I recently read three different articles regarding new products and services that address the fitness and wellness market. The first article described an intelligent smart grocery cart which allows the consumer to review a product from their cart and learn about its caloric count, nutritional value, and even ethical sourcing and environmental impact. The second was an article about a social networking nutrition site which offers one-to-one virtual support to the dieter and the last article was about the Boomer sports market and the opportunity that it presents for Sports Medicine businesses, professional trainers and fitness clubs.
How can these trends and products and services come together to generate WOM for each individual entity ? Through WOM Strategic Partnerships.
We know that organic WOM requires a product or service which delivers on its promise to serve a particular market's need. We know that WOM is great for launching new, innovative products. We also know that once you gain awareness for your product or service that having a vehicle through which you customers can talk is critical to sustaining WOM. So, if we 'connect the dots' of these articles you can imagine a perfect trio to collectively design and deliver a WOM program that benefits each of the partners.
Lets assume for a minute that I wanted to launch the Smart Cart. Besides the traditional media and online marketing efforts (i.e., linking, ad placement, keyword buys etc.) social networking diet sites like DietTV, PEER Trainer or Calorie-Count offer access to the desired target market . Site members could be invited to become 'beta' testers of the cart at grocers near their home? A product giveaway event like 'fill your cart with all the nutritional food you can fit into it in 20 minutes' could be done. The event could include both online video and/or podcast sessions (both downloadable) and offline education sessions sponsored by the social networking sites, and the event of course would provide computer kiosks to allow registration for their services. Lets also assume that the bar code data that is offered through the smart cart is offered as content on-line for the partnering social networking sites and as a mini-database which could be searched by product name from a users i-Pod.
In addition to the above activities, the bar code data from smart cart and the support tools offered through the diet/fitness sites could provide value added amenities for fitness clubs, and athletic trainers. According to International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association states that the fastest growing segment of the fitness club industry is the over 55 market. AND which segment is the heaviest club user - women of course.
The creative WOM campaign options are limited only by the collaboration desires of the partners. So for those of you planning your next years WOM activities, think about how strategic partnerships could turbo charge your WOM programs - start thinking outside your Company Only WOM Box!
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