downloads) have helped her become one of the biggest
names in consumer fitness, with an estimated joint net
worth with her partner of $486 million.
Plus, of course, there are a plethora of other fitness
names – both qualified professionals and unqualified
influencers – who have harnessed social media to build
their brands and create lucrative businesses.
Understanding what a brand is
Simply put, a brand – your personal brand – should be a
place in the minds of your clients when they think about
you as a personal trainer. Think of a fitness tracker and
it’s likely your mind will conjure up Fitbit. Think of cool
running shoes and Nike may well spring to mind. That’s
what a brand, whether it’s a product or an individual,
aims to create – ‘top of mind recall’.
Your name conveys who you are and a logo conveys
what you do, but your brand should represent your
clients’ values, lifestyle or self-image – who they are.
While your marketing efforts and advertising
reflect your brand, they do not define it. This is vital to
understand.
Why is a brand so important?
Your brand must be as important to your clients as it is
to you. Remember the ‘top of mind recall’ we just talked
about? Another term for it is ‘brand recognition’.
While this sounds like a tall order, consider the
number of everyday products which now feature the
company logo prominently in the design. It is not the
logo the wearer is proudly promoting, but the brand
behind it. Once the brand achieves recognition, the
products or services sell themselves, as long as they
54 | NETWORK WINTER 2019
continue to embody the values that made them famous.
Branding should be considered early on when
setting up your personal training business. Why invest in
a company name, logo development, website and social
media account, without reflecting on how they support
and enhance your own personal brand?
Investing in identifying your brand before all
of these ‘marketing’ activities will accelerate your
business in the start-up phase and save on ‘do-
overs’ later. An effective brand strategy will involve
greater initial outlay, but it will allow you to leverage
a generous portion of ‘free advertising’ through social
media and public relations.
If your brand has social significance, as well as
product appeal, your early clients will become advocates
and spokespeople for you and your services – more so
than any logo, business name or advertisement ever
will. That same brand message attracts attention in
both traditional media (PR) and social media, creating
viral growth while generating business momentum when
you’re launching. If you are ready to commit to launching
your brand, as opposed to starting your business, it is
worth seeking out a branding professional to help you
create a strategy for growth.
In today’s crowded fitness industry, effective
branding can be the key ingredient to cut through the
noise and make a name for yourself.
Stella Gianotto
Stella is an award-winning creative director for Brand for Brands
Agency. She has developed over 1,000 brands and worked with
3,000 more globally. brandforbrands.com