How Tempo Used Affiliate to Take on the Big Guns in Remote Fitness

In April 2020, in the midst of everything that was going on in the world, fitness was being redefined. The rapidly spreading pandemic meant that gyms had closed their doors, and not only were people looking for new ways to stay in shape, but they also sought the interactive, communal experience that gyms, fitness centers and spas provide.

Enter a startup called Tempo. They provide a home workout experience that feels like having your own dedicated personal trainer, complete with evaluation of your form, counting reps and more using 3D mapping and a sleek touch-screen video device on which users can take guided classes and use the accompanying weights. But with competitors investing insane amounts of money into digital and TV advertising, how could Tempo make its voice heard?

Round Barn Labs Affiliate Program Key Results

Tempo Needed to Muscle Its Way into a Crowded Space

The demand for remote fitness technology was certainly at an all-time high, but there was also a lot of competition emerging, and quickly gobbling up market share. Tempo needed to reach a lot of potential customers quickly, and to be validated as an important player in the space. They turned to Round Barn Labs to stand up an ambitious affiliate program that could achieve those goals, diversify their marketing mix and drive more sales.

RBL Pumps Up Tempo’s Affiliate Approach

For an affiliate program with lofty goals on a tight timeline, Round Barn Labs knew they’d need to get to work quickly and dedicate a lot of resources and expertise to the effort.
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We worked closely with Tempo on a three-pronged approach:

1. Agile & High-Touch Collaboration: RBL’s affiliate experts dedicate more time to each client’s needs, with an industry-leading 2:1 client-to-expert ratio, so Tempo would be assured proven expertise, but more dedicated expertise than they’d get from a typical agency, which usually works with a 5:1 ratio. RBL also collaborated closely with Tempo’s PR team to identify opportunities to complement and amplify improving monetization and direct response. We integrated on Slack and set up an agile & responsive collaboration between our teams.
 
2. Diversified Approach: RBL went to battle for Tempo on three fronts. First, we recruited and supported a diverse set of brand ambassadors from our extensive database of affiliate partners and influencers. We were able to pair Tempo with top fitness influencers with 50K+ followers, who are committed to high-quality brand collaboration. At the same time, we leveraged Search Engine Optimization tools to identify partners and areas where Affiliate partners could help support Tempo growth in search engines for terms like home gym, smart gym, and comparison/competitor queries, while also setting a cadence of regular SEO-optimized content. Lastly, we undertook a detailed promotional analysis to take advantage of key moments like Prime Day, Singles Day, and Cyber Monday to pulse compelling offers and provide Tempo with guidance and the why behind the results to inform future promotions and tests.
 
3. Strategic Approach to Affiliate Mix: Round Barn selected a diverse array of potential partners for Tempo review and approval, including bloggers, collectives, Instagram influencers, audio podcasts and more. We then handle the relationships, whether it be negotiating placement and rates or tracking placements and return-on-ad-spend monthly for each partner, so Tempo can focus on their normal day-to-day. Tempo simply provides the product up front and “value-add” items monthly and RBL handles the rest.

Through a highly targeted, multi-faceted affiliate program, RBL was able to help Tempo reach and exceed its customer acquisition goals within budget in a matter of weeks. Ten high-value brand ambassadors created original content, posted several original photos and amplified Tempo’s message on Instagram, Facebook and popular blogs, with some posting more than 15 pieces of content. As a result, Tempo has been able to tap into YouTube and Instagram more effectively, and has seen affiliate-originated brand awareness & sales grow rapidly as part of its marketing mix.  

To find out how Round Barn Labs can help you reach your target customers through content creators that they trust, contact us today.