There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about fitness in the Indian context, which is why it’s a very common topic in the sports industry. Due to the lack of exposure to these areas, society still hasn’t fully grasped the reach of the industry.
Muscleblaze, a company that provides sports nutrition supplements and is focused on Indian customer needs, uses social media platforms to reach their target audience.
In conversation with Social Samosa, Kaustuv Paliwal, Business Head at MuscleBlaze speaks on their latest campaign Ladies Who Lift which focuses on the women’s steadfast spark and passion for lifting, as we take a deeper look at their social media strategy.
Crowning the Queens
The Ladies Who Lift initiative was designed to honor women in the lifting community. The brand celebrated renowned sports people on its social media channels. Kaustusv spoke about the idea behind the campaign.
“The LWL campaign was ideated keeping in mind the revolution that has taken place in the fitness space. We wanted to honour and acknowledge all those women who have conquered the fitness industry with their ability to exercise and prioritize fitness over everything.”
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The industry is heavily male-dominated and with this initiative the brand aims at breaking these stereotypes.
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The fitness industry hasn’t become an everyday topic of discussion for women.
MuscleBlsze’s TG in India, which covers the age bracket of 18-38 currently only consists of 5% women and according to Kaustuv with active communication with the audience in both the digital & physical world the numbers are expected to grow over 10-15% over the next 2 years.
A Healthy Approach
The audience of MuscleBlaze tries to provide their own recipes that fit their daily diet. Not many people in the Indian market are aware of the importance of a staple in the fitness industry. A guide and friend to all the fitness enthusiasts in the country is what MuscleBlaze tries to convey in its social media posts.
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Social media is an important part of a brand’s marketing mix. This same rule applies to MuscleBlaze.
Kaustuv says that social media is used by the brand for community engagement and education to the community regarding their products. Reach, engagement percentage, traffic to website, traffic to revenue, revenue from social media, and mentions are some of the key metrics.
There is a lot of debate about fitness in the Indian market. There are a lot of myths regarding the consumption of supplements. There are many myths about event sports. Kaustuv says that the myth around the topic has changed the situation quite a bit as a fitness brand tries to spread it. He also talks about how young people are open to the idea of supplements.
Talking about the inclusion of women in the sector he adds, “Even women have started to accept protein supplements as part of their fitness lifestyle which is depicted in our latest campaign film Ni Aar Di which salutes the Indian women arriving in the scene of health and fitness.”
Influencer’s at the core
There is a very niche audience for fitness on the internet in India. The kind of creators that the audience likes to engage with is very specific as well. The interest of the audience is harnessed by MuscleBlaze and it partners with the proper set of creators. The usual home workout series that sparked during the Pandemic was one of the reasons why we collaborated with Vidyut Jammwal.
Kaustuv says, “Content to commerce is the future of e-commerce and we have ensured we have KPIs around commerce from content in order to keep teams focused on the larger objective of revenue contribution.”
Paliwal adds, “since the market is full of creators who might not spread the right information for the sake of garner views and as a responsible brand we ensure we pick and choose creators who support the right flow of views.”
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Also Read: Opinion: Budding hyperlocal marketing trends in the automobile & retail sector
The Ziddi Tag
The brand has come up with a specific hook for itself, and it’s called the Ziddi Tag. Big and small names from the fitness industry in India have made a name for themselves on the internet. The brand focuses on its products and their benefits because of the audience interest in these creators.
The brand organizes contests for the audience as well to keep the engagement and interest high.
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Consumer Trends
Changes and updates have resulted in significant growth in the fitness sector during the Pandemic. Kaustuv gave a detailed breakdown of the consumer trends seen in the sector after these changes.
Boutique workout facilities and advanced technologies are some of the things that are changing the wellness industry. While discussing consumer trends that have been observed in the fitness sector and have shaped the sector, we might identify a few, such as:
There has been an increase in the use of supplements, be it for increasing immunity from vitamins c tablets to giloy tablets, or having a chyawanprash daily. Consumers can now include vitamins and supplements in areas they need help with to cover for deficiencies and lead a healthy life.
Self-care has become an important part of life and people have realised that they cannot ignore their health or family’s health and needs a proper designated time in one’s lifestyle to focus on the same. People have adopted activities like a home gym, joining activity classes or playing sports in a post-covid period as part of their self-care regimen
Wearable gadgets that are simple: Before we all experienced the nationwide lockdown that led to the closure of fitness centers, Wearable technology was already crucial. Since the outbreak, everyone has been aware of their heart rates, pulse, and daily step counts, as well as pushing themselves to improve their health. According to the International Data Corporation, the Indian market for Wearables grew 170.3% in the first quarter of the year.
It is easy to access technology. Digital fitness is growing quickly, but traditional gyms will still be around. Fitness enthusiasts don’t simply show up to a class at their gym and hope for a space because they have access to home and digital workouts. They use an app to manage their workouts, the same way they do for the rest of their lives. The industry for online fitness coaching has experienced growth as well. The demand for fitness experts is increasing. The market has been growing.
2020 emphasized the need to prioritize our physical and emotional well-being. Consumers are becoming more and more interested in brands that provideholistic solutions. The sector can change direction, create and support communities.
Paliwal concludes, “We are completing 10 Years of MuscleBlaze this August.” It has been 10 years of innovation, authenticity and being legendary. The best way to celebrate is to empower our Ziddis and pass on this celebratory mood to our consumers with a big sale from 23rd to 27th of august. Deals, offers and combo are not the same as before.