Image credit: Therabody
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has passed the halfway mark, from the opening ceremony of Chinese poetry and romance, to the overnight popular mascot "Ice Pier", from the short track speed skating team winning the first gold for China, to the athletes of various events breaking through themselves one after another, this ice and snow event has allowed people around the world to witness the integration of the Olympic spirit and the Chinese spirit, and also let more Chinese devote themselves to ice and snow sports.
On February 8, in the freestyle ski women's big jumping competition, Chinese athlete Gu Ailing won the gold medal with a super difficult move of 1620 degrees of deflection rotation. It is reported that Gu Ailing has never challenged this action before, and this competition Gu Ailing not only refreshed her limits, but also became the first female athlete in history to complete the "turn 1620 degrees" action.
Obviously, after this Winter Olympics, Gu Ailing's attention has been improved again, and there are more than 30 topics related to "Gu Ailing" on Weibo's hot search. Today, Gu Ailing advanced to the freestyle ski slope obstacle course qualifier in advance, took time between the two jumps to wish everyone a happy holiday on the social platform, and calmly ate the leek box while waiting for the score, thus creating a number of hot searches on Weibo.
Of course, while people marvel at Gu Ailing's talent and charm, they also notice her powerful "gold absorption". It is reported that since entering 2021, Gu Ailing's endorsement brands have surged, and the number is currently more than 20, even far more than some first-line entertainment stars.
Back in October 2021, Therabody, the creator of Theragun® fascia guns, announced Gu Ailing as the brand's global ambassador. Compared with some of the other endorsements owned by Ailing Gu, Therabody is more compatible with the talented athlete, and this cooperation is more likely to bring huge gains to both sides.
In this article, Jing Daily will analyze the considerations behind this global technology health leader and its strategy in the Chinese market, starting from Therabody's partnership with Gu Ailing.
Demand departure
Keep your health under control
The birth of the Theragun fascia gun brand began with the founder's personal needs.
In 2007, Dr. Jason Wersland, who had experienced a serious motorcycle accident, suffered from muscle and nerve pain. After trying a regular massage to relieve pain without success, he began looking for an effective physical solution and eventually built himself a Theragun Percussive Therapy device.
Over the next eight years, Jason developed five different prototypes, culminating in the launch of Theragun's first product, the G1, in 2016. With the introduction of G2PRO, G3PRO and other products, Theragun has implemented its original intention of "helping people and changing the way they massage".
Therabody Products Image Source: Therabody
In 2020, Theragun grew to become Therabody and released the fourth generation of intelligent shock massage device series and the supporting Therabody app to help users achieve more personalized care operations. In 2022, Therabody will also introduce RecoveryAir aeropressure therapy technology in the Chinese market to create a more complete health ecosystem.
Ready to go
Movement resumed the market upwards
As a sports recovery brand, Therabody has always maintained a connection with athletes in terms of brand narrative.
There are more than 30 brand sports ambassadors, from international superstar C Luo to tennis star Sharapova, from NBA star James Harden to ski talent Gu Ailing, brand ambassadors cover football, tennis, basketball, baseball, skateboarding, skiing and other sports fields, and sponsor more than 50 national sports clubs and sports organizations, such as football clubs Real Madrid, Bayern, Formula 1 Red Bull Racing, and professional esports club NRG, while there are more than 250 worldwide Professional sports teams or institutions use Theragun for rehabilitation.
C Ronaldo, Harden endorsed Therabody Image source: Therabody
It is worth noting that many sports stars, including Sharapova, James Harden, Paul George and so on, have not only become the brand spokespersons of Therabody, but also personally invested in the brand, and even joined the company as a strategic consultant. This undoubtedly reflects the trust and support of these sports stars for the brand, and shows the prospects of the sports recovery market. With the help of these expert consultants, Therabody is also able to continuously improve its products and features.
Choosing to work with professional athletes as well as top clubs is a good demonstration of the professionalism and high-end of the Therabody brand. Driven by brand ambassadors, Therabody can also help more people understand and use sports recovery products, and witness the prosperity of the sports recovery market.
Full hit
Seize the gap in China's high-end market
The Continental Movement Recovery industry started late, starting in 2008. The hosting of the Beijing Olympic Games has promoted the emergence of domestic sports recovery needs. In recent years, with the popularization of national fitness, the market goal of Sports Rehabilitation in China has also changed from a niche market for professional athletes to a mass market for sports enthusiasts.
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the home sports market has become more and more active, and we have witnessed the emergence of smart fitness mirrors and the emergence of Lululemon. At the same time, the sports recovery market has also grown further. In June last year, Zhejiang Jinhua Yongkang was on the news for producing half of the world's fascia guns, and the fascia guns that originally helped athletes recover are becoming popular in China and entering the public eye.
Looking at the domestic market, most local brands such as KEEP, Xiaomi, and Pineapple Jun mainly focus on the mass market with the advantages of "good quality and low price". In contrast, there is still a gap in the high-end market segment of the mainland, and as the founder of the fascia gun, Theragun has the top parameters in the fascia gun category, which can meet different scenarios whether it is professional rehabilitation physiotherapy or daily use. At present, the sports recovery market is activated, and it is a good time for high-end brands to exert their strength.
The cooperation between Therabody and Gu Ailing perfectly achieved the effect of "one stone and three eagles". As a freestyle skiing world champion, Gu Ailing's athlete status can highlight Therabody's professionalism. As a 18-year-old Gen Z, Gu Ailing can help brands reach younger consumers. More importantly, as the first Chinese ambassador of the Therabody brand, Gu Ailing is behind the huge Chinese market.
The Winter Olympics held in Beijing have undoubtedly added another fire to the prosperity of the Chinese sports market. The excellent performance of Gu Ailing, the spokesperson of the Therabody brand, on the field has also made more Chinese people turn their attention to the excellent brand that helps this outstanding athlete relax and recover before and after the game.
Chinese Olympic champion Gu Ailing uses Therabody products on a daily basis Image source: Therabody
At the same time, in the Chinese market, Therabody is also laying out quite targeted offline marketing.
Jointly held a tanabata special offline experience course with PURE Fitness, a well-known lifestyle brand in Asia, established a partnership with collective fitness management brand Les Mills in China and created a special theme course; brought health technology to help REAL WINTER, and worked with FITURE Magic Mirror to create an energy warm-up station for ski enthusiasts...
The excellent offline experience is irreplaceable brand promotion, consumers can better understand the brand by trying Therabody's products, and work together with other brands to reach a wider audience, and ultimately achieve the effect of strong alliance.
The author | Naomi Wu
Editor| Wu Wenzhuo