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ON TRACK WITH STAR TRAC

an auto manufacturer teach a fitness equipment company? Plenty, it seems.

What can

I

BY KATHRYN KORCHOK

f you want to improve perfor- mance, go to those who define performance. If you want bet- ter design, learn from those who create unparalleled design. If

you want to maximize function, take your cues from those who built their reputations on the highest degree of functionality. That’s the way Star Trac saw things

about seven or eight years ago. This California-based fitness company had built its reputation and sales on cardio conditioning equipment like tread- mills and indoor cycling bikes and had achieved a measure of success. But it was planning to expand into strength training, build luxury equipment

46 Fitness Business Canada May/June 2009

brands and to define and refine its en- tire product development process. Star Trac viewed the luxury auto

manufacturer BMW as an icon of per- formance, design and functionality. Could Star Trac achieve the same suc- cess in its own field? “We went to BMW because we

sought to create a family look in our products,” says Jeff Dilts, product man- ager of Star Trac, which was founded 30 years ago. BMW Group had achieved brand-

ing, styling and marketing success with DesignworksUSA. It subsequent- ly taught Star Trac about develop- ing a comprehensive approach with a “design language” that tied together

product design and innovations, mar- keting materials, educational compo- nents, company look and style, mes- saging and branding strategy. And this is all driven by customer input and feedback.

Intense surveying and studying part of the development cycle

When Star Trac surveyed members

of fitness facilities that feature multiple product brands, they quickly discov- ered that exercisers didn’t necessarily know or remember brand names, but they could easily point out features they liked. “They couldn’t tell you who made a Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56