Repost of original article on TheDrum.com by  

Imagine your brand was built in lockstep with CrossFit and then let’s say more than a third of your sales came through gyms. Now imagine gyms were closed and the chief exec of CrossFit became an instant pariah because of offensive George Floyd and coronavirus tweets. That is the exact situation LIFEAID Beverage Co found itself in just a month ago.

“It was a spiraling shitstorm,” says LIFEAID co-founder and president Aaron Hinde of the CrossFit controversy. “We were the first company to step forward and say we’re not in alignment with [CrossFit] leadership in this way of thinking. We took a stand.” In addition to speaking out immediately, it cancelled its long-time sponsorship of the CrossFit Games.

While Hinde and co-founder/chief exec Orion Melehan were in complete agreement about the move, there was some “blowback for jumping ship on CrossFit,” says Hinde.

Faced with this wildly difficult environment, how is the brand doing? It sold out of its IMMUNITYAID product. Direct-to-consumer sales on its website have doubled and Amazon sales have tripled since March, per the company. Overall, the company is still experiencing growth numbers similar to as if it were a “normal” year with a stretch goal of hitting $50m in sales.

LifeAid founders

Upending the classic rules of marketing

So how did LIFEAID maintain its trajectory? In many ways, the LIFEAID founders fortified their brand for such a moment from the very start. Launched in 2009 by a sports chiropractor (Hinde) and a financial planner (Melehan), they decided to hyper-focus on specific audiences before building out their core brand.

They identified a wide-open space for a healthy alternative to energy drinks, colas and then-fringe drinks like coconut water. The first audience they targeted was golfers. They realized this highly desirable demographic was under-served, so their inaugural product was GOLFERAID. They followed suit with FITAID which soon became a cult favorite at CrossFit gyms.

The alliance with CrossFit was both a successful and obvious one. Hinde and Melehan met at a CrossFit in Santa Cruz, Calif., a stone’s throw from the CrossFit headquarters office. After draining $30,000 apiece from their bank accounts and sweet talking a local aluminum can supplier with a hand-written note and a gift card to Ruth’s Chris steakhouse, they were on their way.

“Focusing on early adopters in a single target market, really capturing and speaking to that market and getting them totally raving about the product and expanding from there really worked for us,” says Melehan.

Only after their sub-brands took hold that did they launch their core LIFEAID brand at major retailers like Walmart, Whole Foods and Kroger. Today, retail makes up 60% of sales with further distribution deals on the horizon.

“They upended the classic rules of marketing,” says Beverage Business Insights editor Gerry Khermouch. “They launched their grocery play after they launched their other SKUS. They are making it up as they go along.”

This includes the counterintuitive move of debuting new line extensions during the pandemic. Last month, the company rolled out FITAID and IMMUNITYAID go powder lines anticipating that consumers will be on the go soon. Additionally, it is expanding into the UK this month. Melehan says, “We’re really good at doing the opposite of what everyone else does.”

Protecting its core audience

Despite the brand’s expansion plans, it never lost sight of the audience that put it on the map: gym owners. That’s why it kicked off a program in April (opens in new window) that gives gyms $15 every time a members orders LIFEAID online and enters the gym’s unique code. The program concludes this month.

“They’ve become a much broader brand in multiple channels, but they recognize the base of the brand goes back to CrossFit. They need to maintain allegiance to individual gym owners and stick to their brand roots,” says Khermouch. “They are being shrewd in not being cavalier and taking them for granted.”

Rewarding gym owners is just the latest savvy move that also works to bolster its powerful direct-to-consumer e-commerce audience. LIFEAID has been smartly building its lists and even leveraged traditional snail mail offers in the beginning.

Of late, it has shifted sponsorship and sampling dollars deeper into social media and Amazon advertising. This includes, much like other DTC brands, staying active on Facebook. “There’s a reason why Facebook’s share price continues to climb,” says Melehan. “Even though everyone is boycotting them, small and medium-sized businesses have no other option. We are still a scrappy startup that needs to be ROI focused. The large conglomerates have other options.”

This new marketing mix appears to be working with online sales making up for much of the shortfall experienced from gym closures, per Melehan. In fact, as many as 80% of its consumers have set their carts to automatic reorder.

Success online and in traditional sales channels is now crucial for the brand, especially since one-in-four Americans say they will never return to a gym, according to a new study. Staying true to their counter-intuitive tactics, the study was commissioned by none other than the LIFEAID founders. “We were curious. As things reopen, we wanted to know what we can realistically expect,” says Melehan.

While a little planning never hurts, after everything the brand has experienced in just a few weeks’ time, LIFEAID's founders are ready for anything. Melehan says, “the decision matrix is expanding. You’ve got to make massive, multi-hundred thousand-dollar decisions within a couple of hours right now.” So far, they appear to be making the right ones.

This is a repost of the original article which you can view on TheDrum.com
All rights reserved.


> > > Stay well.

Repost of original article on TheDrum.com by Kenneth Hein | 14 July 2020 10:00am Imagine your brand was built in lockstep with CrossFit and then let’s say more than a third of your sales came through gyms. Now imagine gyms were closed and the chief exec of CrossFit became an instant pariah because of offensive George Floyd and […]

How Innovative Concepts Become Top Brands 

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HindeSight  |  No. 41

How Innovative Concepts Become Top Brands  Taste Radio: Episode 221 features highlights from recent interviews with six entrepreneurs who started small and have made it big, including the founders of Siete Family Foods, Bantam Bagels and Caulipower. You can listen to the full podcast episode here.   Top-50 Healthy Summer Recipes Whether you are trying […]


Brianna Cope is a professional surfer born and raised on the beautiful island of Kauai, Hawaii. Growing up near the ocean, Cope fell in love with the power of its waves and began surfing on a longboard at the age of four.

“I love how free and alive I feel in the ocean. It is such an indescribable feeling to be able to ride a wave, always thinking how special it is that you can only ride that wave once—you will never get the same wave again,” says Cope.

Cope won her first surfing competition when she was just 11 years old, deciding then and there that she wanted to be a professional surfer. Currently, Cope can be spotted competing on the World Surf League qualifying series, traveling across the globe for competitions. Her 2018 documentary “Surfing to Cope” is now available on iTunes.‘Big Neechi’ is an internationally recognized celebrity, bodybuilder and festival host known for his incredible strength, muscular physique, and for throwing wild parties.

Neechi graduated from Texas State University as somewhat of a campus legend, obtaining a degree in Exercise & Sports Science. His capabilities in the gym came at an early age when he broke his Jr. High School’s bench press record of 315 lb. in the eighth grade! Big Neechi has since won the title of "Combine King" and "Strongest Man". 

During college, Big Neechi also earned another reputation for himself after throwing a Project X-style pool party that went viral and ended up on every news outlet in America. Big Neechi has become the #1 event host in Texas, and even hosted Spring Break in South Padre Island. 

No matter how wild his lifestyle gets, Big Neechi always prioritizes fitness, maintains a great physique, and displays insane numbers on all his lifts. (He was the 2019 Iron Wars 4 champion after completing a 475-lb. pause-rep bench press!) Weighing only 215 lb., Big Neechi has proven he can keep up with the best of the best.

Greg Lutzka is a professional skateboarder, best known for his technical skills which have landed him countless trophies, gold medals and awards in contests including: X-Games, The Maloof Money Cup, Dew Tours and World Cups. Currently, Lutzka is also the only skater to have ever won the highly respected Tampa Pro an unprecedented three times.

Lutzka’s reputation as one of the hardest working skateboarders in the industry is well-earned. At the age of 18, Greg moved from the Midwest to Southern California, the Action Sports mecca of the world. During the course of his career, Lutzka has been featured in videos for Almost & Darkstar Skateboards, K-Swiss and Oakley Eyewear. He has also cross-branded himself with Harley Davidson and Aqua Hydrate, always representing sponsors to the fullest while also practicing and improving his skateboarding skills daily.

Lutzka has acted in a movie, commercials and music videos. During whatever remaining freetime Lutzka has, he enjoys snowboarding, cycle riding and spending time with family and friends.


> > > Stay well.

Brianna Cope is a professional surfer born and raised on the beautiful island of Kauai, Hawaii. Growing up near the ocean, Cope fell in love with the power of its waves and began surfing on a longboard at the age of four. “I love how free and alive I feel in the ocean. It is […]

Joshua Schall sat down with LIFEAID co-founder Aaron Hinde during an April 2020* interview—just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to affect both business owners and consumers—for a candid discussion about how to harness the power of your mind to set yourself up for success.

(*Note: This interview contains dated information about the LIFEAID LIFT program which ran until late June 2020, to help get gyms back on their feet.)

You can watch the full podcast episode on YouTube here.

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HindeSight  |  No. 40

Joshua Schall sat down with LIFEAID co-founder Aaron Hinde during an April 2020* interview—just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to affect both business owners and consumers—for a candid discussion about how to harness the power of your mind to set yourself up for success. (*Note: This interview contains dated information about the LIFEAID LIFT […]

Results from a recent One Poll survey, published in a New York Post article on June 26, 2020

One in four Americans will never be returning to gyms … even once the pandemic is over, according to new research.

A survey of 2,000 Americans who exercise at least twice a week surveyed respondents on their attitudes toward gyms in the “corona age” and found 24 percent are over them, with one in three saying they will be likely to go less than before.

However, four in 10 remain undeterred by COVID-19 and said they will be returning to the gym at the same rate or more once it opens back up.

SWNS 

The study, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of LIFEAID Beverage Co., also found many active Americans are turning to at-home workouts.

Forty-two percent of those polled said they have a home gym set-up that they prefer over their membership gym.

Going back to gyms is currently a big unknown, but many safety measures will surely be implemented upon re-opening, including masks.

Wearing a mask during a pandemic is common sense for many, with only 26 percent saying they are anti-mask and won’t go to any gym that requires it.

Twenty-nine percent said they are anti-mask but would wear one if their gym required it, while 20 percent are for masks and will wear one at the gym reluctantly — and 26 percent are for masks and won’t go to any gym that does not require them.

All that being said, 62 percent of those polled said they believe wearing masks in gyms will help against the spread of COVID-19 and 83 percent agreed they’d feel much more comfortable in gyms if everybody was wearing a mask.

Masks aren’t the only safety concern for gym-goers, however.

Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed said they will be wiping down the equipment each time before they use it.

Over nine in 10 said they’d be more vigilant about others wiping down equipment properly and half (49 percent) said they’d call somebody out for not properly cleaning the equipment after they use it.

“We understand why some gym-goers may reject wearing a mask throughout their entire workout, but no one should drop the ball on cleanliness and disinfection of hands and equipment. It’s a courtesy and a personal responsibility as much as the responsibility of the gyms,” said Aaron Hinde, co-founder of LIFEAID Beverage Co.

“What gym devotees also need to understand is there is a price for higher standards of cleaning and safety at the gym. That requires more staff, more equipment, more cleaning supplies. So gym-goers should not be surprised or even indignant if they get hit with higher fees. And if the gym is critical to your balance and wellness, you should accept those fees.”

People are keen to exhibit caution when returning to public spaces to get back into their exercise routine.

The average respondent said that when their gym opens back up, they’ll still wait around four and half weeks before finally returning for a workout.

Many feel this can’t come soon enough, as 75 percent said they feel they need to put in some overtime in order to get back in shape after a lengthy quarantine.

But it hasn’t been all bad, as the survey showed Americans learned some self-love during the time in isolation.

Three in four said they are more accepting of their bodies now than they were pre-pandemic and the average respondent was found to have made four positive lifestyle changes since it started, too.

“If we experience lasting, positive change from the gym shut down, we hope it’s an embrace of some level of moderation. We can be fit, healthy and very strong without being obsessive,” said Hinde. “And smart moderation may also be better for our longer term physical health.”

Results from a recent One Poll survey, published in a New York Post article on June 26, 2020 One in four Americans will never be returning to gyms … even once the pandemic is over, according to new research. A survey of 2,000 Americans who exercise at least twice a week surveyed respondents on their […]

Written by travel blogger Tiffany Ammerman 

From local 5ks to hikes in far-off, exotic destinations, many of our planned fitness challenges have been added to the list of canceled activities this year. Initially, it might be disheartening to have to remove these events from your calendar, but don’t lose hope. Many competitions and challenges are simply moving to a virtual platform so attendees don’t have to experience fitness FOMO. 

Check out these five fun, fitness-related challenges for the summer and get your fitness fix! 

 

C O N C L U S I O N

Whether you’re supporting a fundraiser or attempting to push your own physical boundaries, these virtual fitness challenges will have you motivated and staying fit during a time of many competition cancellations. These challenges are perfect for both beginners who are just getting started on their fitness journey as well as professional athletes who are looking for another sport to add to their repertoire. Join the league of other virtual athletes and start working towards your goal today! 

Cover photo courtesy of @the_goodish_traveler
Additional images courtesy of @pandapaddle and @aravaiparunning


 

About the Author:
Georgia native Tiffany Ammerman is the thru-hiker and CrossFitter behind the travel blog The Goodish Traveler. She spends the majority of her time traveling, eating sushi and searching for hiking trails. When she's not blogging, Ammerman can be found training at CrossFit LaGrange and teaching art to kids.

You can follow her adventures on Instagram: @the_goodish_traveler or her website: TheGoodishTraveler.com

 


> > > Stay well.

Written by travel blogger Tiffany Ammerman  From local 5ks to hikes in far-off, exotic destinations, many of our planned fitness challenges have been added to the list of canceled activities this year. Initially, it might be disheartening to have to remove these events from your calendar, but don’t lose hope. Many competitions and challenges are […]

The FITAID Five: Helping Gyms Reopen Safely & Successfully

LIFEAID co-founder Aaron Hinde and daughter Trinity share the top-five steps to help our community safely return to the gym, as doors begin reopening nationwide. We know how important fitness is to our overall well-being, so please stay safe and stay fit out there. We're all in this together.

Check out the full video here.

How Athletes Are Handling Quarantine

We interviewed four FITAID athletes—Kelsey Kiel, Jacob Heppner, Neal Maddox and Jackie Perez—to get their take on how they’ve been staying fit and what key learnings they're taking away from quarantine.

Read the full article here.

"The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition."

 

—Ryan Holiday

The Obstacle Is The Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph

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HindeSight  |  No. 39

The FITAID Five: Helping Gyms Reopen Safely & Successfully LIFEAID co-founder Aaron Hinde and daughter Trinity share the top-five steps to help our community safely return to the gym, as doors begin reopening nationwide. We know how important fitness is to our overall well-being, so please stay safe and stay fit out there. We’re all […]

 


Written by travel blogger Tiffany Ammerman 

Athletes around the world have become all-too familiar with the struggles of trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and exercise regimen while gyms have been temporarily closed worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sharing our quarantine experiences and struggles with our fitness friends has become a major way for us to connect and stay motivated in a time of social distancing.

But what has quarantine been like for professional athletes?

We interviewed four FITAID athletes—Kelsey Kiel, Jacob Heppner, Neal Maddox and Jackie Perez—to get their take on how they’ve been not only staying fit but also what key learnings they may be taking away from their time in quarantine so far. Here's what they had to say!

QUESTION 1

FITAID: Isolation coupled with a massive change in our normal day-to-day life can be tough for everyone. What obstacles have you experienced and overcome during quarantine?

Kelsey Kiel: I think one of the biggest things people (including myself) weren't used to when we started this whole quarantine is the "being alone with yourself" thing. I always thought I was independent (I still think that), but being separated from normal life and interactions, you really have to be okay with sitting with yourself (all the thoughts and feelings that come with that). It was a tough thing for me at first, but I've really embraced FEELING and THINKING and BEING. Which is a bit abstract, but I think it's helped me grow. 

Jackie Perez: Quarantine has forced me to really take a look at what I rely on for happiness. Total isolation has shown me that I rely on others and events to make me happy or motivate me. I have overcome this by trying to focus on the things that bring joy to me. The things that if they were taken away, they wouldn't take my joy. I've started doing things I would never stop and take the time to do like read and go on walks or journal. Things that don't require much but truly make me happy. 

QUESTION 2

FITAID: As many of our local CrossFit boxes have been closed, what are some ways that you've been keeping fit during quarantine? What is the most unique thing you've done so far for fitness?

Jackie Perez: I created a Running Club because I found myself very unmotivated to workout. It was a huge success and had over 500 people sign up. I thrive on community so I created one where we all pushed each other and kept each other accountable. Nothing replaces the community vibe of being at the gym, but we must adapt to the current situation instead of letting it control us. 

Neal Maddox: I tend to go for bike rides a lot. I put together a home gym so I am able to train still. 

QUESTION 3

FITAID: Staying positive and tuning in to our emotions have been very important lately. How have you been staying present, positive and connected?

Jacob Heppner: For those of you that know me you know I'm already a super positive and connected person! One thing I recently did during the quarantine period was to start Fitness Related Awesome News (FRAN) which shares positive and uplifting news from around the globe in the fitness space! 

Kelsey Kiel: I've been doing a lot of self work and reading and writing. It's also been helpful to have people around me (not necessarily physically, haha) who have been there—FaceTiming, phone calling, and connecting that way. My dog also helps me stay positive because he's so dang cute. 

QUESTION 4

FITAID: Describe how you've been focusing on nutritional wellness during this time. What have been some of your favorite healthy dishes you've made during quarantine?

Kelsey Kiel: I track my macros regularly, and I recognized after a few weeks that nutrition and food is something I can control, so it actually helped me feel a sense of normalcy to continue to count and track my macros and eat the normal, healthy and tasty things I normally would. 

Jacob Heppner: I've actually spent a lot of time focusing on my nutritional wellness and realized that so many others need that help and need accountability! So I recently started "Functional Eating" which is a nutrition company with a 1-on-1 coach, the same coaches I use for my diet and nutrition for competing at the Games. Our main focus is giving every person that accountability and relationship instead of just a plain ol' diet template that doesn't keep you accountable! 

QUESTION 5

FITAID: What advice do you have for other athletes during quarantine? What have you personally taken away from this experience?

Neal Maddox: Advice I could give is this: get off social media and pick up a book. I have been basically going back to school and gathering as much knowledge as possible. The reason is because I want to come out of this pandemic a better person and great coach for my clients. 

Jackie Perez: The best advice I can give is to only focus on what you can control. See opportunity in the situation that will help you grow. It's a great time to get back to the fundamentals and make them bullet proof. We won't have this kind of time to rebuild from square one again so focus on the basics and get really good at them so when things go back to normal, we can continue to build. 

C O N C L U S I O N

This experience has shown me just how important it is to control our thoughts. This can either be the biggest tragedy we have had to deal with or an opportunity for growth in areas of our lives we have ignored because we were too busy. 

As Jackie Perez mentioned in her interview, “Nothing replaces the community vibe of being at the gym, but we must adapt to the current situation instead of letting it control us.”

While it can be easy to lament the temporary closing of your local gym, remember that everyone—even professional athletes—are going through the same experience, and with that knowledge we can move forward together towards a positive and healthy future.

All images are the property of respective athlete and FITAID, all rights reserved.


 

About the Author:
Georgia native Tiffany Ammerman is the thru-hiker and CrossFitter behind the travel blog The Goodish Traveler. She spends the majority of her time traveling, eating sushi and searching for hiking trails. When she's not blogging, Ammerman can be found training at CrossFit LaGrange and teaching art to kids.

You can follow her adventures on Instagram: @the_goodish_traveler or her website: TheGoodishTraveler.com

 


> > > Stay well.

  Written by travel blogger Tiffany Ammerman  Athletes around the world have become all-too familiar with the struggles of trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and exercise regimen while gyms have been temporarily closed worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sharing our quarantine experiences and struggles with our fitness friends has become a major way for […]

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Please consider joining the movement.

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"We must remain optimistic for our children, for the future. Love is always the answer."

 

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HindeSight  |  No. 38

#BlackoutTuesday This Tuesday, social media is providing humanity with a rare opportunity to come together, listen and empower the voices of those who have been silenced for too long. We’re here, we’re muted, and we’re listening. Please consider joining the movement. A Reminder to Those in Sports: Use Your Platform Wisely  During this time of […]


The New York Times recently released their top recommendations to help gyms in the U.S. reopen successfully this summer. LIFEAID co-founder Aaron Hinde and his daughter Trinity share the FITAID FIVE with their community. Knowing how important fitness is to our mental and physical health and overall well-being, please stay safe and stay fit out there. We're in this together!


CLICK TO WATCH:


> > > Stay well.

The New York Times recently released their top recommendations to help gyms in the U.S. reopen successfully this summer. LIFEAID co-founder Aaron Hinde and his daughter Trinity share the FITAID FIVE with their community. Knowing how important fitness is to our mental and physical health and overall well-being, please stay safe and stay fit out […]