Nautilus 2003 Annual Report Download - page 10

Table of Contents
Fitness Academy.
The Fitness Academy was established in 1997 to provide programming and educational information to both consumers and
fitness professionals. To date, the Fitness Academy has provided training and certification to hundreds of fitness professionals in the Schwinn
Cycling Program and has recently added a range of strength training programs based on Nautilus training principles to its repertoire. Many of
these programs are targeted to special groups such as seniors, women and youth that are particularly important to the fitness industry today.
Fitness Academy programs are designed to aid clubs in increasing profits by encouraging cost efficient group exercise classes; benefit staff
members by helping them increase their range of fitness education skills; and motivate members to stick with their exercise programs to truly
experience fitness results.
Advertising.
We advertise in select trade publications, including publications that reach key industry stakeholders. Specific placement is driven
by marketing and product development events and ads are coded to assist us in measuring the effectiveness of each individual ad with respect
to our objectives of increasing brand awareness and increasing sales leads.
Direct Mail Promotions.
We maintain a database that includes contacts at thousands of commercial facilities and enables us to monitor
responses to direct mail promotions. All direct mail promotions are supplemented by a telemarketing effort to maximize customer response.
Public Relations.
In the commercial market, public relations are a critical component in our strategy to build awareness and credibility for the
Company and our products in the marketplace. Positioning the Company as the leading comprehensive provider of fitness equipment and
education requires us to change the general perception that our brands stand alone to the understanding that our brands work together to deliver
the most complete fitness system available. In order to meet these objectives, we have established relationships with key media outlets to
develop and communicate our competitive advantages.
Trade Shows. There are several national and regional industry trade shows, such as the IHRSA and Club Industry, as well as many events that
showcase our programs and products. Trade shows also provide excellent opportunities to meet face-to-face with our customers and the press
to obtain valuable feedback by being able to test marketing messages, receive customer input on product designs, and evaluate the competition.
Internet.
We currently maintain and direct customers to our Nautilus, Schwinn Fitness and StairMaster websites, which can be found at
www.nautilus.com, www.schwinnfitness.com, and www.stairmaster.com, respectively. These websites contain Company and product
information. None of the information on these websites is part of this Form 10-K.
Retail Approach
The main focus for marketing our retail products is two-fold: 1) fully support our network of dealers, and 2) leverage our direct marketing
advertising dollars to market products through the retail sales channel that were previously only available to consumers through the direct sales
channel. Company sponsored marketing programs have been developed to ensure that our Nautilus, Schwinn, Bowflex, StairMaster and
Trimline brands remain prominent in the minds of dealer staff and consumers and drive consumers to their local retailers.
Health and Fitness e
-newsletter. Created to motivate and educate our customers, the newsletter is now a consumer campaign, allowing the
Company to reach thousands of health conscious readers every month. By delivering the newsletter to the email inboxes of thousands of
consumers and making the newsletter available on our website, we are developing long-
term customer relationships and a community of fitness
enthusiasts. In addition, dealers may label and distribute the newsletter through their stores.
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