailed in It’s time. But it’s more than a strategy for change. It is a stark call-to-action for those with the power and responsibility to effect that change. 

A national target has been set for two million more people to be more active by 2012, of which at least one million should be women. But with 24 million women not doing enough physical activity, that should be only the beginning.

 

With practical recommendations, the strategy provides a framework, compromising three key imperatives, for those who develop policy and design, and who deliver and promote sport and exercise for women and girls.

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Sweat in the City: How 2000 young women discovered the positive power of exercise

This report details the innovative research project Sweat in the City which project provided over 2000 inactive 16 – 24 year old women a three month free and mentored gym membership and followed their journey. 

The project was designed to gain a better understanding of how to motivate women to become more active. Today, 16 year-old girls leave school half as active as their male counterparts, often with a negative attitude to sport and fitness and with critically low levels of confidence. This programme set out to create a fitness experience that would appeal to this audience, change their attitude to exercise and lead to a more active and healthier way of life.

SitC was designed and delivered by a partnership between the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF) and the Fitness Industry Association (FIA).

Key elements of the programme were personal mentoring and opportunities to ‘meet’ other participants through group sessions and via the SitC website. The young women were successfully recruited with the help of a feminine brand and celebrity ambassadors who fronted a tailored PR campaign. All that was asked in return was for the women to share their highs, lows, aches and pains with us through surveys, focus groups and online diaries.

The results surpassed even our highest hopes:

• Six months after completing the programme, 72% of participants are more active than they were before

• Before the programme, 63% of participants were worried about what they looked like when they exercised. This dropped to just under half

• 88% of participants agreed that ‘SitC has reminded me how good it feels to be active’

• Three-quarters of the young women now have increased confidence to go on and try new activities

 

“There is no way that I am giving exercise up again now, I feel so much better in myself – better mood, lots more energy etc. Even though I don’t always want to go to the gym, I know I’ll feel so much better once I’ve actually been!”

 

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SitC_Report_latest.pdf

London Playing Fields Foundation - Active Angels

Active Angels is an innovative multi-activity project that aims to contribute to the health of 14-16 year old girls by encouraging and sustaining their participation in sporting activity.  It focuses on girls who are currently active but who are at risk of adopting sedentary lifestyles once they have left school. The project has been providing opportunities for girls to participate in sports and physical activity in a non-competitive, friendly and supportive environment since 2004.

Project detailsProject duration: 01 January 2004 - ongoing
Organisation: 
London Playing Fields Foundation
Project name: 
Active Angels
AudienceSchools
Age group: 
0 - 15
Age group: 
16 - 24
Innovation
What makes the project so innovative is that is it customer focussed, responding to the needs of the girls rather than to a prescribed syllabus or fixture list. Active Angels targets a new type of participant – now known as the semi-sporty. The coaches were all recruited from local clubs so that if the girls developed a particular interest in an activity and wished to pursue it then they already had links established with a local club. Year 11 pupils were mentored and action plans were developed to help them identify opportunities to maintain their activity levels once they left school.
Recruitment and promotion
LPFF worked closely with the Partnership Development Manager and the Community Sports Coach to ensure that the project was promoted within the local schools. The Project Coordinator visited each school and made presentations to the appropriate Year Groups during assemblies and PE lessons and put up posters. An emphasis was placed on recruiting girls who were not participating in sport or physical activity outside school and PE teachers were asked to refer pupils they thought would benefit from the project. Participants were empowered to be Ambassadors to promote the project within their school. They were also encouraged to “Activate an Angel” and bring a friend with them to sessions. Before the start of each term reminder postcards were sent to previous participants with details of sessions.
Location
Local
How was your project delivered?Hockey, netball, badminton, football, swimming, aerobics, spinning, street dance, gym, ice blading, salsa, pilates, boxercise
Funding
Phase 1 of the project (2004 – 2007) was funded through an Active England grant. Phase 2 of the project is being funded through Waltham Forest Youth Support Service.
Partnership
Partnerships were established with the Waltham Forest Northern School Sports Partnership, Waltham Forest PCT, Waltham Forest Healthy Schools Coordinator, WF Community Sports Coach, Leyton Orient Community Sports Programme, Greenwich Leisure Limited, Women’s Sports & Fitness Foundation and Pro Active North London.
Results
Lessons: 
The key lesson learnt was the need to tailor the activity programme to the needs of the girls. For example, the intention was to deliver activity sessions throughout the three school terms; however the attendance figures dropped from January until March when the evenings were cold and dark and so a decision was made to cancel sessions during this period. The coaching style of the instructors was also a key factor in keeping the girls engaged. They were asked to focus on making their sessions fun and sociable and encouraging participation and rather than performance coaching. When the girls provided negative feedback about particular instructors the Project Coordinator approached them and asked them to adapt their sessions. If they were unable to accommodate this request then they were replaced by more suitable candidates.
Evaluation: 
The project was evaluated at the end of Phase 1 which showed that 380 girls had participated over the three year period. 39% of these girls were in Year 11 and 23% in Year 10. 16% of attendees were in Year 12 which demonstrates that participants were keen to keep attending Active Angels after they had left school. Twenty girls joined the gym using the concessionary scheme offered by Greenwich Leisure Limited in order to increase their participation rates. At the start and end of each term a monitoring questionnaire was completed by participants to measure the difference in their attitudes to the benefits of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. The results showed that the girls all thought their health had improved through participating in the programme and they had a greater understanding of the positive effects that physical activity had on their physical and mental health.
Themes

Tackling drop-off

In order to try and prevent the drop-off in participation for those in the 16+ age group, the project specifically targeted girls aged 14 – 16 years and provided them with a programme of activity tailored to their needs. 

The coaches delivered activities with a focus on sustaining participation rather than performance which tends to put off the target group.  The aim is to create an environment which is not only customer focused but also seeks to enhance the self esteem of the participants. 

Health and well-being

Many of the girls took part in Active Angels to control their weight and to feel good about themselves. This improved self image has helped the girls function better in other parts of their lives.

The project used several methods of communicating with participants:

  • Presentations in schools by the Activity Coordinator
  • Posters in schools
  • Reminder postcards to participants
  • Ambassadors – participants promoting the project within their school
  • Activate an Angel – bring a friend scheme
  • PE staff were encouraged to refer girls who they thought would benefit from the project

Reversioning sport

The emphasis of Active Angels was on delivering activity in a fun and relaxed environment.  The coaches understood this ethos and tailored their sessions accordingly.  After each session there was an opportunity for the girls to socialise in the sports centre.  The Project Coordinator also organised off-site trips (e.g. ice skating at an outdoor rink at Christmas) and delivered healthy eating workshops where the girls had the opportunity to socialise with girls from different schools.

Promotion and marketing

The Active Angels project used several methods to communicate with participants:

  • Presentations in schools by the Activity Coordinator
  • Posters in schools
  • Reminder postcards to participants
  • Ambassadors – we used participants to promote the project within their school
  • Activate an Angel – bring a friend scheme
  • PE staff were encouraged to refer girls who they thought would benefit from the project
Key links: 
London Playing Fields Foundation - Active Angels
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