22 Categories to Watch in ‘22: Top Fitness Advertising Trends

As we approach the end of the year, we’ll be covering trends from 22 key markets. We’ll recap what each industry has experienced over the past year and what to watch for in 2022. Learn who are the top advertisers from each category and how they spend across formats.

The fitness industry was completely transformed during the pandemic. Instead of exercising in poorly ventilated, indoor facilities, gym-goers bought home equipment or began to exercise outside.

While the gym used to sit at the top of the fitness hierarchy, digital models and at-home systems gained more market share over the past two years.

“The gym may have once had this temporary monopoly, but this is over, and the pandemic has demonstrated that consumers can capably locate and enjoy many different gym substitutes,” said Ray Algar, a global fitness industry business adviser and analyst with Oxygen Consulting.

“What the pandemic has done has made these gym substitutes more visible. So, this does represent a significant inflection point because never has this global industry been challenged to demonstrate its right to serve and support the exercising consumer,” he continued.

This transformation has brought an influx of advertising dollars from at-home and digital solutions, like Peloton and competitors.

Digital and at-home fitness solutions aren’t going away in 2022. Here are the top advertisers you’ll want to pitch to.

MediaRadar Insights

Overall Spending and Breakdown Across Formats

Overall, fitness companies spent $609 million through October 2021, which is a 56% increase from the year before.

Fitness Equipment Advertising Spend Chart

Most of this spending was across TV placements. Advertisers invested over $432 million in the format, which is up 43% year-over-year.

Behind TV, fitness advertisers spent the second most across digital—$158.5 million. This is an increase of 97%.

Print receives the smallest portion of investment from this category, but it did grow the most this past year compared to 2020. Advertisers spent $18.3 million on print placements, a 128% increase.

Number of Advertisers

753 advertisers spent $609 million in 2021 compared to 592 advertisers spending $390.1 million in 2020.

Advertiser Retention

In the overall category, advertisers had a 61% retention rate between 2020 and 2021 (January – October).

5 Top Advertisers – Which Advertisers Spent the Most in 2021?

1. Peloton Interactive, Inc.

Peloton Interactive, Inc. is also a top advertiser in the fitness equipment category, with 100% of their budget spent promoting their fitness equipment products. Their advertising spend increased by 163% since last year.

TV advertising saw a 193% increase in investments. 75% of all of their ad spend is allocated to TV advertisements. Cable ads increased by 176% and broadcast ads increased by 289%.

Digital advertising increased 101%, and Peloton began investing in print advertising this year.

Below is a breakdown of Peloton Interactive, Inc’s ad spend thus far in 2021. We predict they will likely have an upcoming RFP issued. MediaRadar can help you connect with 18 key contacts at Peloton Interactive, Inc.

2. ICON Fitness Corp.

ICON Fitness Corp. is another advertiser in the fitness equipment category, with 99% of their budget spent promoting their fitness equipment products. Their advertising spend has increased by 125% since last year.

Digital ad spend saw a 137% increase in spending. Online video, native, and OTT ads all saw an increase of over 1000%.

TV advertising also saw a 121% increase in investments. 74% of all of their ad spend is allocated to TV advertisements. Cable ads increased by 65% and broadcast ads increased by 630%.

Print saw an increase of over 1000%

Below is a breakdown of ICON Fitness Corp’s ad spend thus far in 2021. We predict they will likely have 3 upcoming RFPs issued. MediaRadar can help you connect with 10 key contacts at ICON Fitness Corp.

3. Lululemon Athletica, Inc.

Lululemon Athletica, Inc. is another advertiser in the fitness equipment category, with 90% of their budget spent promoting their fitness equipment products. Their advertising spend has gone down by 16% since last year.

However their investments in both print and digital both increased.

Online video ads investments increased by 248%. Both OTT and native advertising increased by over 1000%. Lululemon also began investing with podcast and newspaper ads.

Below is a breakdown of Lululemon Athletica, Inc’s ad spend thus far in 2021. We predict they will likely have 2 upcoming RFPs issued. MediaRadar can help you connect with 9 key contacts at Lululemon Athletica, Inc.

4. Total Gym Global Corp.

Total Gym Global Corp. is another top spender in the fitness equipment category, with 100% of their budget spent promoting their fitness equipment products. Their advertising spend has gone up by 76% since last year.

Their TV advertising spend increased by 75%. Cable advertising makes up 96% of Total Gym Global Corp’s advertising investments.

Digital spend increased by 342%. Native advertising increased by 1000%, Facebook ad spend increased by 123%, and Podcast ads increased by 98%. Total Gym Global Corp also began investing in display ads this year.

Below is a breakdown of Total Gym Global Corp’s ad spend thus far in 2021. MediaRadar can help you connect a key contact at Total Gym Global Corp.

5. Med-Fit Systems

Med-Fit Systems is another top spender in the fitness equipment category, with 100% of their budget spent promoting their fitness equipment products. Their advertising spend has gone up by 112% since last year.

Their TV advertising accounts for 96% of Med-Fit Systems’ ad budget. TV spend increased by 129%.

Print and Digital were both down this year.

Even though overall digital spending was down, Facebook spending increased by 151% since last year. Native advertising is new for this brand year.

Below is a breakdown ofMed-Fit Systems’ ad spend thus far in 2021. We predict they will likely have 3 upcoming RFPs issued. MediaRadar can help you connect with 2 key contacts.