Fitbit lays the course for a long run

The San-Francisco-born brand positions itself as a lifestyle label, sharpens the focus on women, children and personalisation

Almost three years into its India sojourn, the activity tracker and wearables brand Fitbit is looking to settle in. From being seen as a niche product for a niche audience, the American health and fitness company is expanding its portfolio of products, ramping up retail touch points and doubling its marketing efforts. The brand is now positioning itself as a ‘life companion’ rather than a fitness tracker and wants to be seen as a platform for people who want to live healthier, get fit and be active, rather than just a device.

India is one of Fitbit’s fastest growing markets in the Asia-Pacific region, and the company is looking to pump in more energy into its operations here. Especially given the increasing awareness around health and fitness among all age groups in urban markets where disposable incomes are high. The challenge however would be keeping the label exclusive even as the company expands the product portfolio and engages with a larger target audience. Fitbit also has to contend with its global competitors in India, Apple has pushed up its marketing spends for the category that is also seeing aggressive engagement by Chinese brands. "We see traction for premium products in the category in India. While there will be competition, I think the scope for growth within the category is immense,” Jaime Hardley, VP marketing, APAC, Fitbit says.

To carve out a larger slice in the category however, the brand would need to don a persona that is larger than the device that gave it its name. And to do that the company says it plans to facilitate consistent behaviour change, delve deeper into health care, and attract new users.

Data, reach and visibility

Fitbit says it has a robust sales and distribution network across online and offline channels, present across online partners—Amazon India and Flipkart and with big offline stores. The company says that its wide retail presence, Fitbit products are available across 1000+ stores in 100 cities, gives it reach and more importantly access to rich customer data. It however won’t break down business numbers for India, saying that it is a key market in the Asia-Pacific region. “In our Q1 earnings for 2018, APAC revenue grew 33 per cent to $28 million, all year-over-year,” the company stated.

Customer data is used to continuously assess the relevance of Fitbit devices and will drive the company’s deep dive into the country’s unique health requirements. The company says it is also working with third party research agencies on health and fitness and plans to extend its scope to mental health in the future.

To reach a larger audience, Fitbit is targeting families and fitness-wellness communities. Its devices are being fitted with varied family features that take the brand and its message beyond the individual that has bought the product. It is also looking more closely at the specific health needs of women. For example, the newly launched smartwatch—FitBit Versa, includes a health tracking feature (to be available from June 2018) that maps the menstrual cycle and health symptoms around it. Such features are aimed at providing users with a more complete picture of health and fitness, the company said.

Fitbit also introduced its first product designed specifically for children above 8 years, Fitbit Ace, with features and fitness goals customised to the age group. The company said: “We believe that the wearables industry will double from about 111 million units to 222 million units between 2018 and 2021 and smartwatches will drive this meteoric rise.”

Multiple points of influence

While it is targeting families through its products and retail strategy, the brand also feels that influencers help increase the visibility of Fitbit and its products. It has identified certain categories as the core to its community building exercise in the country and plans to appoint a set of representatives to take the message about the brand further.

“We find that sports is a good area. And when we say sports, we are looking at the coaches. Coaches are very important for us (as partners) because they are the ones who want to track their athletes’ fitness and health in minute detail,” says Hardley.

Like many new age brands, Fitbit also believes in using multiple influencers rather than one brand ambassador or endorser. As Hardley puts it, “The platform is not a single story,” and so having just one person representing all the features and products is not the way Fitbit wants to take for marketing in the country.

It has also focussed on partnerships in the fashion segment. Since wearables can be seen as sporty and not suitable for all occasions, the brand is working on a larger number of personalisation features. The newer products are available with leather belt accessories and silicon belts in different colours. “We believe in customisation at every level. While Fitbit itself customises the data and the programmes for each user, we also want our consumers to be able to personalise the device to their tastes. We have a range of accessories in different colours and materials, so that there is something for everyone,” Hardley adds.