Introduction of One-of-a-Kind Fitness Watch Reaches Millions and Results in Sales of Thousands

The mother of three, Liz Dickinson of Vancouver, British Columbia, had tried for years to find an effective program to help her lose weight and stay fit. Out of frustration, she invented one. Mio is a one-of-a-kind fitness watch designed primarily for women that measures heart rate without a chest strap, and keeps track of calories consumed and calories burned during exercise. Dickinson founded the company Physi-Cal to market Mio and planned to introduce a prototype of the watch to local media at a trade show in Chicago.

Looking for a Chicago firm to help publicize the new product, Dickinson turned to PCI. PCI recommended that, rather than generate local coverage of a product that would not be available for several months, she conduct a national media relations campaign aimed at her target market closer to the launch of the product.

The objective of the campaign was to increase awareness of the Mio watch among trade and consumers prior to and during its launch, and to differentiate the product from the multitude of other fitness watches and gadgets.

While other heart rate monitors and calorie counters existed, Mio is the only watch to combine both features and take an accurate heart rate without a chest strap. The watch also provides consumers with MioSense, a program developed by Dickinson that includes a booklet of comprehensive information on nutrition, diet, fitness and exercise. MioSense provides a step-by-step guide on how to design and individualize a health and fitness program; and contains a list of caloric values for basic foods, beverages, fast foods and restaurant foods so that Mio users can easily record calories consumed throughout the day. Mio owners also receive membership in Club Mio, an online health club that provides the tools and support to succeed at health and fitness.

Tactics for the campaign included:

Spokesperson Training.

PCI conducted a two-day spokesperson training program with Dickinson and her personal trainers to help develop and practice message points for the campaign and demonstrate how to use Mio.

Press Kit Materials.

A press kit was developed and included: a news release announcing the launch of Mio; fact sheet on the watch, exercise and diets; biographies on Dickinson and her personal trainers; editorial background on Mio and the importance of using a heart rate monitor in a health and fitness program; and slides providing a visual image of the watch.

National Media and Major Market Media Tours.

The watch was introduced to national consumer and trade media initially through a variety of approaches: new product and "gear" column briefs, and holiday gift guides; first-person stories by reporters using the watch; mentions in fitness trend stories and profiles of Dickinson, the inventor. Once watches became available for distribution, PCI coordinated a two-day media tour in New York with long-lead media targeting health, fitness, women's interest, men's interest and general interest consumer and trade media. Media were offered photos and sample watches and meetings with Dickinson who demonstrated the watch and told her story of how and why she invented Mio. After a launch tour with national media in New York, media tours were conducted in major markets where the watch was available locally in stores.

Coverage of the watch has generated headlines and copy such as, "the latest development in personal training," "an easy way to get rid of the spare tire around your middle," "the stylish, colorful Mio watch not only tells time, but also monitors your calorie intake, heart rate and calories burned during exercise."

The campaign has generated 67 media placements reaching an audience of more than 64 million. Media tours included interviews with national consumer magazines, network television affiliates and top-rated radio shows Placement highlights include Parade, The New York Times, Runner's World, U.S. News and World Report, Fit Magazine, Health and First for Women.

Mio, which is available through Physi-Cal's Web site, sporting good stores and other Web sites, has no advertising support. All sales have been driven by earned media placements which have resulted in Web site hits of up to 3,500 a day surrounding major placements and in local sporting good stores selling out of the watch's inventory following local media tours.