Building A Leadership Position In Fitness Products: The Life Fitness Campaign

Client: Life Fitness

Category: Fitness/Sporting Goods Companies

Background

In 1988 Life Fitness was an emerging fitness products company with approximately $40 million in annual sales. Augie Nieto, the CEO of Life Fitness approached Dr. Rippe and Rippe Lifestyle Institute to help expand the credibility and leadership position of his company as it developed more fitness products and anticipated a larger role within the fitness industry.

RLI's Response

Over the next 8 years RLI served as the major research laboratory for Life Fitness providing research to substantiate claims regarding Life Fitness exercise equipment and developing physiologic profiles for new pieces of exercise equipment as they were developed. In addition, Dr. Rippe served as the major medical spokesman for Life Fitness and developed and chaired the Life Fitness Scientific Advisory Board, which consisted of internationally acclaimed experts in the areas of exercise and health. RLI research resulted in over 15 academic publications and served as the scientific underpinnings for virtually every piece of Life Fitness equipment and information pamphlet developed during this period of time. In addition, Dr. Rippe wrote a major book, The Exercise Exchange Program, that featured Life Fitness equipment and emphasized the role of exercise equipment in helping people achieve safe and effective weight loss and improvements in physical fitness.

Results

During the 8 years of association between RLI and Life Fitness, the company's annual revenue increased from $40 million to almost $200 million. In 1998 Life Fitness was sold to the Brunswick Corporation for $300 million.