With the multi-million dollar advertising opportunities around the world in sports-related marketing, along with recent tech-led developments in ad- and mar-tech, 2019 is set to be a game-changer for marketers.
Refined audience targeting will be at the core of this transformation. Several brands that invest in sports-related marketing such as sporting goods, fitness wearables and apps, health food among others seek to target sports enthusiasts as part of their larger marketing strategy.
Why refined audience targeting matters today
As advertising costs rise and consumer attention fragments across channels, brands can no longer rely on broad interest or demographic targeting. Sports and fitness audiences deliver better results because they are identified based on real-world behavior and demonstrated intent, helping marketers reach consumers who are more likely to engage, convert, and remain loyal.
Based on the data we’ve gathered, here are 4 Audience Segments that are resulting in high ROI for such brands:
1. Gym Visitors
Fitness minded consumers who frequent gyms in their vicinity.
Frequent gymmers are a disciplined, dedicated lot! They are frequently in the market for work-out gear, wearable tech, health and diet apps, and health food products. Brands in relevant segments, such as healthy food, fitness gear, etc should focus keenly on Gym Visitors as a critical segment that has a higher likelihood for being in the market for health and fitness products and services.
Why this audience converts
Regular gym visitation is a strong indicator of active purchase intent. These consumers exhibit repeat behavior tied closely to fitness spending, making them highly responsive to offers related to memberships, apparel, supplements, and wellness services.
2. Sports Venue Visitors
Consumers with a keen interest in sporting events in their communities and cities.
From soccer stadiums to racing clubs, sports venue visitors form a critical target audience for many brands looking to target sports enthusiasts. By targeting consumers who frequent sports venues as audience as well as players in many instances brands can start to see higher conversion rates. For instance, if you reach out to someone who has visited a soccer stadium to view a match, there is a higher chance of that person being more interested in a pair of soccer cleats than a person who has never been to a stadium.
Why this audience converts
Attendance at live sporting events reflects deep emotional and financial engagement with sports. These consumers are more likely to respond to sports-related offers, merchandise, subscriptions, and experiences especially around major events and seasons.
3. Sporting goods & fitness shoppers
These are consumers who frequent sports gear and fitness outlets in their cities.
Sporting goods and fitness shoppers are an important target audience not only for sporting gear and sportswear brands but also for outdoors and adventure travel brands, wearable health tech, and even health supplement consumers. Refining your audience targeting to this segment alone will ensure you have a higher chance of conversion and reduce wasted ad spend on targeting audiences who do not indulge in sports and fitness shopping.
Why this audience converts
Shopping for sports and fitness gear often precedes or accompanies a renewed commitment to physical activity. Targeting this audience allows brands to intercept consumers at a high-intent moment, improving conversion rates and campaign efficiency.
4. Sports and fitness app users
These are consumers who frequently use sports and fitness related apps.
Frequent users of sports and fitness apps are often in the market for health and fitness goods, accessories, apparel, and FMCG. They form a critical audience for any brand in these segments that needs to target them.
Why this audience converts
Fitness app usage signals ongoing engagement with health goals. These users are more receptive to personalized offers, subscriptions, and product recommendations aligned with their fitness routines and lifestyle.
Anticipatory Audience Targeting with Mobility & App Data
One of the biggest advantages of these audience segments is the ability to anticipate intent rather than react to it. By identifying consumers based on behaviors that typically occur before a purchase decision—such as visiting gyms or shopping for workout gear—brands can reach prospects earlier in the decision journey, ahead of competitors.
The above high quality audience segments used either in combination or individually can help ensure your target the right customer, resulting in higher conversions and better ROI. Factori has an audience size of over 29 Million users who can be classified as sports enthusiasts based on places visited, brand affinities, app usage, as well as app u. This is a gold-mine for sports brands looking for a refined audience targeting strategy.
How Factori enables high-intent audience targeting
Factori builds these audiences using privacy-safe, opt-in mobility and app engagement data. By focusing on real-world behavior rather than inferred interests, brands gain access to scalable, accurate, and performance-ready audience segments.
Read more about the Use-Cases how Factori helping businesses grow faster than the competition.
